Vice President, Financial Planning and Operations

KIPP Foundation • New York, NY

15h • Remote

About The Position

The KIPP Foundation seeks a Vice President, Financial Planning and Operations to lead the Foundation’s financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, and to strengthen financial performance across KIPP’s national network of 279 schools. The role shapes how a mission-driven national organization plans, invests, and operates, helping ensure every KIPP region has the financial strength to sustain excellent schools for students.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and serving on the Foundation’s senior leadership team, the Vice President leads a team of six, including four direct reports: two Senior Directors of Financial Planning and Support, a Director of Finance Systems and Reporting, and a Director of Finance Operations. The role partners with Foundation senior leaders and regional finance leaders to set expectations, identify risk early, and direct support where it is most needed. The position requires deep nonprofit finance expertise; education finance experience across more than one state is strongly preferred.

The Vice President owns the Foundation’s annual operating budget and long-term financial sustainability; leads budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting; oversees finance operations, systems, and internal controls; and leads financial monitoring and advisory support across the KIPP network. The role also develops the Finance team and aligns planning, operations, and accounting to deliver accurate and efficient financial management.

This is a full-time, exempt role with moderate travel of 10–15% (20–30 days per year). It is preferred, but not mandatory, that the role be based at a KIPP Foundation office. The role may be performed full-time from a remote office. KIPP Foundation offices are in New York City and Chicago.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of progressive finance experience, including leadership across financial planning, operations, accounting, or auditing.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Nonprofit finance experience, including deep knowledge of nonprofit and fund accounting and federal funds and related compliance requirements.
• Proven track record of driving strong financial performance through budgeting, forecasting, and decision support for senior leaders and boards.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing finance operations and internal control environments, including procurement, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and compliance.
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams, including managing managers and leading cross-functional projects.
• Proven ability to translate complex financial data into clear insights and actionable recommendations for leaders across functions.
• Demonstrated ability to set and achieve ambitious departmental goals in complex or ambiguous environments, using data, research, and analysis to set goals and allocate work effectively.
• Ability to set a clear vision aligning team work with organizational goals, prioritize and deliver sustainable and scalable work, and develop agile project plans and knowledge-management systems.
• Ability to build and align goals and project plans with organizational priorities and develop processes that improve coordination, efficiency, and scalability.
• Ability to use data to shape team decisions and the learning agenda or evaluation of a function or significant initiative, and to generate, implement, and evaluate scalable, sustainable solutions.
• Ability to communicate a case for change through clear presentations tailored to different audiences and translate vision into actionable plans across stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration, interpersonal, diplomatic, relationship-building, and communication skills to work across functions and with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to provide professional development and coaching, manage succession and performance, coach managers of managers, and foster team ownership and accountability.
• Passion and commitment to KIPP’s mission and ability and desire to uphold KIPP’s core values.
• Ability to travel moderately, 10–15% (20–30 days per year).

Nice To Haves

• MBA or another advanced degree.
• Education finance experience across more than one state.
• Experience supporting financial performance across multiple sites, regions, or affiliated organizations.

Responsibilities

• Own the Foundation’s annual operating budget and long-term financial sustainability in partnership with the Chief Financial Officer.
• Partner with fundraising and grants teams to project revenue and develop multi-year funding strategies aligned with investment priorities and organizational commitments.
• Build long-term financial models tied to the strategic plan, including the impact of growth into new regions, and connect them to the annual budget.
• Manage liquidity against a seven-month cash reserve target, produce monthly cash flow forecasts, and partner with the Chief Financial Officer on investment strategy.
• Lead the full annual budget cycle, including staffing plans, multi-year projections, and scenario modeling, and deliver a Board-approved budget before the fiscal year begins.
• Lead forecasting, including rolling forecasts with functional leaders, and hold budget owners accountable for meeting targets by fund and in total.
• Partner with talent and program teams to align staffing and investment decisions with financial targets, and recommend actions to teams that are off track.
• Lead timely and accurate monthly financial reporting and analysis, providing budget owners, regional leaders, and senior leadership with clear information on budget-to-actuals, key levers, tradeoffs, and long-term implications.
• Oversee core finance operations, including procurement, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and corporate cards, with clear service standards for timeliness, accuracy, and responsiveness.
• Maintain strong internal controls, policy compliance, and audit readiness across financial processes.
• Improve efficiency through process improvement, automation, and system upgrades, including expense management and ERP strategy, prioritizing real-time budget-to-actuals reporting.
• Integrate operations, accounting, and planning systems to support accurate, real-time data and serve as a model for KIPP regions.
• Lead financial monitoring across the KIPP network in partnership with regional superintendents and regional CFOs, maintaining visibility across regions.
• Monitor regional financial health through quarterly data, budgets, and audits, and lead a tiered support model matched to each region’s needs.
• Set standards for regional financial performance, reporting, and internal controls, including pass-through funding requirements; diagnose challenges, support improvement plans, and focus team capacity on higher-risk regions.
• Coach regional CFOs and finance leaders through complex financial challenges, helping them weigh options and develop credible plans.
• Advise regions with care and sound judgment, recognizing their independence and governance by their own Boards.
• Stay aligned with the Chief Financial Officer on regional engagements, raise risks early, and keep guidance consistent with KIPP Foundation positions.
• Lead the finance community of practice across regions and advise leadership on network-wide trends and where to invest for long-term sustainability.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Finance team across Financial Planning and Support and Finance Operations, establishing the ownership, systems, and automation needed for effective operations.
• Align planning, operations, and accounting to deliver accurate and efficient financial management.
• Serve on the Finance Leadership Team, helping set the direction of Finance at the KIPP Foundation and building a culture of ownership, collaboration, and excellence.

Benefits

• 25 holidays and 18 additional flexible PTO days; flexible PTO increases to 23 days for years 3 and 4 and 28 days for years 5 and later.
• 100% paid parental leave.
• 100% coverage of the employee medical, dental, and vision plan premiums, and 75% coverage for employee-plus-family premiums.
• Wellness benefits, including fitness reimbursements, discounted tickets to theme parks and attractions, backup care support for children and adults or elders, and an employee assistance program.
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% match.
• Employer-sponsored legal plans.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts.

What This Job Offers

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