Finance and Contracts Director
Company Overview
Whittier First Day is dedicated to fostering a healthy, safe, and vibrant community by supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Our mission is to empower individuals toward housing stability and self-sufficiency through compassionate, innovative, and community-centered programs serving historically underserved communities.
Position Overview
Whittier First Day is seeking an experienced, strategic, and highly accountable Finance and Contracts Director to lead the organization’s financial operations, contract administration, and fiscal compliance functions.
The Finance and Contracts Director is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, compliance, and sustainability of the organization’s financial and contract management systems. This position provides leadership over accounting, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, contract billing, grant financial management, financial reporting, audits, internal controls, procurement compliance, and regulatory reporting.
The Finance and Contracts Director will also oversee the financial and administrative lifecycle of the organization’s government contracts, grants, subcontracts, and other funding agreements. This includes reviewing contract terms, maintaining contract files, monitoring deliverables and deadlines, preparing invoices, tracking accounts receivable, supporting amendments and renewals, and ensuring compliance with funder requirements.
As a key member of the leadership team, the Finance and Contracts Director will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Program Officer, Development Director, program leadership, Board of Directors, external auditors, funding agencies, government partners, and outside consultants.
The Finance and Contracts Director will directly supervise two Accounting and Contracts Specialists and will oversee external accounting consultants, vendors, and contractors, as applicable.
The successful candidate will possess strong nonprofit financial management and government contracting experience, effective leadership skills, sound professional judgment, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to translate complex financial and contractual information into clear recommendations for organizational decision-making.
Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesFinancial Leadership and Organizational Strategy
- Provide strategic financial leadership to support Whittier First Day’s mission, programs, operations, growth, and long-term sustainability.
- Serve as the organization’s lead financial and contract management advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership team.
- Provide timely recommendations regarding financial performance, cash flow, fiscal risk, contract compliance, cost containment, resource allocation, and organizational growth.
- Develop financial forecasts, projections, and scenario analyses to support strategic and operational decision-making.
- Identify financial trends, contractual risks, compliance concerns, and corrective actions before they materially affect the organization.
- Evaluate the financial and contractual impact of new programs, funding opportunities, staffing decisions, government contracts, grants, and organizational initiatives.
- Present clear and accurate financial and contract information to executive leadership, the Finance Committee, and the Board of Directors.
- Support leadership in developing strategies that strengthen revenue, improve cash flow, reduce financial risk, and maximize available funding.
Accounting and Financial Reporting
- Lead and oversee all accounting functions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, general ledger activity, journal entries, bank reconciliations, revenue recognition, and month-end and year-end closing processes.
- Ensure all financial transactions are accurately recorded, properly classified, adequately supported, and completed within established timelines.
- Prepare and review timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.
- Provide leadership with statements of financial position, statements of activities, cash flow reports, revenue reports, accounts receivable reports, and budget-to-actual analyses.
- Maintain an accurate chart of accounts that supports organizational, departmental, program, grant, and contract reporting.
- Review balance sheet reconciliations, general ledger accounts, financial schedules, and supporting documentation for accuracy and completeness.
- Ensure restricted and unrestricted revenues and expenses are properly recorded, monitored, allocated, and reported.
- Ensure revenue is recognized appropriately based on applicable accounting standards and funding terms.
- Maintain financial records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, nonprofit accounting standards, contractual requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
- Establish and enforce timely monthly and annual financial closing schedules.
Budgeting, Forecasting, and Cash Management
- Lead the annual organizational budget development process in collaboration with executive leadership, program directors, department leaders, and the Board of Directors.
- Develop realistic organizational, departmental, program, grant, and contract budgets that align with operational needs and funding requirements.
- Monitor budget-to-actual performance and provide timely variance analyses, explanations, and corrective recommendations.
- Maintain current cash flow forecasts and monitor organizational liquidity, receivables, liabilities, reserves, and anticipated funding needs.
- Alert the Chief Executive Officer to delayed reimbursements, cash flow concerns, budget deficits, funding gaps, or other material financial risks.
- Monitor departmental and program spending to ensure expenses remain within approved budgets and funding restrictions.
- Ensure organizational expenses are appropriately allocated across departments, programs, grants, contracts, and funding sources.
- Develop, maintain, and periodically evaluate the organization’s cost allocation methodology for accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
- Monitor indirect costs and administrative allocations to ensure expenses are properly assigned and fully supported.
- Support the development of financial sustainability plans, reserve strategies, and multiyear financial projections.
Contract Administration and Compliance
- Oversee the financial and administrative management of government contracts, grants, subcontracts, memoranda of understanding, service agreements, and other funding agreements.
