Director, Accounting & Finance (AS)

Company Overview

Associated Students (AS) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is a student-led nonprofit auxiliary organization dedicated to enhancing the student experience through programs, services, advocacy, leadership opportunities, and campus engagement. Guided by its mission of “For students, by students,” AS serves as the collective voice of the student body while providing a broad range of social, educational, cultural, recreational, and support services.

AS operates across a diverse portfolio that includes student organizations and funding, the Children’s Center, Ticket Office, Outdoor Adventures, Sport Clubs, Sustainability, Productions, scholarships, transportation programs, and student leadership. Its operations span multiple revenue streams, programs, and stakeholder groups, creating a sophisticated financial environment well beyond a traditional student-government organization.

The organization manages more than $11 million in annual revenue and directs the majority of its resources toward programs, services, and infrastructure that directly support students.

For more information, please visit: Associated Students, California State University, Northridge

Role Summary

The Director, Accounting & Finance will serve as the senior financial leader for Associated Students, with broad responsibility for accounting, financial operations, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, controls, compliance, investments, systems, and long-term financial strategy.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Director will serve as a key member of the AS management team and a trusted advisor to executive leadership, the Board of Directors, Finance Committee, student leaders, department heads, and university stakeholders.

This is a leadership opportunity with CFO-level breadth. The role is designed to elevate the finance function beyond day-to-day accounting by strengthening the team, modernizing processes and systems, improving financial visibility and accountability, and providing strategic insight to support the organization's continued development.

The opportunity is particularly well suited to a Controller, Director of Finance, Assistant CFO, or smaller-organization CFO who wants broader organizational influence and the ability to build and shape a finance function.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the Accounting & Finance function and ensure the overall financial integrity of AS.
• Oversee accounting, AP/AR, purchasing, cash management, investments, financial analysis, and financial reporting.
• Serve as a strategic financial advisor to the Executive Director, Board, Finance Committee, and organizational leadership.
• Develop financial strategies supporting organizational priorities, capital needs, and long-term sustainability.
• Monitor financial performance, identify trends and risks, and recommend appropriate actions.

Budgeting & Financial Planning

• Lead the annual organizational budgeting process and ongoing forecasting.
• Partner with department leaders to establish budgets, monitor performance, analyze variances, and improve accountability.
• Advise leadership on the financial implications of new initiatives, programs, and investments.
• Ensure operations remain aligned with approved budgets while maintaining flexibility to support evolving student priorities.

Accounting, Controls & Compliance

• Ensure accurate and timely monthly, annual, and management financial reporting.
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls, policies, and financial procedures.
• Oversee annual, internal, and external audits and implement resulting recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable CSU, local, state, and federal requirements, including tax and grant obligations.
• Oversee purchasing policies, cash management, investments, and financial systems.
• Lead improvements to financial processes, reporting, automation, and systems.

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and empower the Accounting & Finance team.
• Strengthen team capabilities through coaching, professional development, effective delegation, and clear accountability.
• Build a collaborative, engaged, and service-oriented finance organization.
• Establish the appropriate balance between strong oversight and empowering team members to own day-to-day execution.

Organizational Partnership & Governance

• Present financial information and recommendations to the Board of Directors, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, and other governing bodies.
• Provide financial guidance to student leaders and organizations operating within the AS governance structure.
• Partner with department leaders to improve financial decision-making and accountability.
• Advise the Children's Center on financial operations and multiple revenue streams.
• Oversee financial aspects of ticketing and box-office operations supporting athletics, commencement, arts and communications events, transportation programs, and other campus activities.
• Build strong relationships across CSUN and serve as a liaison on AS fiscal matters.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a broad-based finance leader with the technical foundation of a Controller and the strategic orientation of a CFO.

Experience & Education

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field required; master's degree preferred.
• Minimum seven years of progressively responsible finance, accounting, budgeting, or financial administration experience.
• Proven experience leading and developing accounting or finance professionals in a complex, multifaceted organization.
• Strong experience across accounting operations, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, controls, audit, compliance, and financial analysis.
• Experience working across multiple departments, revenue streams, and stakeholder groups.

Particularly relevant backgrounds include higher education, university auxiliaries, foundations, nonprofit organizations, public-sector entities, or other mission-driven organizations.

Experience with grants, restricted funding, Board or committee governance, and university-affiliated environments is highly valued.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will be:

• Strategic and financially rigorous without being overly transactional.
• Comfortable moving between executive-level strategy and operational financial oversight.
• A strong delegator who develops people rather than remaining buried in the details.
• Confident holding leaders accountable for budgets and financial performance.
• An effective communicator who can translate complex financial matters for nonfinancial audiences.
• Collaborative, approachable, and relationship-oriented.
• Comfortable working within a student-led governance structure.
• Able to build trust across executive leadership, university stakeholders, department leaders, and student representatives.
• Energized by the opportunity to strengthen an established team and create a more engaged, accountable finance organization.

Why Associated Students? Why This Opportunity?

Meaningful Mission. Financial leadership directly supports programs, services, and resources that enhance the experience of thousands of CSUN students. The work has a visible connection to the organization's student-centered mission.

CFO-Level Breadth. This is much broader than a traditional accounting leadership role. The Director will influence accounting, budgeting, forecasting, investments, controls, grants, systems, compliance, and long-term financial strategy.

Opportunity to Build. The Director will have meaningful latitude to strengthen the finance function, develop the team, improve processes, and establish more effective financial reporting and accountability.

Executive & Board Exposure. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Director will have regular interaction with the Board, Finance Committee, student leadership, department heads, and university stakeholders.

A Multifaceted Environment. AS combines student programs, ticketing, childcare, grants, events, funding, and other campus services—creating an unusually diverse operating environment for a finance executive.

A Chance to Leave a Mark. For a finance leader seeking more than maintaining an established accounting operation, this is an opportunity to build a stronger financial organization, influence important decisions, develop people, and help shape the financial foundation supporting Associated Students for years to come.

Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule

This position is employed through Associated Students (AS). AS offers an excellent benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision insurance, Life Insurance, Vacation, Sick Leave, 14 paid Holidays, company sponsored retirement program and more.

The pay range for the position is $112,548.80 to $168,812.80 Annually. The anticipated hiring range: $112,548.80 to $168,812.80 Annually, dependent upon qualifications and experience.

HOURS: Full-Time, Exempt at 40 hours per week; schedule is generally Monday – Friday during business hours but periodically varies to accommodate special meetings or events.

General Information

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily upon verbal offer of employment. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment.

This position is being conducted as an exclusive search with Robert Half Executive Search. Interested candidates may submit their information or direct inquiries to James Parzynski at james.parzynski@roberthalf.com.

Associated Students, California State University, Northridge, Inc. (A.S.) is proud to operate on the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) campus serving students. As part of the campus community, A.S. follows the California State University (CSU) policy that strongly recommends all faculty, staff and students who are accessing campus facilities at any university location to be immunized (aka vaccinated) against the virus that causes COVID-19.