Director of Finance and Operations
Director of Finance and Operations
School: The Children's School
Available Position: Administrator
Description:
Director of Finance and Operations
Job Status: Full-Time, beginning July 1, 2025
Reports to: Head of School
Schedule: Full Time, Exempt, 12-Month, Salaried
About the School:
This PK-8 coed, independent school is located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. It boasts a beautiful, unique campus, largely made up of former homes, all embedded in an established neighborhood that lies across the street from Piedmont Park, an 185 acre civic gem. The campus itself promotes a strong sense of community across grade levels. Children of all ages, faculty and staff cross paths all day long at TCS in spaces originally designed for families, and expand their growing understanding of community with on-foot access to Atlanta’s rich civic infrastructure. Atlanta’s downtown core and the campus of Georgia Tech University are blocks away.
For over 50 years, TCS has been committed to providing an inclusive, challenging, and dynamic educational experience for its students. Rooted in the Progressive tradition, the School fosters academic excellence, creativity, and leadership in an environment that believes that academic success is fostered by building confident, curious, and community connected students. The School is seeking candidates who are highly competent financially, experienced operationally, inspiring, visionary, and strategic leaders who can serve as the Director of Finance and Operations beginning on July 1.
Purpose of the job:
The Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) is responsible for leading the financial management and reporting for the school, including budgeting, general ledger and property accounting, accounts payable and receivable, benefits administration, and audit management. The DFO reports directly to the head of school and works closely with the Operations Committee of the Board of Trustees. The DFO supervises the Controller, the Payroll and Student Billing Coordinator, the HR coordinator. The DFO also oversees the school’s third party vendors for facility maintenance, transportation, security, and IT.
Major tasks & duties:
● Provide strategic counsel to the Head and Board of Trustees on the financial sustainability of the School
● Build, with input from the head of school and administrative team, an annual operating budget
● Manage benefits administration including the 403 B plan and the health insurance program
● Oversee monthly general ledger and property control accounting
● Oversee student billing and tuition collection
● Oversee accounts payable
● Oversee monthly salaried and hourly payroll processing
● Lead annual audit preparation
● Attend weekly staff meetings and designated leadership team meetings
● Attend monthly Operations Committee and Board meetings and provide needed reporting and strategic counsel
● Work closely with the Director of Enrollment Management in student aid planning
● Assist the Head of School with employee contracts and salary agreements
● Ensure the investment policy statement is followed and investments are managed appropriately by third party vendors
Minimum qualifications
● Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance. CPA designation preferred
● 5-7 years of experience in a financial management role in an independent school, corporate, or non-profit setting
● Experience with Veracross, Paycor or financial reporting and payroll systems
● Supervisory and team leadership experience
● Proven ability to perform in a collaborative, team-based environment
Physical demands:
Incumbents must be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Personal Qualities:
● Intellectually curious and eager to grow. A dynamic team builder who is flexible and authentic - someone who can fully embrace the School, its mission, and community
● Affinity for the dynamic, intensely relational environment of School life
● Comfortable with uncertainty
● Ability to anticipate, absorb, and adapt to new ideas and initiatives
● Ability to self-manage, and guide complex projects through to completion
● Ability to think strategically about both finances and larger School concerns
● Ability to manage and mentor staff, and be a respected, active member of the School and community
● Superb communication skills; excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
● A confident team player
● Committed to equity and inclusion practices
● Evident integrity
The Gowan Group is assisting TCS in this search. Interested candidates should contact Chris Pryor at searches@thegowangroup.com.
The Children’s School is an equal-opportunity employer. The Children’s School is committed to providing equal opportunity in all of our employment practices, including selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation, to all qualifi ed applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, sex, national origin, citizenship status, religion, disability/handicap, sexual orientation or any other protected status in accordance with the requirements of all federal, state, and local laws.
Contact name: Chris Pryor
Contact email address: searches@thegowangroup.com