U.S. Center for SafeSport

The U.S. Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) is an independent nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all athletes can thrive in a culture of respect and safety, both on and off the field. SafeSport provides education, abuse prevention tools, and investigates and resolves allegations of abuse and misconduct—physical, emotional, and sexual—within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. SafeSport holds jurisdiction over approximately 11 million individuals from more than 50 sports, including athletes, coaches, administrators, and medical professionals. SafeSport’s origins trace back to 2010, when the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) formed the Working Group for Safe Training Environments to address misconduct in sports. This group—comprising external experts and USOPC community members—focused on:

● Addressing sexual and physical misconduct in sports;

● Reviewing existing abuse prevention programs;

● Assessing the needs of athletes, coaches, staff, and sports organizations;

● Recommending strategies to support long-term athlete well-being.

In 2012, the USOPC launched the first SafeSport online training program in collaboration with 47 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and 34 multi-sport organizations, allowing for tailored educational resources. SafeSport became an independent organization in 2017 and was formally authorized by Congress in 2018 through the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act. This legislation amended the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, designating SafeSport as the independent body responsible for protecting amateur athletes from abuse. NGB participation in SafeSport is a requirement for continued USOPC membership. A second piece of legislation, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, strengthens safeguards for athletes by mandating an annual $20 million funding stream from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to bolster the Center’s long-term sustainability. The Center also receives a $2.2 million grant from the Department of Justice to support education and policies focused on safeguarding young athletes from abuse.

Headquartered in Denver, SafeSport has a dedicated team of 130 that brings deep expertise across education, outreach, compliance, and investigation. There is no overlap between SafeSport and USOPC staff, and strict guidelines govern transitions from NGB roles to SafeSport employment. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has annually reviewed and certified the Center’s compliance with statutory independence obligations since 2020. All staff are mandatory reporters of child abuse and comply with all relevant state and federal reporting laws. The U.S. Center for SafeSport is an independent nonprofit 501(c) (3) committed to building a sport community where participants can play and compete free of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and misconduct.

As demand has escalated for their work—as underscored by more than 32,000 abuse and misconduct reports since 2017—they are charting the course toward culture change in sport. The Center currently lists more than 2,400 individuals who have been restricted or banned from sport on its public Centralized Disciplinary Database—a first-of-its-kind tool for parents, employers, and sport administrators. They have delivered more than 7.4 million online trainings to over 3.6 million individuals and have developed scores of abuse-prevention resources. They have increased their staff to better manage caseload, developed the first comprehensive set of national safety policies in sport, and audit and every National Governing Body, including the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, to ensure compliance with preventative safety policies. Last year they launched a strategic plan that holds them to a high standard of accountability for those they serve. To learn more about the impact the U.S. Center for SafeSport is making on behalf of athletes nationwide, please visit https://uscenterforsafesport.org

Position Summary

U.S. Center for SafeSport, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to athlete safety, seeks an experienced and innovative Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to step into place during a pivotal period marked by heightened awareness and increased demand. As the organization continues to play a crucial role in the lives of the young athletes they serve, it needs a key financial leader to provide key subject matter expertise in effectively allocating fiscal and human resources while striving for operational excellence. With an ambitious strategic plan in place, the CFO will serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the Chief Executive Officer and the leadership team on all financial and business matters. As such, the Chief Financial Officer will play a critical role in shaping the organization’s mission and fulfilling its vision. In this highly visible role, the CFO will engage with a broad set of internal and external stakeholders, effectively steward its resources, and foster an accessible and inclusive culture. 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CFO will oversee an effective fiscal and operational strategy aimed at realizing ambitious organizational goals. This includes leading the finance function of the organization by providing strategic oversight to finance and funds development with a focus on industry best practices. Partnering with executive leadership and the Board of Directors, the CFO must be a highly collaborative and relationship-driven leader adept at balancing overarching strategy with day-to-day execution. The CFO will be responsible for leading and enhancing the fiscal policies, goals, and operations including execution of both long and short-term plans. Working in concert with the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the CFO will play a key role in overarching strategy, fiscal management, fund development, technology advancement, and Board relations. The CFO will provide strategic oversight to the finance department, partnering with the human resources, information technology, and building operations teams, ensuring that resources align with overarching organization goals and there is a continuous focus on process improvement and overall efficiency and effectiveness. With the support of a diverse and talented team, the CFO will be charged with all facets of fiscal operations including accounting, finance, grants management, cash management, budgeting, forecasting, payroll, fixed assets, tax, and financial reporting. Serving as the lead financial strategist, the CFO will play a critical role in business development, fund generation, and cost containment for the organization which has a budget of $25.2M. 

Success in this role will be measured by the ability to adapt to a high-growth and fast-paced environment while effectively leading a dedicated team. The CFO will have a proven track record of effective financial stewardship, general operational oversight, strong collaboration, and excellent interpersonal and presentation skills. The CFO must have the ability to engage with a broad set of stakeholders while engendering trust and instilling confidence. The CFO will have experience ensuring fiscal integrity, overseeing accurate financial reporting, maintaining appropriate policies and internal controls, and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and funder requirements. 

 Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a key trusted advisor and collaborative thought partner to help advance the organization’s mission and vision.

• Routinely collaborate with the CEO, ELT, and the Board of Directors providing strategic financial and operational oversight to inform the organization’s overarching strategy.

• Build strong and effective relationships with a broad and varied set of stakeholders including CEO, executive leadership, funders, and staff.

• Demonstrate a clear understanding and unwavering commitment to U.S. Center for SafeSport’s mission, vision, and values.

• Identify opportunities for the Center to leverage strengths to take advantage of new opportunities and/or to address organizational challenges. 

• Provide sound fiscal management and strategic resource allocation to ensure continued financial sustainability of the Center’s operational units. 

• Champion respect, accountability, inclusivity, integrity, wellness as core values to U.S. Center for SafeSport’s mission.

• Lead a highly effective and dedicated team with a focus on operational efficiency and industry best practices.

• Drive the annual budgetary process for the organization while maintaining oversight and understanding of variances.

• Support the growth of the e-commerce business through forecasting, cost and profit management, and strategic business acumen. 

• Ensure that effective internal controls are in place and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulatory laws and rules for nonprofit financial and tax reporting. 

• Manage and oversee relationships with independent auditors, banks, and financial institutions. 

• Remain up to date on nonprofit audits, financial best practices and regulations, and ensure the respective business units are in compliance. 

• Serve as a liaison to the Board Finance and Audit Committees by providing timely reports and updates. 

• Coordinate all audit activities and work with the outside Independent Auditors to ensure that the audit and Form 990s are completed in a timely fashion. 

• Create custom financial management dashboards and metrics to inform organizational and team progress toward KPIs and program implementation.

• Work in concert with the human resources team to evaluate the Center’s overall staffing objectives and monitor cost implications inherent in a high-growth environment. 

• Partner with the technology team ensuring alignment of procedures, processes, and administration and recommending improvements to the systems. 

• Provide guidance related to physical and cyber security plans, policies, and equipment for personnel and facilities. 

• Assist in IT-related RFP processes, providing advice related to selection criteria, interviews and budget/forecasting. 

 Application Process