Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Description

OUR MISSION

Wellness Equity Alliance is a national multidisciplinary health organization that designs and delivers integrated, community-based care for populations most impacted by health inequities. We do this through mobile and field-based models, providing medical care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, harm reduction, and care coordination in nontraditional settings such as encampments, schools, reentry sites, and rural communities as well as with sovereign tribal nations. Grounded in trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and data-driven practices, WEA combines clinical expertise, lived experience, and advanced population health analytics to reduce barriers to care, improve continuity, and strengthen local systems. We have partnered with more than 60 public agencies, managed care plans, and community-based organizations across the U.S. to implement scalable, sustainable programs that are advancing health equity and improving outcomes for historically marginalized populations.

We are known as Renegades, Rebels, Disruptors and Dreamers. If that sounds like you, we want you on our team.

Purpose of the position

The CFO will serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and Board of Directors, providing financial leadership across a complex, multi-entity, multi-state organization. The CFO will be responsible for the full scope of financial operations, including accounting, reporting, forecasting, compliance, and long-term financial strategy. Critically, this leader will bring deep expertise in healthcare finance — including Medicaid/Medi-Cal, federally qualified health center (FQHC) funding models, grants management, and value-based care — while maintaining an unwavering commitment to our mission.

The ideal candidate brings both technical rigor and a genuine passion for health equity, housing justice, and serving populations experiencing homelessness and other forms of systemic vulnerability.

Key Highlights

• Compensation: The compensation range for this role is $230,000 – $290,000 annually, with final compensation determined based on experience, qualifications, and role scope.
• Work Location & Expectations: This role requires > 50% in person engagement hybrid from our Southern California locations.
• Professional Development: Opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional leaders across Behavioral Health, Medical, Street Medicine, Public Health, Rural Health, and Tribal Health initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Partnership

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO, Board, and executive leadership team, functioning as a core thought partner on all matters of organizational strategy and sustainability
• Translate the company's mission and growth strategy into actionable financial plans, models, and resource allocation frameworks
• Drive financial decision-making that balances mission impact with sustainable business operations and growth, ensuring long-term organizational viability without compromising service to vulnerable populations
• Partner and collaborate cross-functionally with Development, Operations, Clinical, Technology, and People teams to align financial strategy with programmatic and operational goals
• Implement and optimize financial systems, ERP platforms, and technology infrastructure to support the organization's scale and complexity
• Represent the company's financial story to investors, board members, lenders, and key stakeholders in a compelling, transparent, and mission-aligned manner
• Evaluate and support potential partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, and new market entry aligned with organizational mission and growth strategy
• Lead financial due diligence for expansion into new counties and states
• Maintain current knowledge of the evolving healthcare regulatory landscape, including federal regulations and California-specific agencies (DMHC, DHCS, CDPH), as well as regulations in all other operating regions and states as operations expand

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

• Own and lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning processes in collaboration with program and operational leaders
• Build and maintain robust financial models to support strategic decisions, scenario planning, and capital allocation across the organization
• Deliver timely, accurate, and insightful financial reporting and KPI dashboards to the CEO, Board of Directors, Finance Committee, funders, and regulatory agencies
• Identify financial risks, opportunities, and trends to guide proactive, data-driven decision-making
• Develop multi-year financial forecasts and sensitivity analyses to support strategic growth planning
• Monitor cash flow, liquidity, and working capital across multiple entities and geographies

Capital Strategy & Fundraising

• Lead fundraising efforts including venture capital, strategic partnerships, grants, and debt financing in alignment with the organization's growth milestones and mission
• Develop and execute the company's capital strategy to support growth milestones, geographic expansion, and programmatic sustainability
• Manage investor relations and support due diligence processes for future funding rounds, ensuring financial transparency and stakeholder confidence
• Evaluate and structure M&A opportunities, partnerships, and joint ventures as appropriate, conducting rigorous financial analysis to inform executive and Board decision-making
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with banking institutions, lenders, and financial advisors

