Director of Finance

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION

This person is responsible for overseeing the finances of Highland Christian School. Already equipped with a full-time Business Manager and part-time employee dedicated to accounts receivable, this position is designed to improve financial processes, oversee internal controls, and support the general and advanced accounting needs of the school. The roles outlined below require an individual that will need to be detail and task-oriented, a self-starter, and able to work well with others.

The Director of Finance reports to and takes direction from the Lead Administrator, and must act in accordance with the HCS Constitution and within the policies established by the Board.

Preferred Qualifications of the Director of Finance

Education: Degree in Accounting

Experience: 5 years of experience; Background in Non-Profit or School Finance (preferred) CPA credentials (preferred)

Faith: A successful candidate must have and profess a personal and mature commitment to faith in Jesus Christ, affirm the school’s statement of faith/basis of instruction and mission statement, and sign in agreement with the school’s policy of Human Sexuality. Membership and at a Bible-believing Protestant church is a requirement of the position. (A majority of staff must be members at a Reformed Church.)

PROFESSIONAL, BEHAVIORAL AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

The successful candidate will demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the school board, the following competencies:

Spiritual Attributes

The Director of Finance must believe, without reservation, and actively support the school’s statement of faith/basis of instruction and mission statement; possess a strong, clear Christian testimony; demonstrate a mature, godly spirit as a person of faith and prayer.

Personal Attributes

The Director of Finance must:

• Understand the importance of discernment, discretion, and confidentiality with the school community.
• Remain approachable: interact easily and effectively with staff/constituents and community entities while demonstrating sensitivity to their concerns/needs.
• Be positive, professional, and tactful in dealing with constituents and vendors of the school.

Professional Attributes

The Director of Finance must:

• Demonstrate strong accounting and technical skills;
• Be able to troubleshoot and quick to find appropriate solutions;
• Display effective oral and written communications;
• Stay abreast of best practices and professional growth through regular professional development and networking;
• Demonstrate a commitment to gender and ethnic/national origin diversity at all levels in the workplace and within the student body, and further demonstrate cultural sensitivity and competency in dealing with a diverse group;
• Work well under pressure and tight timelines

Administrative Attributes

The Director of Finance must:

• Demonstrate excellent time-management and organization skills;
• Demonstrate an ability to delegate and to accomplish tasks through coordination and facilitation amongst a team of individuals;
• Handle multiple tasks and responsibilities with competing due dates and priorities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide day-to-day management of financial operations, including, but not limited to, proper allocation of resources ensuring the use of financial and purchasing regulations and controls, identifying opportunities to ensure service delivery, and supporting the strategic needs of the school.
• Work alongside the Lead Administrator, Finance Committee, Business Manager, and professional vendors to improve and maintain written policies.
• Ensure staff adheres to GAAP in the daily operations of school finances.
• Oversee journal entries, reconciliations, and all school transactions.
• Provide training and support for the finance department, as it pertains to best practices.
• Serve as the lead touchpoint for communication with financial providers - namely the school’s auditor. Based on feedback, oversee and implement improvements.
• Present monthly reports to the Finance Committee, as requested by the Lead Administrator and Chair of the Finance Committee.
• Prepare, review, and interpret data for the inclusion in financial reports. With this information, provide recommendations to the Lead Administrator and Finance Committee.
• Attend monthly Finance Committee meetings, as needed (Second Tuesday of the month)
• Oversee long-term financial forecasting for upcoming school projects that appropriately ties and tracks to strategic financial planning.
• Responsible for leadership in the preparation of the annual budget as directed by the Head of School.
• Develop annual metrics for budget, monitor progress, and establish projections as required to insure performance.
• Responsible for tuition collection programs and policies, in addition to the continuous review and development of tuition structures and systems.
• Review and secure the most efficient and effective systems used for all financial aspects of the school.
• Assist in the development and implementation of an ongoing plan for replacement schedules. This includes, but is not limited to department, equipment, and other purchasing schedules.
• Support and positively embrace changes. Sets goals, measures performance, and seeks ways to continuously improve business/school processes. Constructively identify and/or implement changes to improve timeliness, quality, and costs.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Lead Administrator.

SCHEDULE

• Work Schedule: TBD

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Director of Finance is directly responsible and accountable to the Lead Administrator and shall be evaluated annually according to established criteria, including the imposition of annual performance goals and objectives that include reference to appropriate metrics and/or key performance indicators of success. The Finance Committee will also provide feedback in this process.

Interested applicants should submit a resume and teacher application to Highland Christian’s Head of School, Kyle Weener, at kweener@highlandchristian.org. If you are not ready to apply for the position, but would like more information about the position, please do not hesitate to call the office at 219-838-0356!

Job Type: Part-time

Work Location: In person