Finance Director

Application and Full Description: https://alchemistcdc.org/employment/

Hiring Timeline: 

• Initial Apply By/First Cut-Off Date: October 31, 2025
• First Round Interviews: October 31-November 20
• Finalist Interviews: November 20-November 30
• Skills testing, reference verification, background check: November 31-Dec 15
• Preferred start date: December 15, 2025

Expected Hourly Commitment: Full time (expected 40 hour/week, but may occasionally require additional hours/flexible schedule). 

Compensation: Base pay of $75,000 annually, with additional annual salary premiums after completion of 90 day provisional period as follows:

• $3,000: Current CPA license
• $1,000: Current CMA certification
• $1,000: Bachelor’s degree in any of the following: BS or BA in Accounting, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting
• $2,000: Master’s degree in any of the following: Accounting (MSA or MAcc); MBA with a concentration in Accounting.
• $1,000: Verifiable 2 years professional experience with full-charge utilization of Sage Intacct.
• $2,000: Verifiable 3 years in a management or higher professional finance role with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with annual operating budget of $1M or higher.

Benefits:

• 3 weeks’ vacation/PTO annual accrual to start (accrual rate increases with length of service)
• 100% company paid “Silver Level” Dental, Vision and Health insurance
• 10 paid holidays annually
• 1 day paid volunteering time off
• 5 sick days accrued annually (up to 120 hours accrual limit)
• Professional development opportunities and advancement potential

Schedule:

Flexible schedule. ~80% remote with occasional in-person meetings or on-site tasks at administrative offices. First three months of onboarding/training period may require a greater proportion of in-person work. Must reside in CA.

Location: Administrative Office is currently located in City of Sacramento, but there are multiple program sites located throughout Sacramento County.

This position reports directly to the Chief Compliance Officer.

About the Role: At this pivotal moment in time, Alchemist CDC is rapidly expanding and growing our team to meet the increasing needs of the organization. This position is newly created, and as such, the Finance Director will have a unique opportunity to shape new financial policies and procedures alongside the changing needs of the organization. We are looking for someone who wants to use their skills and expertise to make a real and tangible difference in our region, through a purpose-driven career.

Working closely with the Chief Compliance Officer, the Finance Director will direct, plan and organize all aspects of the organization’s financial operations; direct the preparation of all Federal and State tax reports; direct the preparation of the annual budget and perform the more complex duties connected with the financial expectations of the organization.

About Us: Alchemist CDC is a mission-driven 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that connects Sacramento area communities to land, food, and opportunity – toward a vision in which all neighborhoods are vibrant, equitable, healthy, and diverse. Our programs enhance the quality of life in under-resourced communities by improving access to nutritious foods, implementing community-supported public green spaces, and fostering economic self-sufficiency through business entrepreneurship and workforce development. Learn more about our organization and programs at: www.alchemistcdc.org

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning, Leadership and Personnel Management

• Provide leadership and mentorship to our small accounting team, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability, including managing two or more accounting staff. (Currently a generalist bookkeeper and an Accounts Payable Specialist, with additional growth expected.)
• Provide training and support to finance staff
• Collaborate with multiple departments across the organization to ensure they have the financial support and documentation they need to carry out their programs effectively, including providing budget analysis training as needed.
• Manage relationships with external partners, including banks, auditors, funders, and other financial service providers.
• Collaborate with other senior leaders to develop and implement strategies and systems that support the organization’s mission and goals, including regular check-ins with the CEO.
• Lead the Financial Audit Committee, collaborating with other committee members to provide guidance and insight.

Financial Management

• Protect and ensure the integrity of program financial records. Manage and oversee all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis (Currently utilizing Sage Intacct accounting systems)
• Protect the organization’s revenues and assets to achieve sustainable growth and excellent service delivery.
• Partner with Development staff to ensure accurate donation processing, reporting for fundraising events, donations, grants, and contracts.
• Generate, present and explain financial statements and KPI to senior leadership
• Oversee accounts payable, including coding and approval of bills, expense reports and payment requests.
• Manage accounts receivable, including coding and allocation of donations, fees, and grant invoicing/income.
• Maintain financial documentation for all grants, including copies of approved budgets and amendments, grant reports, and general ledger.
• Oversee use of office petty cash funds and credit cards
• Develop and maintain financial information storage and record retrieval.
• Ensure financial records, including the general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, procurement and other financial systems, are accurate and timely
• Ensure compliance with all financial reporting requirements, including tax filings, audits, grants, and other reporting requirements
• Maintain, implement, and ensure compliance with the organization’s systems of internal controls, and separation of duties; and creation and maintenance of financial procedures and documentation
• Working with Senior leadership, draft policies that ensure that payroll and financial tracking systems are sufficiently robust for compliance and grant reporting, yet appropriately flexible and efficient to best serve and support our programmatic activities.
• Manage and track the performance of invested assets in keeping with investment guidelines.
• Ensure GAAP rules and FASB guidance are followed.

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Prepare and present financial information.
• Provide budget forecasting and investment strategy consultation to members of the Finance Committee.
• Manage and track organizational cash flow forecasting

Reporting and invoicing:

• Understand the scope and areas of work included within grant contracts in order to work with the CCO, Program Directors/Managers and finance team on day-to-day issues
• Proactively monitor and report on project budgets, financial projections, costs and percentage of completion.
• Actively engage in grant tracking, allocation, budgeting, and reporting in partnership with the Program staff.
• Manage the financial reporting process for all grants (federal, state, local and private grants) as well as multiple program revenue systems.

Other:

• This role requires hands-on involvement. The Finance Director will actively engage in day-to-day financial and accounting tasks and processes.
• oversee the company’s finance IT system(s).
• Travel to various program/administrative sites may be necessary from time to time.
• Perform special financial or statistical research or analytical studies to assist in the formulation of new policies and procedures.
• Perform special finance-related projects; and other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will have all or most of the experience below or have a combination of comparable experience where they have demonstrated similar skills or responsibilities.

Requirements:

• Minimum 2 years’ supervisory experience
• Non-Profit Accounting Expertise: Must have a strong foundation for non-profit accounting practices, including, but not limited to GAAP, government grants, Program Revenue, managing/tracking restricted assets, and Contributions and Pledges.
• Excellent communication skills – ability to articulate thoughts and express ideas effectively. High level of English language writing, reading, speaking and comprehension skills.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, or a related field (CPA and/or Master’s preferred). [Equivalent experience will be accepted in lieu of the required degree or diploma for hiring eligibility purposes].
• Minimum of 4 years of financial management experience, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
• At least six (6) years of overall professional accounting experience;
• Intermediate to advanced level experience with MS-Excel including complex formulas and macros
• Minimum 2 years’ experience with multiple funding source- or cost-center based accounting systems.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to meet strict deadlines.
• Working knowledge of managerial/financial accounting and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and FASB guidance.
• Demonstrated credible leadership presence, with the ability to respond to questions with logic, clarity, calmness and authority.
• Ability to interact and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of role’s duties while respecting cultural and linguistic differences and fostering an inclusive work environment.
• Organization and planning skills to effectively delegate, manage and/or re-prioritize activities and projects to meet deadlines while maintaining a high degree of responsiveness.

The Complete Job Description can be viewed at https://alchemistcdc.org/employment