Director of Finance and Accounting

First Place for Youth • Oakland, CA

5d • $122,600 - $153,260 • Onsite

About The Position

First Place for Youth is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster youth in their transition to adulthood, with a focus on education, employment, and housing. They believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to thrive and lead successful, independent lives. Their comprehensive programs empower foster youth to overcome the unique challenges they face and build the skills, confidence, and connections they need to succeed. This role is a senior finance leadership position that oversees all revenue accounting, financial planning, and compliance across a portfolio of approximately $30M in annual revenue spanning 25+ government contracts, private fundraising, and national expansion initiatives. The Director will lead a team of two, serve as a key strategic partner to the CFO, and act as the primary finance liaison for government auditors, agency partners, and private funders. This role requires both big-picture strategic thinking and meticulous attention to detail.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a related field; or 7+ years of related experience.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in a complex organization.
• A strong dedication to cultural competency that creates conditions that remove barriers
• 5+ years of managerial experience required
• Demonstrated experience managing program or contract budgets.
• Strong working knowledge of government contracts and billing.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills — written and verbal.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office; ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a nonprofit organization or with government-funded programs.
• Familiarity with MIP (and/or Sage), Concur, and/or ADP.
• Commitment to cultural competency and creating inclusive, equitable environments.
• Prior program budget management experience is required for this role
• Computer/Software skills.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend work and some travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Oversee preparation and approval of monthly and quarterly government contract invoices, ensuring accuracy, proper cost allocations, and full supporting documentation.
• Ensure the organization adheres to all contractual expenditure rules and requirements for each government contract.
• Review revenue entries and ensure all balances are reconciled monthly in the accounting system.
• Collaborate with Programs and Contracts teams to track spending and resolve expenditure questions; provide actionable reports and tools.
• Monitor accounts receivable and drive timely collections; escalate and resolve aged receivables in partnership with relevant teams.
• Lead the organization’s response to all government audits — including scheduling, documentation, cross-functional coordination, and resolution of any findings.
• Partner with Programs and Contracts teams to develop financial strategies for new contracts, maximizing expense reimbursement and overhead recovery; review all RFP budgets and amendments.
• Oversee revenue recognition and coding for all private fundraising; collaborate with Development to ensure proper documentation and GAAP-compliant accounting.
• Calculate and record monthly releases from net assets in accordance with each restricted donation’s terms.
• Support development of financial strategies for new grant proposals; ensure accuracy of grant budgets and reports; provide financial insights to donors as needed.
• Collaborate with the National team to develop contract budgets that support long-term financial sustainability.
• Ensure timely billing, collections, and GAAP-compliant revenue recognition for all National contracts.
• Lead the annual revenue budget and mid-year forecast processes; develop revenue assumptions in partnership with leadership; conduct scenario planning as needed.
• Monitor monthly revenue performance versus budget and proactively develop strategies to address variances.
• Hire, develop, and manage a team of two; set annual goals, provide regular coaching and feedback, and support ongoing professional growth.
• Identify and implement process improvements and automation opportunities to increase efficiency and support organizational scalability.
• Serve as backup for the Accounting Supervisor.

Benefits

• 15 days of vacation time in the first year
• 12 days of sick time
• 2 floating holidays
• 15 paid holidays
• Employee’s choice of Kaiser or UCH HMO/PPO with up to 90% of the premium covered by First Place on certain plans
• Principal dental and vision coverage with up to 90% of the premium covered by First Place
• Healthcare and Dependent care FSA plans
• Principal basic life and voluntary life insurance coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid sabbatical

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior