Director of Finance & Grant Reporting

Aspire Public Schools • Oakland, CA

5d • $119,773 - $153,754

About The Position

Aspire NorCal is forming a unified Northern California region, operating 22 schools and serving approximately 10,000 scholars. The Director of Finance & Grant Reporting partners with the Chief Financial Officer, Senior Director of Finance, and Aspire LA’s Chief Business Officer to support strategic financial management across Aspire LA and streamlined grant reporting across Aspire NorCal and Aspire LA. The role supports organizational growth and financial sustainability through budgeting, forecasting, reporting, grant oversight, and process improvement in a dynamic environment.

The position oversees financial planning and reporting for assigned school and regional sites, works closely with school and instructional leaders and finance and accounting teams, and serves as a key liaison between Aspire NorCal and Aspire LA. It also manages one or two direct reports and supports board and executive committee discussions, external stakeholder reporting, audit preparation, compliance, and financial analysis. Work location and in-person expectations are still being finalized. Aspire NorCal expects some department funding to depend on a multi-year service agreement with Aspire LA; if the agreement is not finalized, renewed, or continues, department size and positions may be affected. Employment is at-will.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in financial analysis.
• Experience in not-for-profit accounting and public sector finance.
• Knowledge of the finance function in a large, geographically dispersed organization and in-depth experience overseeing daily financial operations.
• Knowledge of federal and state accounting regulations.
• Excellent financial, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Solid communication, influencing, and negotiating skills, with the ability to inspire others to achieve excellence.
• Experience continuously improving controls and procedures, including process improvement and redesign.
• High degree of initiative and independent judgment.
• Fluency with accounting software packages; proficiency with MS Office and advanced Excel.
• Ability to thrive in a hands-on, fast-paced, growth-oriented, entrepreneurial environment.
• Commitment to Aspire Public Schools’ mission, vision, and values, including antiracism.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance and/or an MBA preferred.
• At least 3 years of experience in school finance preferred.
• Proven track record of innovative work and designing and implementing best-practice processes across multiple industries.

Responsibilities

• Prepare annual budgets and forecast updates for assigned Aspire school and regional sites, and facilitate regular budget and forecast update meetings.
• Work with School Leaders, Instructional Leaders, and Finance and Accounting team members on monthly and quarterly close and reporting, interim and year-end financial reports, and monthly forecasts, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and variance analysis; make recommendations supporting financial sustainability and school programming.
• Manage one or two Grant Reporting and/or Finance-related direct reports.
• Serve as the primary interface with Aspire LA’s Chief Business Officer or assigned delegate on financial matters.
• Collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer and Aspire LA’s Chief Business Officer to guide strategic financial management of Aspire LA.
• Attend Aspire LA Board and Executive Committee meetings and present as needed.
• Collaborate with the CFO and/or Senior Director, Finance, to prepare consolidated and regional financial reporting for external stakeholders.
• Lead Finance (SLA) coordination between Aspire NorCal and Aspire LA, participate in SLA review meetings, and deliver SLA performance reports.
• Prepare budget projections and scenario analyses for new sites to guide organizational decision-making.
• Ensure restricted funding is maximized for each school.
• Provide guidance and oversight on budgeting and forecasting systems.
• Work with the Accounting team to integrate data from the transactional level through the consolidated level.
• Identify and implement process improvements, using technology to eliminate inefficiencies while maintaining high accuracy.
• Build relationships with chartering districts, county offices of education, the California Department of Education, and other outside agencies.
• Work with charter authorizers and the California Department of Education to meet local, state, and federal reporting deadlines.
• Prepare school sites for year-end audits and perform ad hoc financial analyses requested by the CFO, Instructional Leaders, and School Leaders.
• Support Aspire Public Schools’ mission, vision, and values, including antiracism, and uphold confidentiality standards and the code of ethical behavior.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.

Benefits

• Eligible for Aspire health benefits.
• Retirement through CalSTRS or CalPERS, depending on the role’s credential requirements, with a 403(b) option.
• Paid time off.
• Additional teammate benefits to be determined in accordance with an updated employee value proposition to be shared prior to offer.

What This Job Offers

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