Chief Financial Officer

Sesame Workshop is recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer to oversee the Finance and Technology and Engineering functions. The CFO will report to the CEO and will be a key strategic partner and advisor who will identify and focus on key metrics and technology systems to drive and scale the organization’s work and impact.

The CFO will advise on all fiscal matters, providing leadership to guide the organization’s financial activities including annual and long-term planning/forecasting, accounting, budgeting, risk management, compliance, analysis and funding. This role also oversees our IT and Engineering division and will play a key role in ensuring that Sesame Workshop has the right tools and systems in place to support a dynamic work environment and a culture that supports growth and evolution. Reporting into the CFO are 5 Finance VPs and 1 Chief Technology Officer and their respective teams. The CFO also serves as an Officer of the organization with the Board of Trustees and will sit on Sesame Workshop’s leadership team.

The ideal person for this role is a forward-thinking, dynamic leader who will partner across all divisions to ensure the short and long-term financial and operational success of Sesame Workshop. A successful CFO will empower their team and balance a strong operation with a strategic vision. This person should have analytical skills with the ability to gather insights that impact all facets of the Sesame Workshop operation. This includes not just what we do, but also how we work and the business systems and tools that facilitate work in a hybrid environment. Most of all, the ideal candidate for this role should have a passion for our mission of helping kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.

The position is based in New York City in an office with a hybrid work environment.


Responsibilities:

• Create and establish yearly and long-term financial goals in partnership with the CEO for operating and capital budgets that align with the Sesame Workshop mission and opportunities
• Determine and assess KPIs, drawing insight that can inform/advise organizational strategy to scale the organization’s programs and impact
• Serve as key management point person to the Board Investment Committee on strategy and oversight of our $400M operating reserve/endowment
• Provide culture leadership, ensuring the mission and our values are brought to life through ensuring an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect
• Assess systems and identify opportunities, processes, business systems, and policies that support organizational effectiveness
• Assess and evaluate financial performance with regard to long-term operational goals, budgets, forecasts and guide capital and real estate decisions
• Represent Sesame Workshop’s financial goals to the Board of Trustees, presenting financial performance and strategy and analysis
• Oversee the global financial planning, budget management process as well as annual audit and 990 process
• Participate in pivotal strategic initiatives and policy implementation such as defining the Future of Work
• Lead and manage a group of finance and technology professionals who will be motivated and engaged in performing in a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field
• MBA or Master’s degree, CPA preferred
• 20 years in a financial leadership role, preferably as a top financial leader in a growing environment with systems, process oversight
• Strong manager of people with a deep appreciation for the importance of building a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture and sense of belonging
• Expert knowledge of GAAP, grants management, international expansion, tax, investment, and compliance
• Exceptional knowledge of systems and process
• Excellent knowledge of data analysis and forecasting methods
• Experience working within both the non-profit sector as well as with a commercial/media organization preferred
• High level of integrity and dependability with a results-oriented approach
• Strong communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to interact effectively with all areas and levels of the company.

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re active in more than 150 countries with eight local offices around the world, serving children through a wide range of media production and distribution, formal education, and social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. We are also active in product licensing, themed entertainment, and social media to help build our brand and fund our mission. Our funding is driven by both earned commercial revenue and philanthropic support. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.



Equal Opportunity Employer/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Employer