Chief Financial Officer

Job Description

Job Description

About the Organization:

Lao Family Community Development, Inc. (LFCD) is a community-based non-profit organization established in Richmond, Contra Costa County, California, in 1980. Since then, LFCD has expanded its operations to Alameda and Sacramento counties with its headquarters located in Oakland, California. 

LFCD delivers programs and services from seven locations in more than 35 languages. The organization provides community development, affordable real estate, workforce development, education, and human services that primarily support low-income individuals and families, refugees, immigrants, transitional-age youth, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and other underserved populations.

LFCD is seeking a hands-on CFO--systems builder, financial architect, and strategic partner to the CEO, Board, and Leadership Team. 

We invite a collaborative, forward thinking leader to partner with us in shaping the next chapter of our organization’s growth and evolution as a strong sustainable institution.

The Opportunity:

LFCD is entering a major period of institutional transformation. The organization currently operates at approximately $34 million in approved/committed contracts and is approaching a projected $39 million budget within five years. Its 2030 Operational Strategy prioritizes financial sustainability, scalable infrastructure, documented standards, leadership development, quality, accountability and diversification of revenue.

Over the last 46-years, LFCD has evolved from a community-based nonprofit development organization serving Northern California, into an anchor institution–deeply rooted in the neighborhoods it serves and provides an integrated continuum of human, social and workforce services; healthcare; housing; and commercial/community facilities. LFCD’s services are delivered in approximately 35 languages and it has positively impacted more than 500,000 people over its history. It is an organization that has a solid culture of innovation, community impact outcomes, and proven field leaders.

The CFO will serve as the CEO's principal financial strategist and business partner and will work closely with the Board, executive leadership, finance/accounting staff, operations, technology, research and evaluation, HR and organizational development, and program leaders. This is a hands-on role for an executive who can build systems and work directly in the details.

The CFO reports directly to the CEO, works closely with the Board and its appropriate committees, and collaborates across LFCD's program, operations, HR/people, training, healthcare, housing, facilities and enterprise functions. The position is based in Oakland, California and requires regular presence across LFCD sites, with a flexible schedule to support executive responsibilities and events. This CFO position is a financial transformation and institution-building leadership role helping to build the financial architecture for LFCD's next decade of growth.

LFCD Mission, Populations & Business Model:

LFCD serves populations facing significant barriers to economic stability and self-sufficiency, including unemployed and dislocated workers; WIOA adults and out-of-school youth; CalWORKs families; refugees and newcomers; people returning from incarceration; people experiencing homelessness; and an expanding population of military-connected families, transitioning service members, veterans and reservists.

Across these populations, LFCD's work is centered on clear outcomes such as stabilization, strengthening skills, employment, earned income, housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency. Programs operate under demanding federal, state, and local requirements, including Department of Labor/WIOA, California social services and health programs, refugee services, reentry/probation contracts, Medi-Cal/CalAIM, housing requirements and CARF accreditation.

Approximately 95% of current funding is derived from government contracts on a cost-reimbursement basis, performance-based, hybrid, competitive bidding, and various negotiated contracts. The organization is a member of multiple partnerships and contracting relationships with other agencies. There are multiple projects that were developed with Low Income Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, Voter Approved Bonds, and various capital grants and loan products. LFCD is intentionally building a more resilient model with a long-term aspiration of approximately 70% government and public funding and 30% diversified earned income, private contributions, and complex charitable gifts, including donor advised funds, gifts of appreciated securities, and non-cash assets.

The Leadership Profile:

LFCD is seeking an entrepreneurial, mission-grounded financial executive who combines nonprofit and government-contract expertise with the discipline of a strong operator and the curiosity of a business builder. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between Board-level strategy and hands-on problem solving with accountants, program managers and operational teams.

Core Responsibilities: 1. Financial Strategy, Revenue Realization & Cash

• Partner with the CEO and Board on multi-year financial strategy, growth scenarios, capital allocation, reserves, liquidity, risk and organizational sustainability.

• Establish contract-level and enterprise forecasting that links awards, staffing, enrollment/utilization, participant supports, deliverables, billing and cash collections.

• Ensure timely invoicing/claims, accounts-receivable management, cash forecasting and resolution of reimbursement barriers.

2. Government Contracting, Compliance & Indirect Cost

• Oversee financial compliance for complex federal, state, county and local cost-reimbursement, performance-based and pass-through funding.

• Lead cost allocation, allowable-cost analysis, contract budgeting, grant/contract reporting, audit schedules and documentation.

• Work with auditors and appropriate cognizant/pass-through agencies to establish, negotiate and maintain compliant indirect-cost recovery and ensure allowable indirect costs are incorporated into bids and renewals wherever permitted.

• Maintain systems supporting CARF expansion and applicable behavioral health, healthcare services, housing, workforce, refugee, reentry and other regulatory standards.

3. Diversified Revenue & Enterprise Sustainability

• Partner with the CEO to build a diversified revenue engine encompassing Medi-Cal/CalAIM reimbursement, specialized housing and room-and-board, commercial/community facility leasing, social enterprise and other mission-aligned earned income.

• Develop financial models and unit economics for each enterprise: full cost, utilization/break-even, contribution margin, cash requirements, risk and scalability.

• Support corporate sponsorship, philanthropy, employer giving, planned/estate giving and other flexible revenue strategies in partnership with the CEO, Board and development/partnership leaders.

• Support the LFCD Care Market and product-recovery/reverse-logistics strategy by developing appropriate financial controls, inventory/value methodologies and impact reporting while preserving the program's community-benefit mission.

4. Finance Operations, Audit & Controls

• Lead accounting, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, financial reporting, tax/compliance, procurement controls and audit preparation.

• Create a reliable monthly close and management-reporting calendar with reconciliations, variance analysis and executive dashboards.

• Maintain robust policies, SOPs, approval authorities, internal controls and backup responsibilities so financial operations do not depend on a single individual.

• Oversee financial systems and technology improvements that reduce manual work, strengthen data integrity and support scale.

5. People, Systems & Organizational Capacity

• Lead, coach and develop LFCD's finance/accounting team while building succession, cross-training and professional growth pathways.

• Partner with HR, operations and organizational development to improve financial literacy among directors and managers through classroom learning, job shadowing, on-the-job training, virtual learning, written procedures and appropriate professional certifications.

• Build systems that work for a highly diverse workforce and board leaders with varied educational and professional backgrounds, recognizing demonstrated competency as well as formal credentials and university education backgrounds.

• Translate financial concepts into practical operating decisions for non-financial leaders and create accountability without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. 

Qualifications and Strongly Preferred Experiences:

• Bachelor's degree minimum in Accounting, Finance, Business or related field required; advanced degree and/or CPA or other relevant professional credential strongly preferred.

• Approximately 12+ years of progressively responsible financial leadership, including significant CFO, Deputy CFO, VP Finance, Controller/Finance Director or equivalent executive responsibility in a complex organization.