The Ewing Marion Kauffman School is a free, public charter school serving more than 1,200 students in 5^th through 12^th grades. Focused on student achievement and strong character, the school’s mission is summarized in three words: create college graduates. The school serves a student population of which 87% qualify for free and reduced lunch and 90% identify as students of color. Students are accepted by a lottery that prioritizes the six highest-need zip codes within the district. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, 100% of students in each graduating class earned at least one acceptance to a college or university – we believe this provides true choice and opportunity as students pursue post-secondary goals. More than 70% of our students identify as first in their families to attend college.

The Kauffman School seeks results-driven and culturally responsive educators to join its team – we anchor ourselves around four guiding principles about what it means to be culturally responsive educators and create a school with strong student and staff culture:

• Belief and Connection: We show belief in every student through setting and holding them to high expectations while building relationships. We build connections and relationships with each student side by side by providing excellent rigorous content in order to value the individual child. We do not allow differences in identity or our personal biases to cause us to lower expectations because we know that when supported, our students can achieve.
• Clear is Kind:  We show care through direct and clear communication of our high expectations rather than allowing them to ‘slip through the cracks’ by assuming they will know how to meet our standards without telling them. We also know that one of our roles is preparing our children for a world as college students/graduates that might play by different “rules” than they have previously experienced and it is our job to help them understand how to navigate, challenge the norms of, and dismantle that world.
• Intent and Impact: All of our actions are executed with the purpose and intent to empower every student to reach their full potential. We also believe that as educators, we are called to assess the impact of our actions and adjust course if they are not meeting the intent. Positive intent cannot mean we ignore the impact of actions and we believe continually assessing and reassessing practices to ensure they are effective is a critical reflection process to ensure we are being culturally responsive.
• Cultural Context + Critical Thinking: We approach rigorous learning as an activity that is responsive to students’ cultural contexts and pushes them to think critically. We seek opportunities for them to engage with and respond to the world around them - both in their immediate lives and in their broader society - while being pushed intellectually at all times.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Finance will play a key role in managing the on-the-ground financial health of all schools in the Kauffman School network. The Director of Finance is responsible for establishing a long-term vision and plan for how the Kauffman School will maintain high-quality schools at scale. The Director of Finance also plays an important role in systems development and knowledge management to ensure excellent, standardized processes across the network.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Growth Planning

• Promote continued financial sustainability by forecasting multiple scenarios to ensure a sustainable, scalable, and cost-efficient operational infrastructure
• Ensure financial health and long term sustainability of all schools
• Perform rigorous financial analysis to support long-term strategic decision making

Budget

• Know status of EMKS’ budgets and cash flow at all times
• Coordinate with departments and senior leaders to build annual budget and periodic forecasts
• Build tools and templates and trainings to support and oversee school-level financial decision-making
• Review school’s monthly financial results, monitoring spending in relation to annual budget, sharing highlights and concerns with the COO
• Manage accounts payable system and process and manage credit card program

Financial Reporting and Controls

• Maintain and contribute to formal documentation of EMKS finance processes and ensure a sound control environment through application of best practices in the industry
• Create, maintain, and audit procedures, controls and reporting to ensure internal and external compliance
• Coordinate annual audit and 990
• Oversight of payroll process
• Ensure fiscal processes and policies are upheld
• Oversee vendor relationships for accounting, commercial insurance, healthcare benefits, legal, banking, and facilities.
• Support various operations-related programs including transportation, food service, special education, among others
• Oversight of retirement program
• Present retirement program reviews to retirement committee and board
• Oversight of retirement plan audit and 5500 filing
• Prepare and present financial reports for school management, finance committee, and the Board on a regular and timely basis and making recommendations for mid-year adjustments as necessary
• Ensure financial compliance in accordance with federal and state funding laws, which includes submissions to DESE (annual budget, FER, etc.) through their online system
• Ensure the school’s tax return is filed accurately and timely

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• An MBA or CPA degree is required
• Familiarity with school finance and public sector accounting
• Experience overseeing, building, and scaling finance, HR, and operations functions in innovative, growing environments
• A minimum of 8+ years of relevant finance experience
• A minimum of 2 years of payroll management
• A minimum of 2 years with retirement program management
• Ability to create and update moderately complex financial models for various purposes
• Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office and Google Suite programs

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Commitment to and complete belief in the Kauffman School’s mission to create college graduates as well as in the School’s organizational success
• Desire for daily feedback on projects and willingness to immediately implement
• Entrepreneurial energy, hands-on approach, and ambition necessary for a start-up school
• Personality should project enthusiasm, professionalism, and growth mindset
• Ability to maintain a calm, professional demeanor in the face of competing demands and external pressures
• Should be highly adaptable and flexible, with the ability to thrive in an ambiguous environment
• Ambition and desire to work both autonomously and collaboratively
• Acute attention to detail coupled with the ability to think and act strategically
• Strong time management skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines
• Must have a strong personal value system that encompasses high integrity, honesty, a solid work ethic, high professional standards, and strong moral character

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The Kauffman School offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with anticipated duties and experience. This position is eligible to participate in the school’s benefits program.

TO APPLY

Interested applicants should complete a formal application through the Kauffman School Careers page at http://www.kauffmanschool.org/. 

The Kauffman School is an Equal Opportunity Employer, welcoming people to flourish in an open and inclusive work environment. A diverse pool of candidates is welcomed and encouraged.