Director of Finance

About LION Charter School Leaders In Our Neighborhood (LION) Charter School's mission is to develop the character of each student. We unite students, families, and staff in helping each individual achieve their best academically, and in sports, the arts, and service to the community. We believe that passion for learning, self-discovery, leadership, and social conscience are the foundation for success in college and fulfillment in life. We believe that all children, regardless of their neighborhood, race, or income, are gifted with distinct talents to offer the world and that school is a place for students to develop the skills and mindsets needed to become their best selves. Furthermore, we assert that human beings are more complex than annual data points and that the fulfillment of a person's life correlates not simply to test scores but even more so to their relationships with others and the content of their character. With our family partnership and character approach model, we focus on helping students develop their character and the skills they need for life through rigorous academics, self-discovery, and family involvement. Summary LION Charter School seeks a professional, experienced, and highly qualified Director of Finance with excellent interpersonal and organizational skills to lead the finance team and support LION's 200+ faculty and staff members. The ideal candidate will be highly detail-oriented and have the ability to think critically and strategically about their work at both a micro and macro level. A broad range of finance functions are included in the person's responsibilities and are summarized below. Their primary responsibilities include: overseeing all financial operations, budgeting and forecasting (including management and Board reporting), and external reporting. The successful candidate must be an excellent communicator, be well organized, flexible, and enjoy a fast-paced school environment. The expectation is that they build productive work relationships with other staff, peers, and members of the senior leadership team. Key Responsibilities Experience in handling a wide range of responsibilities and the capacity to work independently are essential. Demonstrated expertise in the following areas is required: Collaboratively identify strategic priorities and partner with senior leaders to construct budgets that support these priorities Create timely and accurate financial forecasts and budgets on a monthly and annual basis, including providing monthly reporting to the senior leadership team Design analytic tools to examine revenue and expense trends and patterns to inform key decisions by the senior leadership team Research, develop, and implement systems and processes to enable causal analysis and dissect budget variances at a granular level Critically evaluate monthly financial results and proactively communicate with with relevant senior leaders Collaborate with senior leadership team to develop and regularly examine division budgets and spending trends Maintain and provide oversight of financial procedures and policies Evolve financial processes to leverage collaborative, sustainable platforms and programs Lead the annual audit process Ensure timely account reconciliations, including accounts receivable and payables, are current and accurate Perform closing procedures monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually Lead the annual job offer process in partnership with Human Resources Critically analyze and approve financial statements Collaboratively create a monthly reporting package for the Board of Trustees that includes an informative dashboard enabling the Board to understand key issues and trends Prepare and oversee all aspects of financial compliance, including all external reporting: e.g., NY State Education, SUNY, bank (financing) Collaborate with the Director of Development and others to prepare fiscal grant management reporting Work with auditors to prepare tax filings Qualifications A bachelor's degree is required; a master's degree (in a related field such as accounting, finance, or business) and/or CPA is a plus. A minimum of 5-10 years of finance leadership experience in non-profits, preferably at a charter school An advanced level of proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets A passion for urban education and a commitment to LION's mission A solid non-profit accounting background, including GAAP expertise (2-3 years) An unquestionable sense of confidentiality and discretion in all activities An ability to manage highly sensitive work with the highest degree of integrity, honesty, professionalism, diplomacy, and tact An ability to inspire, build trust and establish rapport quickly An ability to be self-reflective and to seek and receive feedback Intellectual curiosity and motivation to grow professionally and help others An innate drive to understand processes and operations, a continuous improvement mindset, and a genuine desire to serve others Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail The ability to take on special projects, work independently, and exercise sound independent judgment A team-oriented work style Outstanding written and verbal communication and organizational skills The bandwidth and flexibility to multitask in a fluid environment Able to adapt to evolving priorities while maintaining a high degree of work quality The ability to handle pressure, maintain timelines, and meet deadlines Excellent technology skills - including accounting systems, Google Suite, MS Office Experience with the FundEZ or similar accounting platforms is a plus

Created: 2024-10-19