Senior Finance Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Senior Finance Manager - Real Estate

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

Department: Finance

Location: Oakland, CA

Schedule: Monday through Friday

Travel: Local travel may be required

Employee Status: Regular, Full-Time, Exempt

Union:  N/A

Supervises: 1-2 assigned staff

Benefits

Two weeks of paid vacation a year, sick time, 14 holidays, up to five floating holidays based on employee status, medical and dental benefits on the first of the month following 30 days of employment, life insurance policy at no cost to employee (with the option of increasing policy amount), flexible spending account for medical and dependent care costs, commuter benefits, 403(b) with employer match, and other benefits. We foster a joyful workplace and offer opportunities for professional development and growth. 

Agency Summary

The Unity Council is a non-profit Social Equity Development Corporation with an over 60-year history in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. Our mission is to promote social equity and improve quality of life by building vibrant communities where everyone can work, learn, and thrive. 

Our programs aim to provide the community with the tools, knowledge, and resources to transform their lives and ultimately achieve their long-term educational, career, and financial goals. These holistic programs and services reach more than 10,000 individuals and families annually in five languages. Programs include early childhood education, youth mentorship and leadership development, employment services, career readiness training, housing and financial stability, senior citizen services, affordable housing and neighborhood development, and arts and cultural events. Our work expands beyond the Fruitvale district and now reaches across Oakland and into Contra Costa County. The Unity Council employs a diverse workforce of more than 300 people who reflect the linguistic, cultural, and ethnic identity of the communities we serve. 

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Finance Manager is a key contributor in the Finance Department. Managing a broad range of responsibilities with finance focus areas including review acquisitions financial pro forma models prepared by Real Estate Development; banking, debt management, budgeting, accounting, and compliance reporting for asset properties, post-acquisition properties, and enterprise entities.

The Senior Finance Manager works closely with Real Estate Development (RED) and Property Management (PM) to ensure timely and accurate financial case scenario analysis and forecasting, grants and contracts alignment, expenditures to funding alignment, and reporting to inform business decisions from a finance perspective.

This position requires advanced experience working with complex acquisition, financing, and enterprise business models and operations, automated accounting and banking systems, property management, financial systems, and data mapping and analytics systems. This position is responsible for managing significant financial functions including the Asset Finance Unit (AF) and post-acquisition accounting operations, and real estate related finance and accounting operations. In collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, this position will assist senior leadership with developing financial KPIs and cost projections for new initiatives and strategic decisions.

The ideal candidate would be collaborative, adaptable, proactively seeks process improvement and automation opportunities, embraces an approach of continuity of operations through knowledge sharing and documentation, and thrives in achieving strict deadlines on a consistent basis.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Oversee financial, accounting, budgeting, contracting, cost allocation, compliance reporting, and financial systems for assigned areas of responsibility. 
• Prepare and review monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports, budgets, forecasts, management reports, cost reports, audit and tax schedules, and other project-and-entity-specific financial reporting.
• Ensure accuracy, integrity, and timely completion of financial transactions, financial statements, compliance reporting, audits, tax filings, and other required reporting in accordance with GAAP, regulatory requirements, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
• Develop and maintain financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting processes to support effective financial management and compliance.
• Manage the financial aspects of affordable housing and real estate development projects throughout the full development lifecycle, including feasibility, predevelopment, construction, stabilization, and permanent financing.
• Analyze and manage complex financing structures and capital stacks, including LIHTC 4% and 9%, tax-exempt bonds, construction and permanent debt, public subsidies, grants, and other affordable housing funding sources.
• Oversee financial aspects of construction and permanent financing, including construction draws, sources-and-uses tracking, development budgets, cost certifications, lender and investor reporting, funding requirements, and loan closings.
• Build and maintain development pro formas, cash-flow models, project budgets, operating projections, sensitivity analyses, and financial forecasts. Identify financial risks, funding gaps, cost variances, and opportunities and recommend solutions.
• Partner with Real Estate Development, Property Management, Finance, and external stakeholders to support acquisitions, development projects, debt and cash management, financial reporting, and project decision-making.
• Maintain effective and collaborative relationships with internal teams, lenders, investors, government agencies, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders.
• Oversee assigned staff, including hiring, training, workload management, performance management, coaching, and professional development.

Qualifications

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, Economics, Finance, Mathematics or other related fields. 
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, financial forecasting, or affordable housing/real estate development finance.
• Demonstrated experience managing affordable housing project finances throughout the development lifecycle, including feasibility, predevelopment, construction, stabilization, and permanent financing.
• Experience with LIHTC (4% and 9%), tax-exempt bonds, construction and permanent debt, public subsidies, grants, complex capital stacks, construction draws, cost certifications, and loan closings.
• Minimum of three (3) years of verifiable supervisory experience required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in Yardi and/or Sage accounting/property management systems required.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, financial modeling, financial and property management systems, data analysis, and reporting.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting, debt and financing structures, and project financial management.
• Advanced ability to develop and analyze development pro formas, cash-flow models, development budgets, operating projections, sensitivity analyses, sources-and-uses schedules, and project forecasts.
• Strong understanding of affordable housing development finance and complex capital stacks, including LIHTC, tax-exempt bonds, public subsidies, grants, and construction and permanent financing.
• Ability to analyze complex financial information, identify risks and opportunities, solve financial problems, and provide data-driven recommendations.
• Strong leadership, project management, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external stakeholders.

Physical Requirements

• This position is primarily sedentary and requires the ability to remain seated for extended periods of time.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers to operate a computer, keyboard, and other standard office equipment.
• Ability to occasionally stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
• Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move items up to 10–15 pounds.
• Requires close vision and the ability to focus for extended periods when working on a computer or reviewing detailed documents.
• May involve occasional bending, stooping, or climbing stairs.

Pre-Employment Requirements

• Background/fingerprints
• Reference Checks

This description is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities or requirements for the position. This position may change or assume additional duties at any time.