Office of Access and Inclusion, Fiscal Grants Supervisor (Principal Financial Analyst I)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fiscal Grants Supervisor leads the fiscal compliance function for the legal aid grant portfolio of the largest state bar in the country—distributing approximately $300 million annually across multiple grant programs to more than 110 legal aid nonprofit organizations statewide. The Fiscal Grants Supervisor directly supervises a fiscal compliance team of approximately five and is accountable for the sound financial management of grant funds, ensuring that grantees meet their fiscal obligations and that the State Bar’s grantmaking operations maintain the highest standards of fiscal accountability, accuracy, and integrity.
The role serves as a key staff partner to the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (LSTFC), helping advance the LSTFC’s 2024–2028 strategic plan (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/sites/default/files/portals/0/documents/cc/leg...), the State Bar’s 2022-2027 strategic plan (https://publications.calbar.ca.gov/strategic-plan-2022-2027/), and ensures that every grant program is administered responsibly, equitably, and in alignment with the State Bar’s mission to close the justice gap in California. This role blends deep fiscal and accounting expertise with compliance oversight, process improvement, and people management. The position reports to the Director of Grants and works in close partnership with grants administration leadership. This is, above all, a hands-on leadership role grounded in day-to-day fiscal monitoring and staff supervision, at a time when the fiscal compliance team is in a critical period of growth.
This is an FLSA Exempt/Non-Union Represented role. The annual salary range for a Principal Financial Analyst I is $126,222 to $168,276.

ABOUT THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA AND THE OFFICE OF ACCESS & INCLUSION
The State Bar, created in 1927 by the Legislature and adopted as a judicial branch agency by amendment to the California Constitution in 1960, is a public corporation within the judicial branch of state government. The purpose of the State Bar is to ensure that the people of California are served by the legal profession in a manner consistent with the highest standards of professional competence, care, and ethical conduct; to carry out such additional programs as may be required by law or by rule of court; and to contribute generally to the science of jurisprudence and the administration of justice. The State Bar serves as an administrative adjunct to the California Supreme Court in all matters pertaining to the admission, discipline, and regulation of California lawyers. The California Constitution, the State Bar Act, and the California Rules of Court vest in the State Bar the duty to regulate the legal profession, formulate and elevate educational and professional standards, raise the quality of legal services, advance the science of jurisprudence, and aid in the improvement of the administration of justice.
The State Bar’s mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. The State Bar is the largest state bar in the country and licenses approximately 290,000 attorneys. More information about the State Bar can be found online (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/about-us). The State Bar’s offices are located in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

