Chief Administrative Officer

Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America•Chicago, IL

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is responsible for managing effective and streamlined financial systems, overseeing government grant program reporting, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements. This role also involves managing charitable solicitation registrations, executing IDES reporting, and overseeing the record management process. The CAO will draft, update, and ensure compliance with FORA’s Policy and Procurement Manuals. Additionally, the CAO ensures the integrity of financial statements and adherence to accounting standards and tax laws. This position oversees tax, audit, treasury, and compliance functions, ensuring all financial practices are compliant with local, state, and federal regulations. The CAO also assists the Managing Director (MD) with Board functions, administers the payroll/HR platform, onboards new employees, tracks employee time off, processes payroll, reviews reimbursement requests, and oversees facilities management. As the managing authority for finance and human resources, the CAO ensures understanding and compliance in these matters across the organization. The CAO directly supervises the Administrative Officer and the Administration Department. The role requires maintaining a comprehensive understanding of FORA’s programs, guiding principles, and organizational goals, and assisting the MD with special projects. Active participation in staff meetings, professional development, and technical training is expected. The CAO will also support donor relations and fundraising efforts as requested, which may include attending donor events outside of regular working hours. Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential, as is the ability to endorse, embrace, and enact FORA’s vision, mission, and values. Employees are expected to support all other FORA departments as requested by supervisors to ensure the smooth operation of FORA programming and special events.

Requirements

Management exempt position
Additional hours will be expected outside of and in addition to normal working hours as deemed necessary
Strong verbal communication skills, including initiating conversations, actively listening, responding thoughtfully, and using a respectful and professional tone.
Must endorse, embrace, and enact FORA’s vision, mission, and values.

Nice To Haves

Experience with financial systems, including banking, budgeting, purchasing, bill payment, and expense reporting.
Experience overseeing outside financial consultants.
Experience with monthly payroll processing.
Experience with financial reporting and metrics.
Experience with budget monitoring and reporting.
Experience coordinating audits and IRS form 990 activities.
Experience with internal controls and month-end close procedures.
Experience with government grant program reporting.
Experience with charitable solicitation registrations and state “good standing” certifications.
Experience with IDES reporting.
Experience with record management processes.
Experience drafting and updating policy and procurement manuals.
Knowledge of regulatory requirements, accounting standards (e.g., GAAP, IFRS), and tax laws.
Experience with tax, audit, treasury, and compliance functions.
Experience stewarding funds in accordance with financial policies.
Experience assisting with Board functions, including proposals, memos, and meeting preparation.
Experience administering payroll/HR platforms.
Experience onboarding new employees.
Experience reporting employee contributions to State of Illinois IRA program.
Experience tracking sick time and paid time off.
Experience reviewing overtime requests for eligibility and compliance.
Experience reviewing and approving employee reimbursement requests.
Experience with facilities management, office supply management, building maintenance, and capital projects.
Experience ensuring understanding and compliance in finance and human resources matters.
Experience supervising staff.
Comprehensive understanding of FORA’s programs, guiding principles, and organizational goals.
Experience assisting with special projects and initiatives.
Experience participating in staff meetings, professional development sessions, and technical training meetings.
Experience supporting donor relations and fundraising efforts.
Experience attending donor events outside of regular working hours.
Ability to compose, distribute, and respond to a wide range of correspondence.
Ability to support all other FORA departments as requested by supervisors.

Responsibilities

Manages effective and streamlined financial systems, including banking, budgeting, purchasing, bill payment, and expense reporting.
Oversees an outside financial consultant who is responsible for bank and account reconciliations, fiscal reporting, bill payment, and payroll.
Performs monthly payroll processing.
Reviews and approves preparation and finalization of monthly and annual financial reporting materials and metrics.
Monitors budgeted versus actual spend and reports on financial matters to the MD and the Board.
Coordinates all audit and IRS form 990 activities.
Provides administrative assistance to the MD for the annual budget process.
Responsible for maintaining and developing strong internal controls and month end close procedures; serves as external representative for financial matters related to the organization.
Oversees government grant program reporting, including budgeting, amendments, fiscal reporting, and tracking.
Manages charitable solicitation registrations and state “good standing” certifications via an outside resource.
Executes IDES reporting.
Oversees the record management process to ensure meticulous documentation of FORA’s financial and organizational activities.
Drafts, updates, and ensures compliance with FORA’s Policy and Procurement Manuals.
Ensures the integrity of financial statements and adherence to regulatory requirements, accounting standards (e.g., GAAP, IFRS), and tax laws.
Oversees tax, audit, treasury, and compliance functions, ensuring all financial practices are compliant with local, state, and federal regulations.
In coordination with the Board Treasurer and Board Finance Committee, stewards funds in accordance with financial policies, including long-term restricted funding pools.
Assists the MD on FORA Board functions, such as but not limited to: Board proposals, Board memos, and Board meeting preparation.
Ensures proper filing of all Board meeting minutes.
Administers the payroll/HR platform for processing job postings, onboarding, payroll, benefits processing, etc. for employees.
Onboards new employees, including but not limited to: required paperwork and training, selection of benefits, training of administrative processes, verification of employment eligibility, and successful completion of platform onboarding.
Reports employee contributions to the State of Illinois IRA program.
Tracks sick time and paid time off for all employees in accordance with FORA policy.
Confirms hours submitted by employees to process payroll, including reviewing overtime requests for eligibility and compliance.
Reviews and approves employee reimbursement requests.
Oversees facilities management including routine office supply, building maintenance, and coordination of capital projects.
Ensures understanding and compliance in finance and human resources matters across the organization.
Directly supervises the Administrative Officer and the Administration Department.
Maintains an active and comprehensive understanding of FORA’s programs, guiding principles, and short- and long-term organizational goals.
Assists the Managing Director with special projects and initiatives as needed.
Actively participates in staff meetings, professional development sessions, and technical training meetings.
Supports donor relations and fundraising efforts as requested by the Managing Director and/or Chief Administrative Officer.
Attends donor events, including those held outside of regular working hours.
Composes, distributes, and responds to a wide range of correspondence related to assigned responsibilities.
Demonstrates strong verbal communication skills, including initiating conversations, actively listening, responding thoughtfully, and using a respectful and professional tone.
Endorses, embraces, and enacts FORA’s vision, mission, and values.
Supports all other FORA departments as requested by supervisors in order to ensure the smooth operation of FORA programming and special events.