Director of Accounting

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is currently hiring for a c full-time, salaried, and benefited Director of Accounting at our Miramar location.

ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK

Established in 1977, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is a critical component to the welfare of San Diego County, providing nutritious food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. For more information about the organization, please visit

Our Mission:

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank Chapter provide nutritious food to people in need, advocate for the hungry, and educate the public about hunger-related issues.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The San Diego Food Bank feeds approximately 400,000 people every month in partnership with 450 nonprofit community partners.
• We are the fourth largest independent food bank in the country.
• We distributed 52 million pounds of food in fiscal year 2024-2025; almost 45% of that food being fresh produce.
• We have a 99% rating on Charity Navigator.

We are committed to innovation and sustainability to reduce our impact on the environment. We have 1,400 solar panels, we are LEED v4 Gold Certified, we have a 3,600 sq. ft composting and recycling center that houses our recycling and composting machine and received the 2020 Business Waste Reduction & Recycling award.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Director of Accounting oversees the accounting department and all financial operations of the Food Bank, ensuring the integrity of financial data and compliance with regulatory and grant requirements. Reporting to the CFO, this position plays a key leadership role in supporting the CFO, Board of Directors, and organizational leadership through accurate financial tracking, reporting, and analysis. The Director is responsible for providing strategic oversight of the month-end close, budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, audit coordination, and grant accounting. Success in this role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities, lead a high-performing accounting team, and contribute financial insight to organizational planning and decision-making.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this position. All duties are expected to be performed in accordance with existing company policy and procedure. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Financial Oversight & Reporting

• Provide strategic oversight of the month-end close process, ensuring reporting integrity and alignment with organizational objectives; partner with the Accounting Manager who leads daily execution and review of journal entries and reconciliations.
• Review and interpret consolidated and program-level financial reports, comparing actuals to budget and forecast; present key financial insights to the CFO and Finance Committee to support organizational planning and decision-making.
• Monitor and forecast organizational cash flow; recommend internal fund transfers to the CFO.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Lead the organization-wide budgeting process and forecasting strategy, guiding department leaders.
• Analyze working capital projections at both the programmatic and consolidated levels.
• Prepare and present short-term cash and expense forecasts to support strategic decision-making.

Grants & Program Accounting

• Oversee all financial compliance, tracking, and reporting for restricted grants and contracts.
• Ensure expenditures are aligned with funder restrictions and program budgets throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Collaborate with program and development teams to prepare financial reports for government, corporate, and foundation funders.

Audit, Compliance & Internal Controls

• Coordinate, in partnership with CFO, the annual external audit; federal, state, and local tax returns; and respond to government or grantor audit requests.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), and nonprofit accounting standards.
• In partnership with the CFO, develop and maintain the organization’s internal controls framework and risk mitigation strategies; provide oversight of compliance practices executed by the accounting team.
• Oversee business and legal filing requirements; respond to external information and regulatory inquiries.

Team Leadership & Development

• Hire, supervise, and mentor the accounting team, including the Accounting Manager; set priorities, provide guidance, and conduct performance reviews.
• Evaluate and adjust departmental structure to optimize workflow and team capacity.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Technology & Process Improvement

• Partner with the Accounting Manager to streamline monthly financial workflows and document processes.
• In collaboration with CFO, identify and implement technology solutions to improve accuracy, efficiency, and reporting capabilities.
• Maintain the fiscal year calendar, ensuring key deadlines for compliance, reporting, and audits are met.

Strategic Support & Analysis

• Support the CFO with financial analysis, modeling, and special projects.
• Participate in Finance and Audit Committee meetings to present financial trends, risks, and strategic insights.
• Serve as a member of the leadership team and contribute to organizational strategic planning by providing financial insight, long-term forecasting, and forward-thinking ideas that support sustainability and growth.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

This position requires a motivated individual that can independently organize their activities on a daily basis. The ideal individual adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events. This individual must have stellar written communication and proofreading skills; the ability to accurately process high volumes of numeric and financial data; have a high level of personal integrity and confidentiality; and be able to prioritize and plan work activities using time efficiently. This individual must be a self-starter that enjoys working as part of a team but is comfortable seeking out answers and taking initiative to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities. This individual must demonstrate maturity, patience and professionalism at all times. The position requires comfortability in being in frequent contact with board members, staff, visitors, donors, volunteers and other friends and partners of the Food Bank.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE

A typical way of obtaining the necessary education, training, and experience for this position includes:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Accounting or a closely related field.
• Master’s level education preferred.
• 7 years’ experience in accounting with proven track record of increasing responsibility.
• Nonprofit accounting experience preferred.
• OR an equivalent combination of training, education and experience that would result in obtainment of the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
Knowledge of:

• GAAP and non-profit accounting standards, Uniform Guidance.
• Accounting software familiarity and experience implementing software programs to enhance innovation and technology in processes.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (ability to perform V-lookups, pivot tables, and other complex formulas)
• Building and leading teams in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to:

• Work well in a fast-paced environment utilizing initiative, good judgment, flexibility and high energy.
• Operate computer and word processing software and other standard office equipment.
• Type accurately at a speed necessary to meet the requirements of the position
• Organize, set priorities and exercise sound independent judgment with areas of responsibility.
• Work independently and set priorities for a team.
• Professionally interact with volunteers, board members and donors.
• Organize research and maintain complex and extensive office files.
• Compose correspondence from brief instructions.
• Communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.
• Prepare clear, accurate and concise records and reports.
• Use tact, discretion and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive situations and concerned individuals.
• Establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with officials and others encountered in the course of work.
• Problem-solve using analytical and reasoning skills.
• Supervise, manage and train staff and others.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES, SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• CPA preferred.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time, Exempt benefited position.

• A market-level competitive salary is between $150,000 - $170,000 based on experience.
• The compensation package includes a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package including: 403(b) plan with 200% employer matching; excellent health care coverage with free employee medical, dental and vision plans; company paid term life insurance; and a generous accrual of paid vacation and sick leave.

WORK SCHEDULE

• Monday – Friday from 8:00am – 4:30pm.

HOW TO APPLY

• Interested and qualified candidates should apply below.
• Submissions missing a resume will not be considered for the position.
• Background check and drug test are required for the position before employment starts.