Revenue Cycle & Financial Grant Management

• Oversee comprehensive business office functions including billing, coding compliance, revenue integrity, and reimbursement/payment posting across all payers and service lines
• Manage Medi-Cal, Medicare, and commercial payer relationships and reimbursement strategies, including managed care contracts, capitation arrangements, and value-based care financial structures
• Monitor and optimize reimbursement for homeless-specific and equity-focused programs including CalAIM Enhanced Care Management (ECM), Whole Person Care, HCOF, Housing and Health, and other relevant public programs
• Manage financial aspects of pre- and post-award grant management, including revenue recognition, direct and indirect expense tracking, reporting, and audit support across a complex portfolio of federal, state, county, and private grants
• Ensure proper cost allocation, indirect rate management, and funder compliance across all grants and contracts
• Navigate FQHC look-alike or FQHC financial requirements, including cost reports, Prospective Payment System (PPS) rates, and 330 grant compliance, as applicable
• Serve as the financial lead in partnership with the Development team for grant budgeting and proposal development
• Manage relationships with county and state contract officers on financial and compliance matters

Accounting, Controls & Compliance

• Oversee all accounting operations, including accounts receivable/payable, payroll, general ledger, and month-end/year-end close processes across all entities
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls, financial policies, and procedures that reflect best practices and support organizational integrity
• Ensure full compliance with all legal, regulatory, and other requirements including, but not limited to, GAAP, California state regulations, federal healthcare regulations (HIPAA, ACA, CMS), tax law, and grant requirements
• Manage relationships with external auditors, tax advisors, and legal counsel, ensuring clean, timely audits across all entities
• Oversee multi-state tax strategy, filings, and state-specific financial regulations, licensure requirements, and tax obligations in coordination with external advisors
• Manage intercompany accounting, consolidations, and transfer pricing across multiple legal entities, subsidiaries, or affiliates as applicable
• Lead the organization's risk management strategy, including insurance, liability, and operational risk

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing finance and accounting team, ensuring effective performance, professional growth, and alignment with organizational objectives and mission
• Set clear performance expectations and provide regular feedback to ensure individual and team success, recognizing and cultivating each team member's strengths
• Foster a culture of accountability and transparency across the organization, serving as a financial educator and thought partner for program and operations leaders who may not have finance backgrounds
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the finance function and in financial decision-making, ensuring the team reflects the communities we serve
• Build a finance culture that understands and embraces the connection between sound financial stewardship and mission impact

Essential Skills and Qualifications:

Leadership Competencies

• Mission Alignment: Demonstrates a genuine, deep commitment to health equity and serving vulnerable populations; views financial leadership as a vehicle for justice
• Strategic Vision: Thinks beyond the numbers to connect financial strategy with organizational mission, growth, and long-term sustainability
• Integrity & Transparency: Builds trust through honest, clear, and timely financial communication with all stakeholders
• Adaptive Leadership: Thrives in ambiguity and navigates complex, rapidly evolving regulatory, funding, and operational environments
• Collaborative Partnership: Functions as a trusted cross-functional partner to Development, Operations, Clinical, Technology, and People teams
• Equity-Centered Decision Making: Applies an equity lens to financial decisions, resource allocation, and organizational priorities
• People Development: Invests meaningfully in the growth, performance, and well-being of the finance team
• Financial Storytelling: Communicates financial strategy and performance in a compelling, accessible way to diverse audiences including investors, funders, and community stakeholders

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field
• 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior financial leadership role (CFO, VP of Finance, or equivalent)
• Deep experience in healthcare finance, including Medicaid/Medi-Cal, public payer contracting, and revenue cycle management
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-entity, multi-state financial operations
• Proven track record of grants management and compliance within a complex grant portfolio (federal, state, county, private)
• Strong knowledge of California healthcare finance regulations, including Medi-Cal managed care, CalAIM, DMHC, DHCS, CDPH, and county contract structures
• Experience managing capital strategy, fundraising, and investor relations, including venture capital, debt financing, or strategic partnerships
• Experience working with or for mission-driven, nonprofit, or public benefit organizations
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to translate complex financial information for non-financial audiences
• High proficiency in financial systems, ERP platforms, EHR-integrated billing platforms, and advanced financial modeling tools

Preferred Skills

• CPA or MBA 
• Direct lived experience or professional experience serving communities experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or other forms of marginalization
• Familiarity with CalAIM Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and community supports financial structures
• Experience with recuperative care, street medicine, sobering centers, or crisis stabilization financial models
• Knowledge of HMIS, homeless services, or Housing First financial frameworks
• Experience managing through significant organizational growth or geographic expansion
• Familiarity with social determinants of health (SDOH) programs and their funding mechanisms
• Experience with M&A due diligence, joint ventures, or strategic partnership structuring
• Experience with FQHC, community health center, or safety-net healthcare financial models 
• Bilingual capabilities a plus