Finance Specialist Jobs in California

Position Summary

The Finance & Accounting Manager is responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day financial operations, maintaining accurate accounting records, managing cash flow visibility, administering payroll, coordinating accounts payable and receivable, and ensuring financial controls and reporting systems are maintained.

This position is the primary internal owner of the company’s financial administration and works directly with the CEO, outside CPA, payroll provider, banking partners, and other financial professionals.

The objective of this role is to ensure management has accurate, timely financial information and that all money entering or leaving the company is properly documented, reconciled, approved, and reported.

Reports To

Chief Executive Officer

Core ResponsibilitiesAccounting & Bookkeeping

• Maintain accurate and current company books.
• Record and properly categorize all financial transactions.
• Maintain the general ledger.
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts.
• Maintain supporting documentation for transactions.
• Complete monthly accounting close procedures.
• Prepare financial records for outside CPA review.
• Investigate and resolve accounting discrepancies.
• Maintain organized digital financial records.

Cash Management

• Maintain accurate visibility into all company cash and bank balances.
• Reconcile physical cash balances to accounting records.
• Track cash received by source.
• Track cash disbursements.
• Maintain documentation for cash transactions.
• Prepare weekly cash-position reports.
• Maintain short-term cash-flow forecasts.
• Track expected incoming payments and upcoming obligations.
• Identify potential cash shortages before they occur.

Accounts Receivable

• Maintain accurate customer balances.
• Track all invoices and customer payments.
• Maintain AR aging reports.
• Identify overdue receivables.
• Coordinate collection activity with management and sales.
• Reconcile customer accounts.
• Identify payment discrepancies.
• Maintain expected collection dates.
• Produce weekly AR reporting.

Accounts Payable

• Enter and maintain vendor invoices.
• Verify invoices against approvals and supporting documentation.
• Maintain vendor payment schedules.
• Track outstanding liabilities.
• Prepare weekly payment recommendations for management approval.
• Prevent duplicate payments.
• Maintain accurate vendor records.
• Maintain W-9 documentation.
• Coordinate 1099 preparation and reporting.

Payroll Administration

• Manage the internal payroll process.
• Collect and verify employee hours and payroll changes.
• Verify commissions, bonuses, reimbursements, and deductions.
• Review payroll prior to submission.
• Coordinate payroll processing with the payroll provider.
• Reconcile payroll withdrawals.
• Track payroll liabilities.
• Maintain payroll documentation.
• Coordinate payroll reporting and tax issues with the payroll provider.
• Support workers' compensation and payroll audits.

Banking & Reconciliations

• Reconcile all bank accounts.
• Reconcile company credit cards.
• Reconcile cash accounts.
• Track ACH, wire, check, and cash transactions.
• Investigate discrepancies immediately.
• Maintain supporting documentation for deposits and payments.
• Maintain banking records and authorized-user documentation.

Financial Reporting

Prepare a recurring management financial package including:

• Current cash position
• Bank balances
• Accounts receivable
• AR aging
• Accounts payable
• Upcoming payment obligations
• Expected customer collections
• Payroll obligations
• Debt obligations
• Weekly cash-flow forecast
• Revenue invoiced
• Revenue collected
• Major expenses
• Outstanding liabilities
• Financial exceptions or issues requiring management attention

Financial reporting must be accurate, current, and presented in a format that allows management to make decisions quickly.

Financial Controls

Develop, maintain, and enforce financial procedures related to:

• Spending approvals
• Vendor payments
• Cash receipts
• Cash disbursements
• Purchase approvals
• Expense reimbursements
• Customer payments
• Bank deposits
• Vendor onboarding
• Customer credit terms
• Documentation requirements
• Separation of financial duties
• Financial record retention

The Finance & Accounting Manager is responsible for ensuring that every significant financial transaction can be traced back to appropriate documentation and approval.

Cash Transaction Compliance

• Review cash transactions for applicable reporting requirements.
• Maintain procedures for identifying transactions potentially subject to Form 8300 reporting.
• Collect required customer information.
• Maintain cash transaction records.
• Coordinate Form 8300 preparation and filing.
• Maintain filing records and deadlines.
• Escalate unusual or potentially noncompliant transactions to the CPA, tax advisor, or management.

Tax & CPA Coordination

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for the company’s CPA and tax professionals.
• Organize financial documentation required for tax preparation.
• Maintain tax and financial reporting calendars.
• Provide requested accounting records.
• Coordinate year-end accounting activity.
• Maintain documentation necessary for audits or regulatory inquiries.
• Assist with sales, excise, payroll, income, and other applicable tax reporting as directed by outside professionals.

This role is not expected to replace the company’s CPA or tax counsel.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Assist management in preparing operating budgets.
• Track actual performance against budget.
• Identify significant variances.
• Maintain short-term cash forecasts.
• Assist with revenue and expense forecasting.
• Maintain schedules for major financial obligations.
• Support management in evaluating financial impact of business decisions.

Weekly Deliverables

The Finance & Accounting Manager should provide management with a weekly finance report that includes:

• Current cash available
• Bank balances
• Cash held outside bank accounts
• Accounts receivable
• Overdue receivables
• Expected collections
• Accounts payable
• Payments due over the next 7, 14, and 30 days
• Payroll requirements
• Debt payments
• Tax obligations
• Major upcoming expenses
• Weekly cash-flow projection
• Financial issues requiring a management decision

Monthly Deliverables

• Completed month-end close
• Profit and loss statement
• Balance sheet
• Cash-flow reporting
• AR aging
• AP aging
• Bank reconciliations
• Cash reconciliations
• Payroll reconciliation
• Debt schedule
• Budget-to-actual comparison
• List of unresolved accounting issues
• Updated financial forecast as required

QualificationsRequired

• 3–7+ years of accounting, bookkeeping, finance, or financial operations experience.
• Strong knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable.
• Strong bank reconciliation experience.
• Payroll administration experience.
• Experience maintaining a general ledger.
• Experience with accounting software such as QuickBooks or comparable systems.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills.
• Strong organizational and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage confidential financial information.
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to management.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field.
• Experience working directly with CPAs and tax professionals.
• Cash-management experience.
• Experience building accounting procedures and internal controls.
• Experience with inventory-based or manufacturing businesses.
• Experience preparing management reporting and cash-flow forecasts.
• Experience in a highly regulated industry.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is not simply a transactional bookkeeper.

This person should be capable of understanding the complete financial position of the business and identifying issues before management has to find them.

They should be able to answer questions such as:

• How much cash do we have available today?
• What payments are due this week?
• What receivables should be collected this week?
• Where is cash expected to come from over the next 30 days?
• Are all bank and cash accounts reconciled?
• What liabilities have not yet been paid?
• Are we staying within budget?
• Are there any transactions that require additional reporting or documentation?
• What financial risks require management attention?

The position requires someone who is highly accountable, organized, proactive, and comfortable taking ownership of the company’s financial administration.

Role Objective

The Finance & Accounting Manager should create a financial environment in which management does not have to chase information.

At any point, the CEO should be able to obtain an accurate view of:

Cash + Receivables + Payables + Payroll + Debt + Expenses + Revenue + Financial Obligations

Pay: From $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Work from home

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Santa Rosa, CA 95404