Senior Specialist, Finance Operations
About The Position
Success Academy is a growing network of public charter schools in New York and Florida, committed to providing children with a rigorous, whole-child education. They are seeking a strategic, project-driven, and highly analytical Senior Specialist, Finance Operations to manage, modernize, and elevate the company’s financial obligations and operational workflows. This role will focus on maximizing end-to-end efficiency, championing AI and automation innovations, and optimizing the monthly closing process. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver with deep technical and accounting proficiency, and a collaborative leadership mindset to guide the finance operations team towards best-in-class performance using modern AI tools.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
- 5+ years of progressive experience in Accounts Payable, operational accounting, or finance operations.
- Demonstrated success leading or contributing to finance transformation initiatives, including process redesign, system implementation, or automation efforts.
- Experience working in complex, high-volume environments where accuracy, speed, and compliance are critical.
- Advanced Excel proficiency (e.g., PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, data modeling, and reconciliation).
- Hands-on experience with enterprise financial systems such as NetSuite, SAP, Workday, Coupa, Zip, or similar ERP/procurement platforms.
- Exposure to or strong interest in modern AP automation tools, including OCR-based invoice processing, intelligent matching engines, and workflow automation solutions.
- Comfortable working with data to diagnose issues, improve processes, and support decision-making.
- Exceptional organizational skills with a proven ability to manage competing priorities in deadline-driven environments.
- Meticulous attention to detail, especially in financial reconciliation, reporting, and compliance-related work.
- Strong ownership mindset with the ability to independently drive projects from ambiguity to execution.
- Natural problem-solver who actively identifies inefficiencies and implements scalable, technology-enabled solutions.
- Clear, confident communicator who can influence and collaborate across finance, operations, HR, and school leadership teams.
Responsibilities
- Identify, evaluate, and implement pioneering ideas and AI-driven solutions (such as Intelligent Document Processing, smart matching systems, and automated workflows) to streamline the entire invoice-to-pay lifecycle and enhance overall departmental efficiency.
- Oversee the review, coding, and processing of high-volume vendor invoices, ensuring total precision, utilizing automated validation tools, and securing proper internal departmental approvals.
- Manage and optimize weekly payment runs via ACH, wire transfers, and checks to balance cash flow priorities with strong vendor relationships.
- Direct monthly vendor statement reconciliations and spearhead the resolution of complex discrepancies or past-due balances across all operating accounts.
- Direct the maintenance of secure digital and physical financial records to ensure rigorous data integrity. Manage 1099 filings, ensure total accuracy in AI-driven data extraction, and lead annual audit preparations.
- Serve as the primary senior point of contact for complex vendor inquiries and internal departmental billing strategy, while mentoring and leading the day-to-day work of the finance team.
Benefits
- Full benefits program
- Opportunities for professional growth
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
