JOB SUMMARY:
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for the overall financial leadership, strategy, and direction of St. Mary’s Native Corporation (SMNC), its subsidiaries, and affiliated entities. The CFO serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and provides financial guidance to the President/CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Board of Directors, and business leaders to support sound decision-making, sustainable growth, profitability, responsible stewardship, and long-term shareholder value.
The CFO oversees accounting, finance, financial planning and analysis, treasury, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, internal controls, risk management, and banking relationships. The position ensures the organization has accurate, timely, and meaningful financial information to support both daily operations and long-term strategic decisions.
This is a hands-on executive leadership position. The CFO is expected to provide strategic direction while remaining actively engaged in the financial operations of the Corporation and its subsidiaries. The successful candidate must be willing to work through complex issues, identify weaknesses, improve processes, and build financial infrastructure rather than simply inherit and maintain established systems.
As an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), the CFO must understand the unique financial, operational, governance, and shareholder considerations associated with an ANC and its subsidiary structure. The CFO must balance financial performance and business growth with responsible stewardship of corporate assets and the long-term interests of the Corporation and its shareholders.
The CFO must develop a strong understanding of SMNC’s diverse business lines, including construction, federal government contracting, commercial business operations, professional services, and other project-based or contract-driven activities. The CFO must understand how each business line generates revenue, incurs costs, manages labor and overhead, generates cash flow, carries risk, and produces profitability.
The CFO is expected to look beyond the financial statements and understand the operational activities driving financial results. The CFO will work closely with Operations, Contracts, Compliance, Project Management, Business Development, Human Resources, and subsidiary leadership to support informed business decisions.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Executive Financial Leadership
- Provide overall financial leadership and direction for SMNC, its subsidiaries, and affiliated entities.
- Serve as the principal financial advisor to executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
- Develop and implement financial strategies aligned with corporate objectives, growth plans, and shareholder interests.
- Evaluate business opportunities, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, capital expenditures, and financing arrangements.
- Establish financial accountability throughout the organization and ensure leaders understand the financial impact of business decisions.
Business Line & Operational Understanding
- Develop and maintain a strong understanding of SMNC’s business lines, including construction, federal government contracting, commercial operations, professional services, and other project-based businesses.
- Understand the financial impact of contract structure, pricing, labor, materials, subcontractors, overhead, indirect costs, funding, billing, retainage, backlog, change orders, and project execution.
- Partner with Operations and subsidiary leadership to understand the business activities driving financial results.
- Ensure financial analysis reflects the unique characteristics and risks of each business line.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins, manage costs, strengthen cash flow, and reduce risk.
Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting
- Lead the annual corporate and subsidiary budgeting process.
- Develop and maintain financial forecasts and models supporting strategic and operational decisions.
- Provide budget-to-actual reporting, variance analysis, and recommendations to executive leadership and the Board.
- Establish meaningful financial performance measures and KPIs.
- Oversee long-range financial planning, including revenue, profitability, cash flow, capital, and investment projections.
- Ensure forecasts consider backlog, awarded work, pipeline opportunities, staffing, project performance, and other operational factors.
Accounting & Financial Reporting
- Provide executive oversight of the accounting function and ensure accurate and timely financial records.
- Oversee the accounting & finance team, including AP, AR, payroll, general ledger, fixed assets, job costing, reconciliations, and close processes.
- Ensure consolidated and entity-level financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP.
- Ensure financial reporting supports management, Board, audit, tax, banking, and government-contracting requirements.
- Establish expectations for timely month-end and year-end close and continuously improve reporting quality and efficiency.
Treasury, Cash Management & Capital
- Oversee corporate cash management, liquidity, working capital, and cash forecasting.
- Monitor borrowing capacity, debt obligations, and capital requirements.
- Manage banking relationships, lines of credit, debt facilities, investments, and other financial relationships.
- Evaluate financing alternatives and make recommendations regarding debt, working capital, and capital investments.
- Ensure appropriate controls over cash, investments, credit cards, corporate accounts, and other financial assets.
Government Contracting & Project Financial Management
- Provide financial leadership for government contracting activities and subsidiaries.
