Controller/Director of Finance

Who we are? Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK-12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and the other in Manhattan. What is essential about working at our school? The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of equity and inclusion deeply rooted in our mission and the educational philosophy of our founder, Felix Adler. We embrace diversity of ancestry, family, identity, culture, and beliefs and seek a student body and faculty that reflect the pluralism and socio-economic diversity of metropolitan New York. We affirm both our differences and commonalities and strive to balance individuality and community. In keeping with our progressive tradition, we are dedicated to increasing our students' cultural literacy to help them understand multiple perspectives and see the world beyond the self. We expect members of our community to engage in open dialogue about living and learning in a diverse environment inside and outside the classroom. We see this work, with its creative tensions, as a catalyst for individual and collective growth. On a daily basis, we are committed to making this vision of a democratic, pluralistic, and progressive school a reality. Position Summary Ethical Culture Fieldston School is seeking an experienced Controller/Director of Finance to oversee the School's day-to-day financial functions including budgeting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, general accounting and reporting, compliance, audit, and annual year end closing. They will assist the Chief Financial Officer in developing and maintaining the annual budget of roughly $96M. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Controller is the schools expert on generally accepted accounting principles, from properly recording transactions to preparing the annual financial statements with accompanying footnotes. The Controller will help to streamline financial processes and policies and ensure proper controls and structures are in place to be compliant and to protect the assets of the school. The hiring range for this position is $220,000-$250,000. When determining the salary for an offer, ECFS considers factors including, but not limited to: the scope and responsibilities of the position, internal peer equity, key skills required for the role, the candidate's work experience, education and training, as well as market and organizational considerations. Please note that this is an onsite role and not performed remotely. Ethical Culture Fieldston School retains its right to modify job duties in accordance with changing operational needs. Responsibilities Specific responsibilities of the Controller/Director of Finance will include: Overseeing the School's internal financial control structure as it relates to the policies, procedures, and documentation of all accounting and financial reporting activities; Ensuring continued sustainability of all financial information, processes, and systems through proper documentation and training; Managing general ledger accuracy, cash flow projections, and the full calendar of accounting-related activities; Being responsible for all cash receipts from all sources posted to the General Ledger including cash, checks, incoming wires, ACH deposits, and credit card deposits, and oversee the fiscal year end close; Overseeing monthly budget reports; monitor actual results compared to budget through the year; facilitate a timely monthly close; assist departments in managing resources; and monitor actual results; Overseeing financial reconciliations including investment, and endowment, auxiliary programs, and ensure development accounts are accounted for accurately and appropriately; Managing and leading a team of approximately (7) professionals in fulfilling the responsibilities of the department and providing outstanding customer service to School leadership, staff, faculty, and other members of the community; Liaising with the Technology team to ensure that new financial systems in the pipeline are moving forward, and to spearhead new systems for other financial areas as needed; Managing the payroll function with salary and benefits totaling roughly $69M; including roughly 400+ faculty and staff on payroll, while partnering closely with Human Resources; Working and partnering directly with the auditors to mandate the annual financial statement; Providing management or appropriate partners with information vital to the decision-making process; Ensuring adherence to regulatory, tax and other reporting requirements in an accurate and timely manner; Fostering positive relationships with team members and various stakeholders; Motivating and leading your team to achieve goals while ensuring you are creating a positive environment which encourages collaboration and accountability; Encouraging your team to pursue professional development opportunities to help enhance their skill set and grow professionally and personally; Performing other projects, initiatives, and duties as necessary and assigned. Position Requirements The successful incumbent will possess: A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a related area is required, while a Master's degree is strongly preferred and a CPA is a plus; A minimum of 8 years of financial experience is required, with a majority of those being in an education or non-profit setting; At least 5 years of accounting and audit supervisory experience is necessary for this role. Advanced Excel skills, prior experience working in a Google environment, and a strong working knowledge of business accounting policies, procedures, practices, and financial software programs, such as Blackbaud and Docuware; The ability to clearly and effectively communicate financial concepts to those without a financial background; A strong ability to set priorities, analyze data, and make solid decisions, or meet multiple deadlines in a fast-paced detailed-oriented environment is a must for this role; Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills with the proven ability to lead a large team of professionals; The incumbent must be a self-motivated individual who is able to learn quickly and pivot when necessary without compromising on the quality of work; The ability to confidently collaborate and build relationships with various constituencies; The capacity to to help foster a positive team environment to achieve goals and meet deadlines; The ability to recruit and retain top talent; Capability to handle confidential material with discretion and possess the highest degree of integrity; Willingness to learn and embrace new ideas, technology and processes; Confidence in ability to stay calm in stressful situations that may arise; Ability to identify issues quickly and problem solve accordingly; A positive attitude, consistently taking initiative to help improve processes; Must be highly detailed oriented, organized and resourceful; Proficiency with technology (e.g., Google Suite,etc); Consistency in attendance and ability to work at both campuses as needed; Respect and appreciation for diversity in all of its forms; The ability to listen effectively and be receptive to feedback. To Apply All candidates should visit our employment to apply. Please submit a resume, and cover letter along with the contact information for at least three professional references. EEO ECFS is an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to be a diverse community of professionals that broadly reflects the people of the metropolitan New York City area, our students, and families. We aim to align our hiring process with our mission and institutional goals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion or religious practices, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, age, ability status, military status, unemployment status or any other category protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. ECFS takes affirmative action in support of its policy to employ and advance all qualified candidates.

Created: 2024-11-23