Associate School Finance Manager

Vertex Education • Remote - TN, TN

2d

About The Position

Vertex Education is hiring an Associate School Finance Manager to serve as a financial partner and adviser for a portfolio of 4–6 schools, depending on complexity. The manager owns the schools’ financial health by delivering accurate monthly financials, managing compliance, and presenting to client boards. The role translates financial data into proactive guidance that helps school leaders make informed decisions and focus on students.

The position includes budgeting and forecasting, financial systems administration, analysis and reporting, client advisory, compliance oversight, audit coordination, risk identification, and mentorship of junior finance staff. The manager also contributes to improvements in financial tools and reporting and owns at least one internal initiative.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of progressive experience in accounting or corporate finance roles.
• Ability to build comprehensive budgets and forward-looking financial forecasts.
• Experience preparing and presenting financial analysis and reports to leadership or external stakeholders.
• Experience managing relationships with clients or internal business partners.
• Experience navigating financial compliance requirements and supporting annual audits.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines across multiple entities or projects simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in K-12 school district, charter school, nonprofit, or governmental accounting.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems such as NetSuite or Sage Intacct and FP&A tools such as Vena Solutions.
• Experience delegating tasks to and mentoring junior staff.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint for financial modeling and presentation development.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with school leaders to build annual budgets and develop forward-looking forecasts that model operational scenarios.
• Prepare and analyze budget-to-actual variance reports and explain financial performance and emerging trends.
• Administer client financial systems and ensure data integrity and efficient processing of financial transactions.
• Create and present financial presentations for client finance committees and governing boards, translating complex data into actionable insights.
• Serve as the primary financial contact and provide expert guidance on operational and strategic decisions.
• Explain financial topics to non-finance school leaders in a simple, direct, and empathetic manner.
• Build and nurture client partnerships through proactive support and exceptional value.
• Oversee timely and accurate state and federal compliance reporting for assigned clients and manage a calendar of deadlines.
• Coordinate annual financial audits as the primary liaison, managing document requests and supporting an efficient process.
• Analyze financial trends and operational data to identify potential cash flow issues, budget shortfalls, and compliance risks.
• Maintain current knowledge of school finance regulations and grant requirements for the states in the client portfolio.
• Delegate tasks to and mentor junior finance staff, providing coaching and feedback.
• Contribute feedback from client work to improve financial tools and reporting templates.
• Own at least one internal initiative, such as serving as a subject matter expert for a state or leading a team capability project.

Benefits

• Industry-leading pay and rewards.
• Referral bonuses.
• Unlimited flexible paid time off for performance.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match on contributions.
• Mentoring and funding for training classes.
• Support for physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and finances.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level