- Ensure financial systems, job costing, indirect cost structures, and controls support applicable government-contracting requirements.
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of FAR and financial requirements applicable to federal contracting.
- Oversee project financial performance, including revenue, billings, direct and indirect costs, funding, profitability, cash flow, backlog, contract margins, and burn rates.
- Work with Operations, Contracts, Compliance, and Project Management to identify financial risks and opportunities.
- Provide financial guidance related to contract modifications, change orders, at-risk work, early payments, pricing, indirect rates, funding issues, and other contract-related matters.
- Support compliance with applicable 8(a), Service Contract Act, Davis-Bacon Act, prevailing wage, union, and other government-contracting requirements.
Internal Controls, Compliance & Risk Management
- Establish and maintain a strong internal control environment that safeguards corporate assets and reduces financial and operational risk.
- Evaluate financial processes and controls and implement improvements.
- Provide oversight of financial policies, approval authorities, segregation of duties, purchasing controls, and expense controls.
- Work with Compliance, Contracts, Operations, Human Resources, and leadership to identify and mitigate business risks.
- Communicate significant financial, contractual, operational, and compliance risks to executive leadership and the Board.
Audit, Tax & External Relationships
- Lead the annual financial statement audit and serve as the executive point of contact for external auditors.
- Oversee relationships with CPA firms, tax advisors, banks, insurance providers, consultants, and other professional service providers.
- Ensure audit schedules, financial documentation, and supporting information are prepared timely.
- Review audit findings and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
- Provide executive oversight of tax compliance and planning activities.
Board & Shareholder Reporting
- Provide accurate, meaningful, and timely financial information to the Board of Directors.
- Prepare or oversee Board financial presentations covering financial performance, budgets, forecasts, cash flow, profitability, project performance, debt, capital expenditures, and other relevant matters.
- Clearly communicate significant financial risks, opportunities, trends, and recommendations.
- Support the Board’s understanding of the Corporation’s financial condition and long-term financial outlook.
Subsidiary & Business Unit Oversight
- Provide financial oversight across SMNC subsidiaries, joint ventures, and other business interests.
- Ensure subsidiaries maintain appropriate accounting, budgeting, reporting, controls, and financial management practices.
- Establish financial expectations, reporting requirements, performance measures, and accountability.
- Monitor subsidiary performance and identify areas requiring management attention.
- Support decisions regarding subsidiary growth, restructuring, strategic direction, or potential divestiture.
- Ensure appropriate consolidation and intercompany accounting practices.
Strategic Planning & Business Development
- Participate in corporate strategic planning and provide financial analysis supporting long-term objectives.
- Evaluate acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, partnerships, and new business opportunities.
- Oversee financial due diligence and modeling for potential transactions.
- Analyze expected return, risk, capital requirements, cash flow impact, and long-term financial implications.
- Partner with Operations, Business Development, Contracts, Compliance, and executive leadership to ensure growth opportunities are financially sound.
Finance Department Leadership
- Lead, develop, and strengthen the Finance and Accounting organization.
- Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability.
- Develop and mentor finance and accounting personnel.
- Evaluate staffing, training, technology, and organizational needs.
- Build a Finance function that is accurate, disciplined, responsive, service-oriented, and capable of supporting continued growth.
- Promote continuous improvement in processes, controls, reporting, and efficiency.
Financial Systems & Process Improvement
- Provide executive leadership for financial systems, processes, and reporting.
- Ensure systems provide accurate and useful information to management.
- Improve system utilization, workflow, automation, reporting, and data integrity.
- Identify opportunities to reduce manual processes and improve efficiency.
- Support continued implementation and optimization of Sage Intacct and other financial systems.
Other Duties
Perform other executive, financial, operational, or special-project duties as assigned by the President/CEO, Board of Directors, or other authorized leadership.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
- CPA, CMA, or other relevant professional designation preferred but not required.
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience, including significant senior management or executive-level experience.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing financial operations for a complex organization with multiple entities, subsidiaries, business units, or government-contracting activities.
