Senior Director, Finance

Aspire Public Schools • Oakland, CA

5d • $168,050 - $215,728

About The Position

Aspire NorCal is forming a unified organization from its Bay Area and Central Valley regions, operating 22 schools serving approximately 10,000 scholars across Northern California. The organization is working to strengthen school support, improve consistency and accountability, and remain responsive to the distinct communities and contexts of its schools while advancing its mission of post-secondary success and educational equity.

Partnering directly with the Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Director, Finance drives financial strategy, management, and long-term sustainability across Aspire NorCal. The role provides strategic insights and actionable recommendations to support operational success and fiscal sustainability. It includes oversight of financial planning and reporting for assigned school and regional sites, management of 2–3 direct reports, collaboration across Finance, Accounting, HR, and Instructional teams, and support for finance, accounting, and payroll services provided to Aspire LA under a planned multi-year service agreement. The position is full-time and exempt. Work location and in-person expectations are being finalized. Employment is at-will, and the department’s size and positions may be affected if the Aspire NorCal–Aspire LA service agreement is not finalized, renewed, or is ended early.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
• At least 7 years of experience in financial analysis.
• At least 5 years of management experience.
• Experience in not-for-profit accounting and public sector finance.
• Knowledge of the finance function within 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 and support for the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, and values, including antiracism, and adherence to confidentiality standards and the code of ethical behavior.

Nice To Haves

• MBA.
• At least 5 years of experience in school finance.

Responsibilities

• Prepare annual budgets and forecast updates for assigned 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 covering P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow; conduct variance analysis and recommend actions that support financial sustainability and school programming.
• Manage 2–3 Finance-related direct reports.
• Liaise between the Finance and Accounting teams, including collaborating with the AR Manager and Controller on revenue and accounts receivable reconciliations, cash receipt coding, and expense coding.
• Collaborate with the CFO on strategic financial management of Aspire NorCal and prepare and present consolidated and regional financial reporting for internal and external stakeholders, including the Aspire-wide Leadership Team, bondholders, and financial ratings agencies.
• Collaborate with the CFO, HR, and Instructional leaders on annual total compensation benchmarking across roles and make employee value proposition recommendations.
• Develop financial reporting tools that provide meaningful and timely regional and consolidated information.
• Prepare budget projections and scenario analyses for new sites to guide organizational decisions, and ensure restricted funding is maximized for each school.
• Provide guidance and oversight on budgeting and forecasting systems.
• Work closely 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, and meet local, state, and federal reporting deadlines.
• Prepare school sites for year-end audits and conduct ad hoc financial analyses requested by the CFO, Instructional Leaders, and School Leaders.
• Support Aspire Public Schools’ mission, vision, and values, including antiracism; uphold confidentiality standards and the code of ethical behavior.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.
• Support the new Service Level Agreement under which Aspire NorCal will provide finance, accounting, and payroll services to Aspire LA.

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: Senior