Senior Finance Manager
Pacific Institute· Research· Sep 28, 2026 · 1mo ago
Oakland, CA
Remote
Full-time
Manager
$78K–$138K
Job description
About the Role:
The Senior Finance Manager is responsible for the Pacific Institute's day-to-day financial operations and for building the systems, controls, and reporting the organization needs as it grows. This role manages the Institute's accounting, grants and contracts financial administration, budgeting, and financial reporting, and maintains segregation of duties and strong internal controls across all finance execution work. The role leads and oversees finance support staff who handle a share of day-to-day transaction entry and processing, and is responsible for their training, quality of work, and professional development. The Senior Finance Manager also leads the evaluation and implementation of financial systems and partners closely with the Chief Operating Officer, Board Finance Committee, and program staff on financial strategy. This role requires sound judgment on accounting matters, strong internal-control instincts, and the ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences.
Responsibilities:
Financial Operations & Accounting Oversight • Administer the Institute's accounting system, including managing the general ledger, posting journal entries, and closing the books monthly
• Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable, ensuring accurate coding, timely payment and collection, and proper documentation
• Reconcile all bank and investment accounts monthly, or provide final review and sign-off where reconciliations are prepared by finance support staff
• Maintain effective working relationships with vendors, contractors, and financial institutions
• Coordinate semi-monthly payroll processing across the Institute's domestic and international payroll systems, in partnership with the HR Manager
• Maintain segregation of duties between transaction entry and account reconciliation, and provide hands-on review of higher-complexity coding and reconciliation items
Compliance, Controls & Audit • Maintain and strengthen the Institute's system of internal controls, including segregation of duties across transaction entry, review, and approval
• Lead the annual audit and Form 990 preparation process, coordinating with external auditors to ensure timely completion of audited financial statements and tax filings
• Safeguard and maintain the confidentiality of the Institute's financial and other sensitive data
• Monitor compliance with funder-specific financial reporting requirements and applicable federal, state, and local regulations
Grants, Contracts & Award Management • Partner with program staff to develop project budgets for grant and contract proposals
• Track financial deadlines, deliverables, and payment schedules across the Institute's portfolio of grants, contracts, and fiscal-sponsorship arrangements
• Monitor compliance with restricted funding requirements across domestic and international grants, contracts, and fiscal-sponsorship projects
• Prepare and submit funder invoices and financial reports according to each funder's format and schedule
• Maintain grants and contracts financial records in the Institute's database system
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Reporting
• Prepare monthly financial reports for the Board of Directors and staff, including profit-and-loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow reports, budget-to-actual analyses, and project-level financials
• Support the Chief Operating Officer and Board Finance Committee in developing the annual budget and subsequent revisions
• Develop income projections and cash flow forecasts, incorporating pipeline and program data
• Analyze and communicate the Institute's financial position to senior leadership, identifying trends, risks, and recommendations
Systems Implementation & Process Improvement • Lead the evaluation, implementation, and ongoing administration of financial systems, including integration with payroll, expense, and donor/grants management systems
• Document financial procedures and the reasoning behind recurring decisions, such as account coding and project/class assignment, to reduce reliance on institutional memory
• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual data entry and strengthen the audit trail
Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership • Provide leadership, training, and, where applicable, direct supervision to finance support staff, including regular feedback and professional development support
• Act as a thought partner to the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Management Team on financial strategy and organizational planning
• Respond to staff requests for financial information and support financial literacy across the organization
• Partner with the HR Manager on finance-related aspects of HR, including benefits and retirement plan administration
requirements:
• Experience managing accounting and financial operations for an organization of comparable scale and complexity (for example, an operating budget in the range of $10–20M, or a comparable volume and complexity of grants and contracts)
• Demonstrated experience with fund accounting and restricted grant/contract compliance, ideally within a nonprofit organization
• Experience with general ledger and accounting software
• Experience supervising staff and reviewing the work of others
• Strong understanding of internal controls and segregation-of-duties best practices
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Preferred qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• CPA preferred, not required
• Experience implementing or migrating financial systems
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM/grants database
• Experience working with international payroll or contractor arrangements
Compensation and Benefits
This position is eligible for paid vacation and benefits. The Pacific Institute offers an excellent compensation package, including a generous health, dental, and Institute-matched retirement plan and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience and reflects the field. Because Pacific Institute has staff across multiple states, this role's hiring range is determined by work location: • Zone A: $102,200-$138,000
• Zone B: $86,200-$116,400
• Zone C: $78,400-$105,800
Your specific hiring range will be confirmed based on your primary work location if you are selected for an interview. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Pacific Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Diversity is a core value at Pacific Institute. We are dedicated to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team and culture for two reasons:
To stay true to our values and principles: We recognize that historical and current injustices have left out certain voices and perspectives from decision-making about accessing and managing water resources. We acknowledge that the representation of these groups in water-related decision-making and careers is an important step towards addressing past and current injustices. Because Pacific Institute participates in water-related decision-making, we acknowledge that hiring and retaining a diverse staff can contribute to a broader need to address systemic injustices.
To better achieve Pacific Institute's mission and vision: We know that having diverse perspectives makes for better research, creative solutions, and can help us achieve our mission. We recognize that a diverse team with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences is essential for generating and scaling innovative ideas that solve increasingly complex challenges. We make an active effort to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, heard, validated, empowered, and celebrated across different identities and cultures. We aim to constantly evolve our approach to DEI to reflect best practices in this work, just as we do with our water and climate research . As part of this commitment, we request that all candidates include a short statement in their cover letter to address how your addition to our staff would contribute to our DEI efforts.
To Apply
Please submit the following: • A cover letter of no more than two pages, including: • Your interest in the work of the Pacific Institute and specific fit for this position;
• A summary of your qualifications;
• The DEI statement described above;
• Your CV/Resume;
No immigration or relocation assistance is available for this position.
No phone calls, please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. About our recruitment process:
Here’s what you can expect: • Application review
• Schedule a Phone Screen interview with the HR Manager
• Schedule a group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
• Schedule a second group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
• References
• Offer
Application prep
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Benefits
Benefits detected in the listing.
Dental
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Professional Development