Bonsai Leadership Group is excited to support Climate Resilience for All in its search for its first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Download the full position profile here.

ABOUT Climate Resilience for All

Established in 2023, Climate Resilience for All (CRA) is a dynamic, global non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to strengthening and supporting the health and livelihoods of women and vulnerable communities facing extreme heat. Given the significant gap in the understanding of extreme heat and its impacts on women, CRA was co-founded by four women leaders who care deeply about addressing climate change and its impacts on women and vulnerable communities.

In its first two years, CRA has raised more than $20 million to expand its programs and impact. Today, CRA operates in eight countries, including Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Nigeria, Thailand, India, Kenya, the United States, and the United Kingdom. CRA builds awareness, drives behavior change and delivers practical, durable solutions shaped by the experiences and needs of women in the global south to address the impacts of extreme heat.

CRA’s approach is guided by three key pillars that drive its mission forward: 

Act Now & Innovate
Design, deliver, and assess the impact of women-centered heat resilience interventions before, during, and after extreme heat events.

Replicate Success
Catalyze expansion of effective women-centered heat interventions across geographies.

Build the Field
Build the field of extreme heat, growing capacity and coherence across many actors and institutions.

With a commitment to equity, CRA is at the forefront of ensuring climate resilience for all, especially those most vulnerable to the dangers of extreme heat. To learn more about CRA’s mission and impact, visit climateresilience.org.

CORE VALUES

CRA is guided by six core values that inform its approach and commitment to climate resilience.

• Positivity: Seeing possibilities in the midst of tragic realities and leading with joy toward the world we need.

• Humanity: Embracing responsibility toward all individuals, particularly those facing the most severe consequences of extreme heat.

• Informed Urgency: Recognizing the immediate harms of the climate crisis, CRA is committed to taking swift and meaningful action.

• Integrity: Unflinchingly honest and rigorously grounded in fact.

• Partnership: Collaboration, solidarity, and trust are the foundations of CRA’s approach.

• Conscious Power: Acknowledging the power and privilege of CRA’s global north connections and using them as a force for care, dignity, and justice.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As CRA enters a new phase of global growth and operational maturity, its founding CFO will provide strategic financial leadership as CRA transitions from fiscal sponsorship to an independent 501(c)(3) entity and establishes an international structure in the Netherlands.

The CFO will shape long-term financial strategy, oversee compliance and governance, and build donor and partner confidence through transparent financial stewardship. They will lead strategic financial planning and global financial architecture while managing a small finance team responsible for day-to-day accounting, reporting, and operational finance. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the CFO will serve as a core member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and a trusted advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors.

This critical role requires an action-oriented leader with a track record of financial stewardship within a complex, global environment. The ideal candidate is a results-driven, emotionally intelligent executive leader with a flexible, solution-focused approach. They communicate clearly and concisely, think quickly on their feet, and handle rapid shifts with confidence and sound judgment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Growth

• Partner with the CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Board of Directors to develop long-term financial strategy, sustainability models, and enterprise risk posture.

• Direct forecasting, scenario planning, and multi-year financial modeling to inform decisions across CRA entities.

• Lead the transition from fiscal sponsorship and oversee the establishment of the Netherlands-based entity, ensuring compliance with U.S. and European Union requirements.

• Enable revenue growth by providing rigorous financial analysis to program, development and grant negotiation teams.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop the finance team (including the Director of Finance, contractors, and vendors), setting clear goals, feedback rhythms, and professional development plans.

• Build financial literacy across CRA through trainings, toolkits, and regular reporting.

• Uphold a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement across finance and operations.

Financial Infrastructure & Governance

• Oversee accounting operations and internal controls; ensure timely, accurate, and financial reporting for use in data-driven decision making.

• Select, implement, and optimize global finance systems and business intelligence tools that scale with growth and integrate with human resources, operations, development, and program delivery needs.

• Establish and steward investment, reserves, and resource-allocation policies to strengthen resilience and liquidity.

Nonprofit Financial Management & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Internal Revenue Service requirements, grant terms, and CRA policies.

• Oversee budgeting, audits, annual filings, and timely donor financial reporting for restricted and unrestricted funds.

• Implement cost allocation methodologies and indirect cost recovery to achieve full-cost coverage across donor agreements.

International Finance & Partnerships

• Design and manage international finance structures (banking, payroll, tax, and compliance) for the Netherlands and other jurisdictions.

• Cultivate and manage relationships with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), banks, auditors, and other global service providers.

• Set policies and controls for contract management, subawards/subgrants, expense reporting, cross-border transactions, and foreign-exchange risk.

Board, Donor & Partner Engagement

• Serve as the primary financial liaison to the Board of Directors, providing clear reporting, risk insights, and strategic recommendations.

• Build confidence with donors and partners through transparent stewardship, due diligence processes, and compliant grant administration.

• Translate complex financial information into clear, concise, accessible insights for non-financial stakeholders and represent CRA in high-level external discussions.

Desired Experience & Leadership Capabilities

The ideal candidate for this role is a confident executive leader with the strategic acumen to ensure CRA’s operational excellence and sustainability in a global environment.  Highly qualified candidates for this role will possess many of the following attributes and skills described below, but need not possess all of them for consideration:

• 15+ years of progressive financial management experience, including 5+ years in senior leadership within a global nonprofit, philanthropic, non-governmental, or other mission-driven organization.

• U.S. nonprofit financial management and 501(c)(3) compliance combined with international financial experience, including entity formation and multi-jurisdiction operations (e.g. Netherlands/European Union). 

• Stewardship of restricted/unrestricted funds, complex donor portfolios, and grant compliance with timely, accurate reporting.

• Board and Finance/Audit Committees engagement; prepares reports, dashboards, and guides financial strategy discussions.

• Enterprise risk management, internal controls, compliance with international regulations (including GDPR and European Union standards), and successful management of external audits across multiple geographies.

• Trusted, self-aware, emotionally intelligent leader who communicates clearly; fosters psychological safety and high performance across cross-cultural, multi-stakeholder teams.

• Strategic, collaborative, and solution-oriented; balances vision with detail and exercises sound judgement in dynamic environments.

• Advanced proficiency with financial systems and business intelligence tools (e.g. QuickBooks, NetSuite, ERP); builds and scales global finance infrastructure.

• Deep commitment to equity, feminist values, and global inclusivity and genuine passion for climate resilience and just, inclusive solutions.

TRAVEL 

This role will require 10% travel for staff meetings, retreats, and board meetings.

LOCATION 

This is a remote, U.S.-based position with a preference for the person in this role to be based within the Eastern Time Zone.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The starting salary range for this position is $200,000 - $215,000 annually, with an anticipated starting salary dependent upon the hired candidate’s location, qualifications, background, and experience. In addition, a comprehensive suite of benefits is being developed for all U.S.-based staff, and the CFO will also have access to executive coaching support.

SHARE YOUR INTEREST

Bonsai Leadership Group has been exclusively retained for this national search. For consideration, submit your resume and a compelling cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest here. Expressions of interest will be reviewed and evaluated as received.

All expressions of interest, nominations, inquiries, and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. 

If you are a person with a disability and need help submitting your interest, please contact us at careers@bonsaileadershipgroup.com. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of the position.