Director of Finance

LEAD Public Schools • Brentwood, TN

21d • $104,000 - $155,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Finance serves as the operational leader of the finance department and a strategic partner to the Chief Financial Officer. This role is responsible for leading the day-to-day finance function while strengthening financial oversight, reporting, accounting operations, audit readiness, financial planning, and department effectiveness across the organization. The Director of Finance will help evolve the finance department from a reactive transactional function into a more proactive, analytical, and strategically aligned partner to organizational leadership. While this role maintains accountability for the integrity and effectiveness of finance operations, much of the day-to-day transactional execution is expected to occur through the broader finance team. Success in this role requires strong people leadership, analytical capability, operational thinking, and the ability to build structure and accountability within a fast-moving and evolving environment. The ideal candidate is highly proficient in Excel and financial modeling, comfortable leading through others, and capable of balancing strategic thinking with strong execution. This role offers meaningful exposure to executive leadership, organizational strategy, board reporting, and cross-functional leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field
• 5+ years of progressive experience leading finance operations, financial planning, accounting oversight, or operational finance functions, including experience managing people, workflows, and cross-functional financial processes
• Experience managing and developing professional staff
• Strong understanding of accounting operations, financial reporting, financial analysis, and internal controls
• Advanced Excel proficiency required, including: Financial modeling, Forecasting, Scenario analysis, Reporting development, Complex formulas and data analysis
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities
• Experience leading or supporting annual audits
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments

Nice To Haves

• Experience within K–12 education, charter schools, nonprofit organizations, or other mission-driven organizations
• Experience supporting budgeting and long-range financial planning processes
• Experience improving finance systems, workflows, and department infrastructure
• Experience partnering with executive leadership teams and presenting financial information to leadership or boards
• CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant professional certification preferred but not required
• Experience working within organizations undergoing growth, operational change, or transformation

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the finance department across accounting, reporting, payroll oversight, financial planning, and finance administration
• Directly manage and develop finance team members
• Establish clear ownership structures, accountability systems, and department workflows across the finance team
• Build a culture of responsiveness, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Coach team members toward stronger execution, critical thinking, and professional growth
• Increase departmental consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness
• Help create structure and clarity within evolving environments
• Lead budget-to-actual variance reporting and ongoing financial analysis
• Build and maintain financial models, forecasting tools, and scenario analyses
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning processes
• Support oversight of grant and public funding streams, including forecasting, financial planning, compliance coordination, and alignment between funding requirements and organizational priorities
• Support executive leadership and board-level financial reporting
• Translate financial information into clear, actionable insights for organizational leaders
• Support strategic decision-making through financial analysis and business insight
• Help leaders evaluate organizational and financial tradeoffs
• Partner with organizational leaders to evaluate financial impacts, operational priorities, resource allocation decisions, and strategic initiatives
• Identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities proactively
• Improve visibility into financial performance across departments and schools
• Support strategic initiatives and cross-functional problem-solving
• Provide leadership oversight of monthly close and financial reporting processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and reliability
• Ensure balance sheet integrity through strong reconciliation oversight and review processes
• Provide oversight and quality assurance across financial reporting, close processes, reconciliations, and key accounting deliverables to ensure accuracy, consistency, and reliability
• Strengthen accounting controls, financial procedures, and reporting consistency
• Ensure audit readiness throughout the year, not solely during audit season
• Oversee organizational audit readiness, external auditor coordination, audit planning, and audit follow-through efforts while ensuring the finance team maintains timely and accurate supporting documentation throughout the year
• Partner with the finance team to improve reporting accuracy, workflow efficiency, and department effectiveness
• Support compliance with applicable accounting standards, grant requirements, and organizational policies
• Improve finance systems, reporting tools, workflows, and financial visibility
• Support the development of finance processes that strengthen organizational effectiveness and long-term scalability
• Help establish a scalable finance infrastructure capable of supporting continued organizational growth, operational complexity, and evolving business needs
• Partner cross-functionally with school leaders and organizational departments to support planning, decision-making, and financial management
• Serve as a collaborative and solutions-oriented partner across the organization
• Identify inefficiencies and proactively implement process improvements
• Support a finance culture that balances strong controls with practicality, responsiveness, and service-minded partnership

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package available, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and other organizational benefits.

What This Job Offers

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