Interim Finance Manager

Seaaca•Downey, CA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Interim Finance Manager is a key leadership role responsible for strengthening SEAACA’s financial management capacity, implementing enterprise-wide financial controls, and ensuring accurate, timely, and transparent financial reporting. The interim term would be approx. five months, subject to extension by mutual agreement. This position oversees daily accounting activities, budget development and monitoring, cost allocation, financial controls, and supports transition to modernized financial systems. The Finance Manager also provides financial guidance to leadership staff and positions the Authority for a smooth onboarding of the permanent Finance & Accounting Manager anticipated in early CY27. This role reports directly to the Interim Executive Director and works closely with SEAACA’s leadership team and the Board of Commissioners.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
Five years of progressively responsible public-sector or nonprofit financial management experience, including budgeting, accounting, financial analysis, or audit coordination.
Demonstrated experience implementing internal controls, cost allocation structures, and financial reporting systems.
Strong knowledge of governmental accounting standards, budgeting principles, procurement controls, cost allocation, financial reporting frameworks, and internal audit practices.
Ability to design and document financial processes, workflows, and policies.
Excellent analytical, communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information into clear, actionable reports.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate in a multi-stakeholder environment and provide mentorship to non-finance staff.
High professional integrity and commitment to transparency, regulatory compliance, and ethical financial stewardship.

Nice To Haves

Certification such as CPA, CGFM, or similar credential.
Experience with ADP or other enterprise payroll/timekeeping systems.
Experience in government, JPA, municipal finance, or agencies with multi-jurisdictional governance.
Supervisory experience and background training staff in financial analysis and reporting.

Responsibilities

Design, introduce, and initially oversee enterprise-wide financial controls across all procurement workflows, ensuring compliance with internal policies, public-sector standards, and regulatory requirements.
Identify opportunities for cost efficiencies and enhanced regulatory compliance, recommending policy or process improvements as needed.
Provide monthly oversight and review of third-party bookkeeping outputs to validate accuracy, completeness, and proper documentation.
Lead the effort to ensure accurate and timely expense allocations within SEAACA’s newly developed budget format.
Support the creation and maintenance of monthly budget-to-actual variance reporting for leadership and the Board.
Partner with the Interim Executive Director to optimize financial reporting systems in alignment with a data-driven governance model.
Support the transition from manual timekeeping and payroll workflows to the agency-wide ADP implementation, coordinating with staff, consultants, and system vendors.
Evaluate financial processes to recommend improvements in efficiency, transparency, internal controls, and reporting accuracy.
Serve as a budget and finance mentor to SEAACA leadership staff, ensuring new cost center managers understand and effectively use financial reporting tools and data.
Prepare the organization for the onboarding of a permanent Finance & Accounting Manager (TBD), establishing documented processes, training materials, and a stable financial operations environment.
Provide modeling and cost analysis for management and the Board during union negotiations, including preparing cost projections for proposed contract changes.
Collaborate with the Interim Executive Director to produce financial insights that strengthen decision-making, operational planning, and long-term financial sustainability.