Chief Financial Officer

Since 1960, Aspire, a non-profit organization, has been providing services and support forpeople with disabilities. Aspire provides 24/7 services to 300 adults with disabilities across 23community homes in Lake and Cook Counties and two Academies (Hillside and Waukegan, IL),including innovative services to help adults with disabilities develop the necessary skills to livea full and rewarding life.

8 in 10 people with disabilities are unemployed. 85% of people with disabilities live in poverty.

Aspire addresses these challenges with a host of services including:

• Learning: Art. Exercise. Social skill building. Computer training. Community involvement.Our daytime learning programs help create new possibilities. Virtual program opportunitiesare available to accommodate a variety of needs and circumstances.

• Living: Experience is life’s greatest teacher. So, experiences are what our Living programsoffer. Options include homes shared with friends in the community or support as peopleexplore living on their own, which helps people build confidence, interact with others, andthrive.

• Working: Many adults with disabilities also want to advance in the workforce. Aspire offersjob skills training and placement programs to achieve competitive employment.

• Aspire’s Employment Training Program: Distribution: A ten-week training program in asimulated warehouse environment, followed by an eight-week paid internship designed toprovide the necessary skills for people with disabilities to secure competitive employmentat one of Aspire’s warehouse partners.

• CoffeeWorks: In partnership with Metropolis Coffee Company and Canteen-Vending adultswith and without disabilities work side by side to make freshly roasted coffee that is sold tobusinesses across Chicagoland and to coffee consumers who purchase from the website.

These programs work. 91% of people who enter Aspire’s job support program are placed intojobs, and 94% of people who are placed in jobs are retained for at least 12 months.

Managing an organizational budget of $25 million, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) willbe a key member of the organization’s senior leadership and will be integral to ensuringthat the organization’s finances remain healthy in support of the mission and ongoingstrategic plan.

The CFO will provide oversight to all matters pertaining to Finance, IT and SpecialProjects (including Merger & Acquisitions), and will serve as the organization’s principalfinancial representative. This leader is responsible for maintaining fiscal stability andoptimizing operational effectiveness in alignment with the organization's mission.Reporting directly to the CEO, the CFO will play a key role in shaping financial strategy,overseeing budgeting, conducting cost-benefit analysis, forecasting financial needs, andsecuring new funding opportunities.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background as a reliable finance executive, will beenergized by growing and leading dynamic teams, and have a proven ability to supportstrategic initiatives through sound financial guidance. They will excel at clear, timely,and accessible communication, ensuring that all stakeholders—whether leadership,staff, or external partners—feel well-informed and engaged.