Director of Finance and Operations

Van Buren Intermediate School District•Lawrence, MI

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Finance and Operations directs all fiscal operations for the district, overseeing comprehensive financial strategy, risk management, and long-range capital planning to ensure the organization’s long term fiscal health and mission alignment. This role leads the end-to-end budget preparation cycle, from initial forecasting and department allocation to final adoption, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and state mandates. The Director masters complex financial communication, presenting intricate budgetary data to the Board of Education and stakeholders in accessible, high-impact formats that facilitate transparency and consensus. They oversee payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable systems and procedures, and prepare bid specifications for purchases of equipment, supplies, and services consistent with budget requirements and constraints. Additionally, the Director advises and mentors a network of county business managers, establishing standardized best practices and providing critical updates on state-level regulatory changes to maintain fiscal integrity across the county. They maintain absolute regulatory compliance by managing all mandatory state reporting, including the SE-4096 (Special Education Cost Report), SE-4094 (Special Education Transportation Report), and the Excess Cost Report. The Director oversees the preparation and audit-readiness of the Facility Settlement Report, ensuring all district costs are reconciled accurately against state funding formulas. They direct the annual audit process, acting as the primary liaison with external auditors to ensure clean, compliant financial statements and adherence to Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements. The role involves interpreting and implementing evolving legislation regarding public school funding and special education finance, ensuring the district quickly adapts to new funding models. The Director ensures rigorous internal controls and accounting accuracy, leveraging advanced technical skills to oversee general ledger maintenance, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll reconciliation. They optimize financial systems and software workflows to improve reporting accuracy and reduce administrative overhead across the finance department. Coordination of state aid and grant fund management is crucial, ensuring all restricted revenue sources are tracked and expended in strict accordance with grant requirements and federal/state regulations. The position also involves conducting deep-dive financial analysis and trend forecasting, identifying potential fiscal risks early and developing mitigation strategies to protect the district’s fiscal health. The Director champions transparent fiscal governance, building strong relationships with state agencies and local constituent districts to represent the ISD’s financial interests effectively. This role also includes attending school board meetings and providing financial reports as needed. The Director will perform accounting for grants (approx. 6.9 million) including maintenance of the general ledger in accordance with GAAP, MDE Accounting Manual and Federal Uniform Guidance. They will implement and monitor procedures to communicate, educate and ensure compliance with internal policies and other applicable grant regulations. Regular meetings and collaboration with grant administrators to develop and review fiscal year budgets and grant award budgets, including reconciling and reviewing planned expenditures with actual expenditure activity to ensure compliance with grant awards and timeframes, are also key. Calculating and recording adjustments required for labor distribution including fringe benefits, and ensuring maximum recovery of district expenditures by analyzing and reviewing general ledger details to ensure indirect cost is included along with all applicable expenditures that may have been mis recorded are part of the responsibilities. Generating invoices and cash requests for federal funds based on applicable expenditures, and closing out grants by reconciling the ledgers and filing all required final financial reports with the appropriate state/federal agencies are also included. Completing the annual Schedule of Expenditure of Federal Awards (SEFA) for the annual audit and compiling and submitting all requested audit work papers for various annual, state, federal, local or internal requests are essential. Establishing and maintaining a current grant status listing that references key data including grant beginning and end dates, grant awarded amount, ALN number, and internal stakeholders is also required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or related field.
Core Competencies: Governmental Accounting: GASB Standards, GAAP, Fund Accounting, and Modified Accounting.
State & Federal Reporting: Expertise in Michigan-specific reporting: SE-4096, SE-4094, FID, FSR, FER, and Excess Cost Reporting.
Budgeting & Forecasting: Multi-million-dollar budget development and management.
Grant Management: Compliance and reporting for federal and state-specific categorical funding.
Audit Readiness: Internal control implementation, Single Audit Act compliance, and year-end close management.
Leadership & Communication: Executive Partnership: Serving as a primary stakeholder and fiscal advisor to Superintendents and Boards of Education.
Presentation & Training: Transforming complex financial data into accessible presentations for non-financial stakeholders.
Regional Mentorship: Providing high-level guidance and professional development to county-wide business managers.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnering with HR, Operations, and educational departments to align fiscal resources with educational goals.
School Finance Software: PowerSchool, MiSuite, MiCase
Data Analytics: Advanced Excel (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUPs, Data Modeling) and financial dashboard creation.
State Portals: Proficient in MEGS+, NEXSYS, and other Michigan School Data portals.
Ability to sit and work on a computer for long periods of time
Valid driver’s license required.
Ability to travel and participate in State meetings
Ability to travel to constituent districts and offsite meetings
Ability to participate in overnight travel to attend conferences or trainings.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
MSBO CFO Certification desired.