- Maintain a centralized contract management system that tracks contract terms, funding amounts, performance periods, deliverables, amendments, reporting requirements, invoice deadlines, renewal dates, and closeout requirements.
- Review proposed contracts and agreements for financial terms, payment provisions, reporting requirements, insurance requirements, allowable costs, compliance obligations, and organizational risk.
- Coordinate contract review with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Program Officer, insurance providers, and other appropriate parties.
- Ensure contracts are fully executed and required documentation is obtained before services begin or expenses are charged.
- Maintain complete, accurate, organized, and audit-ready contract files.
- Monitor contract start dates, expiration dates, renewal periods, amendment deadlines, and required approvals.
- Coordinate the preparation, review, routing, and execution of contract amendments, extensions, renewals, and budget modifications.
- Ensure the organization complies with all financial, administrative, insurance, reporting, and documentation requirements contained in its contracts.
- Track contract deliverables and coordinate with program leadership to confirm that required reports and submissions are completed on time.
- Identify and communicate contractual risks, compliance concerns, delayed deliverables, funding restrictions, or potential disallowed costs.
- Support contract negotiations by providing financial analysis, budget development, cost projections, and recommendations regarding payment and reimbursement terms.
- Coordinate contract closeout activities, including final invoicing, reconciliations, documentation, and resolution of outstanding balances.
- Maintain a current master contract calendar and provide leadership with regular status reports.
Grants and Contract Financial Management
- Oversee the financial management of government contracts, foundation grants, private grants, and other restricted funding sources.
- Review grant and contract budgets, financial terms, reimbursement requirements, allowable cost provisions, amendments, reporting deadlines, and performance periods.
- Oversee the preparation, review, and submission of contract invoices and reimbursement requests to ensure accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and compliance with funding requirements.
- Ensure all expenses included in contract invoices are supported by complete and appropriate documentation.
- Ensure payroll allocations, employee benefits, operating expenses, indirect costs, and shared expenses are accurately charged to applicable contracts and grants.
- Monitor grant and contract expenditures, remaining balances, reimbursements, accounts receivable, and spending deadlines.
- Maintain a detailed accounts receivable schedule and follow up on outstanding contract payments and reimbursements.
- Work collaboratively with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Program Officer, Development Director, and program leadership to monitor contract performance and financial spend-downs.
- Ensure grant and contract funds are spent appropriately, accurately, and within required performance periods.
Procurement and Vendor Management
- Oversee compliance with organizational and funder procurement requirements.
- Ensure purchases are supported by appropriate approvals, competitive quotes, contracts, cost or price analyses, and vendor documentation.
- Maintain vendor records, including contracts, W-9 forms, insurance certificates, conflict-of-interest disclosures, debarment checks, and other required documentation.
- Review vendor and subcontractor agreements for financial terms, payment schedules, deliverables, and compliance requirements.
- Monitor vendor contracts and ensure payments are supported by completed services, approved invoices, and appropriate documentation.
- Coordinate with program and administrative leadership to ensure procurement decisions are reasonable, competitive, transparent, and properly documented.
- Identify vendor performance issues, duplicate payments, unsupported costs, or contract compliance concerns and recommend corrective action.
- Support competitive procurement processes, including requests for proposals, bid evaluations, vendor selection, and contract execution.
Internal Controls, Policies, and Risk Management
- Establish, implement, and strengthen internal controls designed to protect organizational assets, prevent fraud, reduce financial risk, and ensure reliable financial and contract reporting.
- Develop, maintain, and periodically update financial, procurement, contracting, billing, and documentation policies and procedures.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties within accounting, payroll, purchasing, contract billing, cash management, contract approval, and financial reporting functions.
- Review financial and contract management processes to identify weaknesses, inefficiencies, compliance gaps, or opportunities for improvement.
- Ensure appropriate approval authority is maintained for expenditures, contracts, payments, budget modifications, and financial commitments.
- Maintain accurate records for organizational assets, equipment, inventory, leases, and other financial obligations.
- Support organizational fraud prevention, risk management, insurance, and business continuity activities.
- Immediately report material financial concerns, suspected fraud, internal control deficiencies, contract violations, or compliance risks to the Chief Executive Officer.
- Develop and monitor corrective action plans to address identified financial, contractual, or compliance deficiencies.
Audit and Regulatory Compliance
- Lead preparation for the organization’s annual independent financial statement audit and any required Single Audit.
- Coordinate with external auditors, accountants, tax professionals, government monitors, funding agencies, and regulatory entities.
- Prepare and review audit schedules, reconciliations, financial statements, supporting documentation, and responses to auditor requests.
