Controller / Finance Director

Background: Libertas is a public charter school serving the historic neighborhood of Memphis. Our mission is to be a school for human flourishing: cultivating minds, hands, and hearts for lives of wonder, work, and love. We offer our students a rich, rigorous, and personalized liberal education through the method of Dr. Maria Montessori. And we foster an attachment village of support between school, families, and our community. Libertas currently serves ~500 students in PreK through 5th grade, operates an infant/toddler child care center, and hosts a state-accredited teacher training program. Learn more about us.

Role summary and information

Key function:

• Conduct and oversee finance functions for a mid-sized nonprofit education organization with $7 million annual budget and ~100 employees.
• Schedule: Full time, year-round position. Regular schedule 7:30am – 4pm; assist with occasional events outside normal schedule. Some off-site work is possible.
• Start: Preferred by June; no later than July 24 for training by outgoing controller.
• Compensation: Salaried position: range from $70,000 to $90,000 depending on  experience and qualifications (e.g. higher salary available for qualified accountant). Health insurance and retirement benefits equal to or better than market averages. Two weeks each of paid sick and vacation time, as well as reduced hours over some school breaks.
• Reports to Executive Director.
• Supervises: Payroll / Accounts Payable position, outsourced Accounting partner*
• Key relationships: People Officer, Principal, Operations team, finance committee

Measures of success

• Organization stays within budget.
• Compliance with financial requirements. Clean audit.
• Bills paid on time.
• Accounts receivable claimed and monitored.
• Timely, accurate financial reporting for all key stakeholders.
• Customer service: 90% stakeholder satisfaction.
• Satisfactory performance evaluations and other indicators.

Key responsibilities

• Financial planning & analysis: Support ED with leading budget process. Regularly monitor and analyze financial performance to budget; recommend revisions.
• Leadership: Oversee, support, and ensure the efficacy of at least one professional employee. Participate in schoolwide planning efforts. Participate in and support Board Finance Committee meetings. With our Development Manager, liaise with district, state, and other public and private funding entities as needed.
• Accounts receivable and grants management: Support budgeting and management of restricted grants. Prepare and submit public grant reimbursements and backup documentation; monitor payments and resolve discrepancies.
• Purchasing and Accounts Payable: Work with operations staff to ensure effective process, e.g. W9s, tax exemptions, logging and backup documentation, etc. Approve payments within certain thresholds. Ensure timely payments. Input bank and credit card transactions to QuickBooks, ensuring coding in accord with chart of accounts.
• Payroll, and benefits: Oversee the Payroll/AP Specialist to ensure timely and accurate conduct of these functions (e.g. payroll, deductions, benefit registration, records compliance, coordination with benefits partners). Submit monthly reports and payments for retirement and related programs. Prepare and enter payroll journal entry into QuickBooks.
• Accounting and financial reporting: Produce financial reports, including monthly statements, fixed asset management, balance sheet reconciliation, and various quarterly and annual reports for external entities (e.g. quarterly reports, TN FER, 501c3 and philanthropic reporting, etc).
• Financial policies and procedures: Ensure compliance with internal controls and external financial compliance requirements. Develop updates as needed.
• Banking: Manage banking relationship. Make deposits. Reconcile bank statements. Audit cash and electronic payment systems. Manage treasury, including moving funds between operating and money market accounts as needed.
• Audit: Act as point of contact with auditor and support as needed to ensure completion of audit and 990.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, competencies, and traits for position

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related financial field.
• Experience with business operations. Experience with QuickBooks preferred.
• Experience with education, nonprofit, or government fund accounting / grant management preferred but not required.
• Confidence using spreadsheets to analyze and present financial data.
• Experience supervising others preferred.
• Thorough, organized, with strong attention to detail.
• Strong sense of initiative and responsibility. Comfortable multi-tasking / coordinating multiple projects.
• Professional verbal and written communication skills.
• Customer service demeanor.
• Dedication to the school’s philosophy of education for wonder, work, and love.

Application process: Interested candidates should apply online at www.LibertasMemphis.org, where candidates can also learn more about our school. Please submit a resume, at least three references, and a cover letter explaining why you would be a good fit for our school and this position. (Vague or generic cover letters will not likely be advanced in our hiring process.). Libertas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Tagged as: Business