About the Office of Access & Inclusion
The Office of Access & Inclusion (OA&I) works to increase access to legal services and to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. As the state’s largest funder of civil legal aid, OA&I supports free legal services to indigent Californians and advances initiatives to expand legal access to low- and moderate-income communities. OA&I also works to strengthen the pipeline into the legal profession to better reflect California’s diversity, address disparities in retention and advancement, and advance strategies that support inclusive and equitable practices among legal employers.
OA&I has a staff of approximately 30, including a dedicated grants team of more than 20. In partnership with the LSTFC — the 24-member body that oversees grantmaking and access to justice work — and the State Bar's Board of Trustees, OA&I distributed roughly $300 million in 2026 to 118 nonprofit legal aid organizations serving all 58 California counties. These organizations provide free legal help to low-income and underserved Californians on the civil matters that shape people's lives — such as housing and eviction, domestic violence, immigration, consumer debt, and access to public benefits — ensuring that the promise of justice does not depend on the ability to pay. The office administers a diverse portfolio of grant programs, including:
• Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA): Established by the Legislature in 1981 and then adopted by California in 1984, IOLTA directs interest earned on monies held in client trust accounts, including nominal funds or those held on a short-term basis to the State Bar, to create a dedicated revenue stream for legal aid. Organizations eligible for IOLTA funding also gain access to other State Bar grant opportunities, ensuring a stable base for innovation and expanded services across California’s legal aid network.
• Equal Access Fund (EAF): Established by the Legislature in 1999, the Equal Access Fund (EAF) aims to help California residents who need legal services but cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Like IOLTA, these funds provide stable ongoing support for civil legal services across California.
• Partnership Grants: Funded through EAF, these grants support projects that expand assistance for self-represented litigants and help low-income individuals navigate the legal system. Legal aid organizations partner closely with courts across California, ensuring projects respond to community needs and help streamline court processes.
• Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act Funding: Launched to support the implementation of California’s CARE Act, CARE grants fund qualified legal services projects and support centers to ensure representation and advocacy for individuals with serious mental health conditions. These grants enable providers to deliver legal counsel in CARE Court proceedings and related matters, as well as support training and technical assistance.
• Homelessness Prevention (HP) Grants: HP grants help California residents maintain stable housing and avoid the devastating consequences of eviction or foreclosure. These grants fund legal services such as eviction defense, landlord-tenant dispute resolution, foreclosure prevention, and assistance securing income or benefits to sustain housing.
• California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) Grants: Through partnerships with CalHFA and the California Homeowner Relief Corporation, the State Bar administers foreclosure prevention grants to legal aid organizations that help homeowners facing foreclosure and housing instability.
• Legal Aid Leaders Fellowship Grants: Launched in 2023, the Legal Aid Leaders Fellowship program builds the pipeline of public interest attorneys. Funded through voluntary contributions from California attorneys, these competitive summer fellowships support law students committed to serving low-income communities at IOLTA-funded organizations. Strengthening this pipeline is critical to ensure that legal aid can continue to meet the demand for legal services.

THE OPPORTUNITY
The Fiscal Grants Supervisor is part of OA&I’s leadership and management team and performs the most complex financial analysis and fiscal oversight work for OA&I’s grant programs and provides direct supervision of professional fiscal staff. The position is responsible for directing fiscal monitoring of grantees, including the review of audited financial statements, budgets, and expenditure reports; developing and maintaining fiscal compliance policies, procedures, and internal controls; analyzing complex and sometimes novel fiscal compliance issues and developing recommendations for resolution; and preparing financial reports and presentations for the LSTFC and its committees.
This role requires a strong financial professional who can lead people, strengthen grant compliance and monitoring, improve cross-team collaboration, and effectively navigate organizational leadership while remaining grounded in OA&I’s mission of expanding access to justice.

The Ideal Candidate
We are seeking a detail-oriented, analytical fiscal leader with deep financial expertise—ideally with a background in accounting, auditing, or financial management, such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or equivalent experience. The ideal candidate should have deep expertise in nonprofit fiscal compliance, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and the Code of Federal Regulations for management of federal funds. The ideal candidate should also have a strong understanding of grantmaking and compliance in a public or nonprofit setting, and have the capacity to ensure fiscal integrity, accuracy, and accountability across complex grant programs supported by multiple funding sources.
Strong team leadership is essential. The successful candidate will have a track record of developing staff, fostering high performing teams, and implementing change management. Candidates should be able to explain complex fiscal issues clearly to non-fiscal audiences, including grantees, colleagues, and commissioners. While not required, experience working in grantmaking and with legal aid organizations or other nonprofits in California—along with familiarity with IOLTA, EAF, and grants-management systems such as SmartSimple—is highly desirable. A commitment to access to justice, equity, and public service is core to this role.
This role demands a fast-learning curve. The successful candidate will be expected to quickly gain fluency in the State Bar's grant programs, compliance requirements, and stakeholder landscape in order to provide sound leadership and continuity for the grants team and its partners.

