Chief Financial Officer
Confidential Executive Search
In-office (4 days/week)
San Francisco, CA
A respected Bay Area nonprofit organization advancing community development and economic opportunity is seeking an accomplished Chief Financial Officer to join its executive leadership team.
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CFO will provide strategic and operational leadership across a complex, multi-program and multi-entity financial environment. This executive will oversee the organization’s financial strategy, accounting operations, budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow management, financial reporting, audits, grant compliance, internal controls, and long-term financial planning.
The CFO will serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Board of Directors, and senior leadership team, translating complex financial information into clear guidance for organizational decision-making. The role will also manage relationships with external auditors, financial institutions, government funders, lenders, and other key partners.
This is an important leadership opportunity for an executive who combines strong technical finance expertise with sound judgment, clear communication, and the ability to lead through complexity. The successful candidate will inherit a committed finance team and will be expected to strengthen systems, develop staff, improve financial controls, and help the organization navigate significant audit, compliance, cash-flow, and operational priorities.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the organization’s financial strategy, accounting operations, budgeting, forecasting, and cash-flow planning.
- Oversee nonprofit fund accounting across multiple programs, entities, grants, contracts, and funding sources.
- Direct financial reporting for the CEO, Board, senior leadership, funders, lenders, and external partners.
- Lead annual audits and coordinate organizational responses to findings, control deficiencies, and corrective actions.
- Strengthen internal controls, financial policies, reporting systems, and fraud-prevention practices.
- Monitor organizational performance against budget and provide timely analysis of revenue, expenses, liquidity, and financial risk.
- Oversee federal, state, and local grant and contract compliance, including cost allocation and reimbursement processes.
- Provide financial oversight related to real estate, affordable housing, property management, lending, and affiliated entities.
- Lead, develop, and hold accountable a multi-function finance and accounting team.
- Serve as a credible and collaborative thought partner to executive leadership while constructively challenging assumptions when needed.
- Represent the organization with Board members, auditors, funders, banks, and other stakeholders.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will bring:
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience, including five or more years in a senior financial leadership role.
- At least five years of direct nonprofit fund accounting experience.
- Experience managing complex funding structures, including restricted funds, government grants and contracts, cost allocation, and multi-entity reporting.
- Experience overseeing real estate or property-management finance, preferably within affordable housing or community development.
- At least five years of successful staff supervision and team development.
- Direct experience leading multiple annual financial audits.
- Strong knowledge of internal controls, compliance, cash-flow management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
- Demonstrated ability to present to a Board and communicate effectively with executives, funders, lenders, auditors, and other external stakeholders.
- The judgment and composure to navigate difficult conversations involving financial risk, audit findings, cash constraints, and staff performance.
- Federal grant compliance expertise, including familiarity with EDGAR, OMB, and current Uniform Guidance requirements.
- A CPA designation is preferred but not required.
The position is based in San Francisco and requires onsite presence four days per week.
This confidential executive search is being conducted by Reneris. Additional information will be shared with qualified candidates during the interview process.
