BC SPCA - CFO Search
WATSON Advisors Inc., Canada
Job Description
The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) is a unique and complex charitable organization that provides a wide range of services, including in-shelter care and free or subsidized outreach services to care for and assist more than 40,000 animals in distress and need each year through the Society’s 44 locations. There are 572 staff, approximately 5,500 volunteers, an annual operating budget of $47M, plus a significant reserve fund. The organization is planning significant projects, including a long-term $100M capital project, a technology strategy, and an RFP for new banking and investment services.
To support the organization’s overall strategy and growth trajectory, BC SPCA is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to elevate the organization’s finance, IT, and facilities, and prepare the organization to manage its continued growth.
The CFO will report to the CEO and be primarily focused on providing strategic leadership, developing and managing the organization’s financial health and long-term sustainability and operational excellence. As a member of the executive team, the CFO will be a strategic partner to the CEO, highly engaged in all aspects of the business, providing expertise and guidance on the organization’s strategic direction and execution.
The accounting function of the organizationis centralized at the Vancouver Head Office and the team is comprised of a CFO, Controller, two assistant controllers, payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable. Also reporting to the CFO are a Senior Manager of IT, facilities support and clerical staff.
BC SPCA has almost tripled in size since 2002, but the internal infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the growth and there are multiple IT systems that operate in siloes. An initial focus of the CFO will be to enhance the budgeting process and improve financial reporting timelines. In addition, the CFO will be responsible for implementing recommendations arising from an external systems review that is currently underway. This will be a large project that will ideally require a CFO who is extremely tech-savvy with strong change management skills.
Requirements
The CFO will have broad experience in finance, IT, facilities, capital planning, and operations and be very process-oriented with a continuous improvement mindset. To succeed, the CFO will be a proven leader with a track record of developing a high performing team and introducing technology to elevate efficiencies and support growth in a complex environment. The CFO must be tech-savvy, and a strategic and creative thinker with a strong focus on process and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will have a university degree and a CPA Designation; a minimum ten years of experience as a CFO, preferably in a complex organization similar in size; have strong business acumen; exceptional analytical and decision-making skills; and a strong professional presence with experience presenting to a board of directors and working with board committees.
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