Key Responsibilities
Compliance, Monitoring, and Fiscal Integrity
• Oversee fiscal compliance and financial monitoring across a portfolio of 110+ legal aid nonprofits, in close collaboration with grants administration leadership, to ensure compliance with grant terms, statutory and program requirements, accounting standards, and reporting deadlines.
• Direct the review of grantee audited financial statements, budgets, expenditure reports, and other fiscal submissions; identify findings and risks and ensure timely, appropriate follow-up.
• Oversee and perform fiscal monitoring visits and desk audits, ensuring consistent application of grant rules and fiscal standards across grantees and grant programs.
• Oversee fiscal eligibility checks, including verification of grantees’ 501(c)(3) and good-standing status.
• Analyze complex and sometimes novel fiscal compliance issues—such as questioned or disallowed costs, cost allocation, and use of restricted funds—and develop clear, well-reasoned recommendations for LSTFC approval.
• Establish and maintain strong fiscal and internal controls across the grants portfolio, including adherence to GAAP throughout the grant lifecycle using the State Bar’s grants-management system.
• Lead and draft the codification of grant rules related to fiscal and internal-control processes, and ensure adopted rules are properly implemented.
• Support the accurate and timely disbursement of grant funds, including reconciliation of payments and grant balances across funding sources.
• Serve as key staff support to the LSTFC — OA&I's governing body for grantmaking — delivering presentations, analysis, and recommendations that enable informed, mission-aligned decision-making.
• Potentially oversee and serve as staff support to the LSTFC’s Grant Eligibility and Support Committee, which is charged with ensuring comprehensive oversight and support of grantee compliance across all grant programs while maintaining consistent standards and promoting accountability.

Reporting, Audits, and Operations
• Write financial reports and memos and present to the LSTFC or its relevant committees—including the Grant Eligibility and Support Committee—on fiscal compliance issues, as needed.
• Prepare fiscal analyses supporting grant allocations, funding recommendations, and program design.
• Contribute to the development and management of the OA&I grants administration budget.
• Support State Bar internal and external audits related to grant funds, including preparing documentation and implementing corrective actions.
• Support fiscal reporting obligations under contractual and interagency agreements, including those with the Judicial Council and CalHFA.
• Oversee various OA&I related-audits.

Team Development & Leadership
• Lead, develop, and motivate a fiscal team of approximately five staff with varying levels of fiscal and compliance expertise, fostering a culture of accuracy and accountability.
• Assign and review work, set performance standards, and provide coaching, professional development, and performance management.
• Promote a supportive work environment focused on staff well-being, performance, and growth.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team culture.
• Build team capacity through coaching, mentoring, and cross-training.
• Partner with OA&I and State Bar leadership to prepare staff for new mandates, systems, or policy updates.
• Develop productive and positive working relationships within OA&I and across offices to support work of the office and the State Bar.

Grantee Support & Stakeholder Engagement
• Serve as a resource to grantees on fiscal requirements, building strong, collaborative relationships with grantee finance and executive staff.
• Develop and deliver fiscal compliance trainings and technical assistance to grantees, including content for annual grantee trainings.
• Partner with the State Bar’s Office of Finance and other offices to align grant fiscal processes with organization-wide financial practices.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for this role is $126,222 - $168,276. This is an FLSA Exempt/Non-Union Represented role. Learn more about our benefits (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/about-us/careers/benefits).

VALUES
We are a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all of our employees and prospective employees experience fairness, dignity, and respect. Learn more about our commitment to DEI (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/Careers/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion).

These five key values guide the State Bar as we pursue our mission:
• Clarity: We have a clear mission statement, values, and strategic goals, and the decision-making process is transparent for employees as well as external and public stakeholders.
• Investing in our people: We value our people as our number one asset and provide meaningful opportunities for connection, engagement, and growth.
• Excellence: We work to our full potential and are accountable for achieving the public trust, access to legal resources, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) goals (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/Careers/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion) of the State Bar.
• Respect: We treat others with dignity, integrity, honesty, and inclusiveness, and encourage and create a safe environment.
• Growth mindset: We listen, ask questions, are empowered to advance ideas, and encourage ourselves and others to embrace the challenges that come with change.