Responsibilities

Directs all fiscal operations for the district, overseeing comprehensive financial strategy, risk management, and long-range capital planning to ensure the organization’s long term fiscal health and mission alignment.
Leads the end-to-end budget preparation cycle, from initial forecasting and department allocation to final adoption, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and state mandates.
Masters complex financial communication, presenting intricate budgetary data to the Board of Education and stakeholders in accessible, high-impact formats that facilitate transparency and consensus.
Oversees payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable systems and procedures.
Oversee the preparation of bid specifications for purchases of equipment, supplies, and services consistent with budget requirements and constraints.
Advises and mentors a network of county business managers, establishing standardized best practices and providing critical updates on state-level regulatory changes to maintain fiscal integrity across the county.
Maintains absolute regulatory compliance by managing all mandatory state reporting, including the SE-4096 (Special Education Cost Report), SE-4094 (Special Education Transportation Report), and the Excess Cost Report.
Oversee the preparation and audit-readiness of the Facility Settlement Report, ensuring all district costs are reconciled accurately against state funding formulas.
Directs the annual audit process, acting as the primary liaison with external auditors to ensure clean, compliant financial statements and adherence to Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements.
Interprets and implements evolving legislation regarding public school funding and special education finance, ensuring the district quickly adapts to new funding models.
Ensures rigorous internal controls and accounting accuracy, leveraging advanced technical skills to oversee general ledger maintenance, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll reconciliation.
Optimizes financial systems and software workflows to improve reporting accuracy and reduce administrative overhead across the finance department.
Coordinates state aid and grant fund management, ensuring all restricted revenue sources are tracked and expended in strict accordance with grant requirements and federal/state regulations.
Conducts deep-dive financial analysis and trend forecasting, identifying potential fiscal risks early and developing mitigation strategies to protect the district’s fiscal health.
Champions transparent fiscal governance, building strong relationships with state agencies and local constituent districts to represent the ISD’s financial interests effectively.
Attend school board meetings and provide financial reports as needed.
Perform accounting for grants (approx. 6.9 million) including maintenance of the general ledger in accordance with GAAP, MDE Accounting Manual and Federal Uniform Guidance
Implement and monitor procedures to communicate, educate and ensure compliance with internal policies and other applicable grant regulations
Regularly meet and collaborate with grant administrators to develop and review fiscal year budgets and grant award budgets including reconciling and reviewing planned expenditures with actual expenditure activity to ensure compliance with grant awards and timeframes
Calculate and record adjustments required for labor distribution including fringe benefits
Ensure maximum recovery of district expenditures by analyzing and reviewing general ledger details to ensure indirect cost is included along with all applicable expenditures that may have been mis recorded
Generate invoices and cash requests for federal funds based on applicable expenditures
Close out grants by reconciling the ledgers and file all required final financial reports with the appropriate state/federal agencies
Complete the annual Schedule of Expenditure of Federal Awards (SEFA) for the annual audit
Compile and submit all requested audit work papers for various annual, state, federal, local or internal requests.
Establish and maintain a current grant status listing that references key data including grant beginning and end dates, grant awarded amount, ALN number, and internal stakeholders