Director of Finance

For Oak Cliff•Dallas, TX

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

For Oak Cliff, liberation is the work. We free our community from systemic oppression through a culture of education, growing social mobility and social capital in the process. Our 2035 vision is bold and specific: transform the Superblock into a beacon of hope, disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, and replace it with a cradle-to-career pathway that leads to wellness and economic mobility for all. This is ambitious, grounded, generational work — and we're looking for people ready to build it with us. Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Finance is a hands-on leadership role responsible for the day-to-day financial health, accounting operations, and administrative backbone of For Oak Cliff. This role keeps our financial systems, controls, and data accurate, timely, and decision-ready. It's a deliberately flexible, cross-functional role — finance-led, but bridging finance and the administrative side of development and owning the shared data-entry and reconciliation work that lives between the two. The Director also serves as a trusted advisor to executive and department leaders on financial planning, performance, risk, and operational decision-making. Scope note: The development responsibilities in this role are financial and administrative — grant finance, gift and CRM data integrity, and donor acknowledgements. They do not include frontline fundraising, individual donor cultivation, newsletters, thank-you calls, or stewardship, which stay with the development and leadership team. On the development side, this role partners with and takes direction from the Chief Strategy Officer. The Director works closely with the CEO, CSO, Director, Operations and Director, People, as well as the Board Treasurer on higher-level fiduciary and audit matters. This position plays a critical role in ensuring that financial resources are managed effectively to advance the organization's strategic priorities and maximize mission impact.

Requirements

A genuine accounting background is essential. This role is built on accounting fundamentals, and the strongest candidates bring formal accounting training and demonstrated hands-on accounting experience.
5–8 years of progressive nonprofit accounting and finance experience, including hands-on bookkeeping, reconciliation, and month-end close; supervisory or lead experience preferred.
Demonstrated experience in nonprofit finance and accounting, including fund accounting and regulatory requirements
Experience overseeing annual audits, IRS Form 990 preparation, and interactions with external auditors
Proven experience managing grants, restricted funds, donor reporting, and compliance with federal, state, and private funding requirements
Working knowledge of GAAP, nonprofit fund accounting, and grant compliance
Familiarity with accounting and payroll systems and with donor / CRM or grant-tracking tools.
Exceptional analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail
A clear communicator who can translate numbers to any audience
Commitment to For Oak Cliff’s mission, community, and values.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting strongly preferred; a degree in Finance or a closely related field will be considered when paired with substantial hands-on accounting experience.
CPA is ideal but not required.

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day accounting: accounts payable / receivable, payroll coordination in partnership with HR, general ledger, month-end close, and journal entries.
Perform and oversee reconciliations — bank, credit card, payroll, and the reconciliation of donor / grant revenue between the development system and the accounting ledger.
Lead budgeting support, cash-flow management, and routine financial reporting to the CEO and Board.
Maintain internal controls, financial policies, and documentation; ensure compliance with GAAP, nonprofit regulations, and grant requirements.
Coordinate the annual audit and Form 990 with external auditors, and the Board Treasurer.
Serve as the operational bridge between finance and development, administering the shared data entry, gift / grant tracking, and reconciliation work that crosses both functions.
Record and reconcile contributions, pledges, and grant payments; ensure development records and the accounting ledger agree.
Own donor acknowledgement letters and gift receipts: maintain a reliable, timely process so every gift is accurately acknowledged and no donor is missed.
Keep CRM entries current for smaller grants and donations (under $1,000) so the donor database stays complete and audit-ready.
Identify, flag, and record unsolicited wire and ACH deposits that arrive directly in the bank without prior notice, capturing them in the CRM as needed for audit purposes.
Align grant budgets, actuals, forecasts, and financial reporting with programmatic goals, in partnership with the CSO.
Support grant financial administration: set up grant budgets, track restricted vs. unrestricted funds, and prepare the financial portions of grant reports and reimbursements with program staff.
Maintain clean, audit-ready documentation for gifts, grants, and earned revenue (event rentals, registrations, memberships, merchandise).
Build and maintain simple tools and dashboards that let development and program staff see budget-vs-actual and funding status.
Partner with the CEO, CSO, and other key stakeholders to build the annual budget and keep multi-source revenue forecasts current.
Provide budget-vs-actual reporting and analysis
Flag financial risks and opportunities early, and recommend practical responses.
Lead process improvements, system enhancements, and automation to strengthen the finance function