- Coordinate financial and contract documentation for funder monitoring visits, desk reviews, program audits, and compliance reviews.
- Manage the development and implementation of corrective action plans resulting from audits, monitoring reviews, or financial assessments.
- Support the accurate and timely preparation and filing of IRS Form 990 and other applicable federal, state, and local financial filings.
- Ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, nonprofit financial reporting requirements, government contract requirements, funding agreements, and organizational policies.
- Maintain complete and audit-ready financial and contract records in accordance with applicable record-retention requirements.
- Monitor changes in accounting standards, government regulations, nonprofit financial practices, contract requirements, and funder expectations that may affect the organization.
- Ensure audit, monitoring, and compliance findings are addressed promptly and do not remain unresolved.
Staff Leadership and Supervision
- Directly supervise two Accounting and Contracts Specialists responsible for accounting, contract administration, contract billing, reconciliations, financial documentation, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and related fiscal functions.
- Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each Accounting and Contracts Specialist to ensure appropriate segregation of duties and accountability.
- Establish performance standards, work plans, deadlines, quality expectations, and accountability measures for finance and contracts staff.
- Assign and monitor staff workloads to ensure invoices, reconciliations, reports, contract files, compliance documents, and other required submissions are completed accurately and on time.
- Review and approve work completed by the Accounting and Contracts Specialists to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
- Provide consistent supervision, coaching, training, performance feedback, and professional development.
- Conduct formal performance evaluations and address performance concerns promptly and appropriately.
- Develop cross-training and backup procedures to maintain continuity of critical finance and contract functions.
- Ensure staff maintain organized, complete, and audit-ready financial and contract files.
- Promote a department culture centered on accuracy, accountability, collaboration, responsiveness, integrity, and continuous improvement.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of external accounting consultants, vendors, or contractors, as applicable.
- Evaluate finance and contracts staffing needs and make recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Contract Management, or a closely related field.
- A minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible accounting, financial management, contract administration, or related experience.
- A minimum of three years of supervisory or department leadership experience.
- Demonstrated experience in nonprofit accounting, government-funded programs, grant management, contract administration, contract billing, governmental accounting, or public accounting.
- Strong knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and nonprofit financial reporting requirements.
- Demonstrated experience managing federal, state, county, city, or other publicly funded contracts.
- Experience reviewing contract terms, monitoring contract compliance, maintaining contract files, preparing invoices, and supporting contract renewals and amendments.
- Experience preparing financial statements, organizational budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, and financial analyses.
- Experience managing cost-reimbursement contracts, grants, restricted funding, and contract invoicing.
- Experience leading annual audits and preparing audit schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
- Strong knowledge of internal controls, general ledger accounting, account reconciliation, cost allocation, procurement compliance, and revenue recognition.
- Advanced proficiency with accounting software, Microsoft Excel, and financial reporting systems.
- Ability to interpret complex contracts, funding requirements, financial regulations, accounting data, and compliance standards.
- Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, contract management, and decision-making abilities.
- Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to financial and contractual accuracy.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and consistently meet established deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain financial and contractual information to non-financial audiences.
- Demonstrated integrity, discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment when handling confidential financial and contractual information.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Public Accountant designation, master’s degree, Certified Grants Management Specialist certification, contract management certification, or another advanced accounting, finance, or contract administration credential.
- Experience within a nonprofit homeless services, housing, behavioral health, or human services organization.
- Experience administering federal, state, county, city, or other publicly funded contracts.
- Knowledge of Uniform Guidance, cost allocation requirements, Single Audit requirements, procurement standards, and government contracting requirements.
- Experience using QuickBooks Online or a comparable nonprofit accounting system.
- Experience supporting IRS Form 990 preparation and nonprofit tax compliance.
- Experience developing or strengthening finance, contracting, procurement, and internal control systems.
- Experience responding to government audits, contract monitoring reviews, compliance assessments, and corrective action plans.
Core Competencies
- Strategic financial leadership
- Government contract administration
- Nonprofit and governmental accounting
- Grant and contract financial management
- Contract billing and accounts receivable management
- Staff supervision and professional development
- Financial analysis and risk management
- Procurement and regulatory compliance
- Internal controls and audit readiness
- Budget development and cash flow management
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Accountability and ethical decision-making
- Communication and organizational collaboration
- Planning, organization, and deadline management
- Commitment to Whittier First Day’s mission and community
Pay: $85,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Application Question(s):
- Do you have non-profit experience?
Education:
Experience:
- Non-profit accounting: 5 years (Required)
- Contracts: 3 years (Required)
- Accounting (non-profit): 3 years (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in La Mirada, CA 90638