- At least five years of progressive management or executive leadership experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience with financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, financial reporting, internal controls, financial analysis, and organizational leadership.
- Strong understanding of the business operations and financial drivers associated with construction, federal government contracting, commercial business operations, professional services, and/or other project-based or contract-driven businesses.
- Ability to understand how operational decisions affect revenue, profitability, cash flow, working capital, project margins, backlog, indirect costs, and corporate performance.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working for an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) or other Native organization with a complex corporate, subsidiary, or government-contracting structure.
- Experience with federal government contracting and related financial requirements.
- Experience with FAR, 8(a), Service Contract Act, Davis-Bacon Act, indirect rates, job costing, contract profitability, project accounting, and government cost principles.
- Experience overseeing construction, professional services, engineering, facilities, environmental, or other government-contracting businesses.
- Experience with variety of accounting systems.
- Experience managing banking relationships, lines of credit, debt facilities, bonding relationships, and other corporate financial arrangements.
- Experience with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments, or other corporate transactions.
- Experience preparing financial information and presentations for a Board of Directors.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
The successful candidate must possess strong financial and business acumen and be able to move comfortably between detailed financial matters and high-level strategic decision-making.
Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, internal controls, financial analysis, and corporate finance is required.
The CFO must understand SMNC’s businesses beyond the numbers, including the operational and financial drivers of construction, government contracting, commercial operations, professional services, and other project-based activities.
The CFO must be able to analyze complex financial information, identify trends and risks, understand root causes, and translate financial information into practical business recommendations.
Strong leadership and interpersonal skills are essential. The CFO must be able to establish accountability while developing, mentoring, and motivating employees.
The CFO must communicate clearly with employees, project managers, executives, Board members, auditors, lenders, government representatives, and other stakeholders.
The successful candidate must exercise sound judgment, integrity, discretion, and confidentiality when handling sensitive financial and corporate information.
The CFO must be comfortable challenging assumptions, asking difficult questions, and providing objective financial advice to executive leadership.
The CFO must be proactive, solutions-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable creating or improving processes in an evolving organization.
The successful candidate must have a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach and be willing to work directly with the Finance team when circumstances require it.
LEADERSHIP & PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
The CFO is expected to serve as a strategic business partner, not simply as the head of the accounting function.
The CFO is expected to:
- Establish financial discipline and accountability throughout the organization.
- Develop a strong understanding of each SMNC business line and its impact on revenue, profitability, cash flow, and risk.
- Partner with Operations and subsidiary leadership to understand the financial drivers of each business.
- Ensure leadership has reliable financial information when decisions need to be made.
- Improve visibility into subsidiary and project-level financial performance.
- Strengthen cash flow forecasting and working capital management.
- Establish and maintain appropriate internal controls.
- Improve the quality, timeliness, and usefulness of financial reporting.
- Develop a strong Finance and Accounting team.
- Build effective relationships across Finance, Operations, Contracts, Compliance, Human Resources, and executive leadership.
- Identify financial risks early and communicate them appropriately.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins, manage costs, strengthen cash flow, and support sustainable growth.
- Support responsible growth and informed business decisions.
- Protect corporate assets and promote sound financial stewardship.
- Build a sustainable financial infrastructure capable of supporting SMNC’s long-term growth and shareholder objectives.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The majority of work is performed in a professional office environment with interaction across all levels of the organization, including executive leadership, subsidiary management, project management, the Board of Directors, auditors, financial institutions, government representatives, consultants, and other external stakeholders.
This position is preferably in person. Additional travel may be required based on business needs, including travel to corporate offices, subsidiary locations, project sites, business meetings, and other locations.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work is generally sedentary, requiring routine walking, standing, bending, and carrying items weighing less than forty pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
PREFERENCE STATEMENT
SMNC grants preference to qualified SMNC Shareholders first, and second to qualified shareholders of other Alaska Native corporations that grant a similar preference in all phases of employment and training, including but not limited to hiring, promotion, layoff, transfer, and training.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position. The employee will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform any other job-related duties requested by any authorized person.
Interested applicants may contact [email protected]
Pay: $150,000.00 - $170,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
