Finance Director

Job Description

 

Job Title: Finance Director

Department: GRAFF (Grants, Reporting, Administration, Finance and Fundraising)

Type: Hybrid (minimum one day or two half days per week on site at shelter offices)

Reports To: Executive Director 

FLSA Status: Exempt       

Salary: $105,000 – $120,000 (DOE)
 

About Asian Women’s Shelter 

Voted the Most Inspiring Nonprofit by SF Weekly’s Best of San Francisco in 2019, Asian Women’s Shelter is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is diverse, passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. The work we do together and the way in which we do it are life-changing. AWS’s approach is survivor-centered, intersectional, trauma-informed, margin-to-center, ethically collaborative, and oriented toward contributing to a larger movement for peace and equity. We know that our team is our greatest asset in achieving our mission--to eliminate domestic violence by promoting the social, political and economic self-determination of women and all survivors of violence and oppression.

Position Summary

The Finance Director is one of three members of Asian Women's Shelter's senior leadership team and serves as the organization's lead finance executive. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director and Associate Director, the Finance Director provides strategic financial leadership while overseeing all aspects of the organization's finance function. This includes budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, government grants management, compliance, audits, and financial systems. The Finance Director upholds a dynamic and supportive work environment that aligns with AWS’s mission and values, in which AWS staff can achieve great impact, and the organization can thrive in its stability, viability, and efficacy.
 

What Success Looks Like

At Asian Women’s Shelter, we believe strong performance is about more than technical expertise. We value people who bring curiosity, integrity, and compassion to their work; who build strong relationships, embrace complexity, and help create a workplace where everyone can do their best work. We value thoughtful problem-solving, shared leadership, and the understanding that our best work happens together.

• Integrity & Accountability: We earn trust by acting with integrity, following through on commitments, and taking responsibility for our work. We make thoughtful decisions, communicate transparently, and uphold our values even when navigating difficult or ambiguous situations.
• Collaboration & Communication: We believe great work happens through strong relationships. We communicate directly and compassionately, seek understanding before making assumptions, welcome feedback, and contribute to a culture where people feel respected, supported, and able to do their best work. We value collaboration over hierarchy and recognize that diverse perspectives strengthen our decisions.
• Thoughtful Problem Solving: Our work is complex, and there is not always one clear or perfect answer. We value people who approach challenges with curiosity, analyze situations carefully, remain flexible as circumstances change, and find practical, creative solutions while keeping the organization’s mission and people at the center of all decisions. 
• Excellence & Stewardship:  We take pride in producing accurate, thoughtful work that supports the organization's long-term health. We look for opportunities to improve systems, maintain high standards of quality, and steward resources responsibly while remaining open to learning and continuous improvement. 

• Leadership & Shared Growth: Leadership at AWS is about helping others succeed. We invest in developing people, share knowledge openly, encourage reflection and growth, and create opportunities for others to contribute their strengths. We believe leadership is practiced at every level of the organization. 
• Learning & Adaptability: We approach our work with curiosity, humility, and a commitment to continuous learning. We remain open to new ideas, reflect on our own assumptions, anticipate changing needs, and adapt our approaches as our work evolves. We invest in developing our skills and embrace opportunities to strengthen both ourselves and the organization.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Leadership and Management 

• Lead the organization's financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning in partnership with the Executive Director, leadership team, and Board Finance Committee.
• Manage the organization's $5.1M budget, including restricted and unrestricted funding, with significant oversight of government grants, contracts, budgeting, compliance, reporting, invoicing, and funder relationships.
• Oversee the organization's financial operations, including accounting, audits, internal controls, banking, investments, insurance, taxes, and financial reporting.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, nonprofit accounting standards, and all applicable government and grant requirements while maintaining strong financial systems and policies.
• Continuously improve financial processes, reporting, and systems to support organizational effectiveness and informed decision-making.
• AWS anticipates adding a Grants Financial Manager next fiscal year to partner with the Finance Director in managing grant finances 

Team Leadership

• Directly supervise, mentor, coach and provide leadership to the Finance team.
• Supervise and manage relationships with external accounting, audit, legal, compliance, and other finance partners.
• Maintain effective internal controls and ensure continuity across key finance functions, including providing backup support as needed.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to develop backup and coverage resources that support the Finance team and work.

Organizational Participation 

• Lead and contribute to a welcoming and supportive in-person and virtual environment for shelter residents, staff, and AWS clients and communities
• Participate in and contribute to staff meetings and quarterly retreats, organizational events, trainings, organizational development, and annual and strategic planning
• Complete routine administrative responsibilities and support broader organizational needs as appropriate

 

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive finance, accounting, or financial management experience.
• Experience managing government grants, contracts, or other restricted funding, including compliance and reporting.
• Experience managing and developing finance staff.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audits, and internal controls.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate complex financial situations and changing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain financial information to a variety of audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace, accounting software (such as QuickBooks), and the ability to quickly learn new systems.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends, as needed.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Nonprofit finance or grant-funded organization experience. 
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Nonprofit Financial Management Certificate.

 

Physical & Emotional Demands

This role is primarily office-based and requires extended periods of sitting, computer work, and regular use of a keyboard. The position occasionally requires standing, walking, reaching, and lifting up to 30 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. 

Because AWS supports survivors of violence and oppression, this role regularly involves conversations about trauma, abuse, and systemic inequities. Successful candidates will be comfortable engaging in these discussions with professionalism, empathy, and respect while contributing to a supporting and collaborative work environment. 
 

Work Environment

• This position is based in AWS’s office, which shares a building with a communal shelter environment. The location of the office and shelter is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone outside of organizational personnel.

The salary range for this role is $105,000-$120,000, commensurate with experience. 

We offer a competitive health benefits package that includes: fully employer-paid medical coverage for employees and their dependents, including vision, dental, alternative care (such as chiropractic and acupuncture), and life insurance. Employees receive generous paid time off, including three weeks of vacation to start, 13 paid holidays, two personal days, sick leave, and an extended illness benefit. Additional benefits include a paid Retention and Restoration leave after five years of service, monthly phone and internet stipend, commute and on-call stipends, and a hybrid, flexible work schedule.
 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

The preferred application deadline is Friday, November 13, 2026. To apply, please upload your resume and respond to the application questions on the application page.