Director of Budget & Financial Operations

Expected Start Date: 10/01/2024

The Opportunity:

The Director of Budget & Financial Operations is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the budget office and for oversight of other key financial operations. The Director has a critical role in budget development and monitoring, position management, grant administration, purchasing, accounts payable, payroll, and reporting and compliance. Equally important is the Director’s role in supporting Cambridge Public School’s district plan through assistance and guidance to administrators in managing school fiscal resources. This is a great opportunity for a mission-driven professional who would like to utilize their understanding of finance and accounting best practices to make a significant impact on the lives of children.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and foster collaboration to ensure financial and operations practices and priorities are aligned with the district’s values and the District Plan.
• Play a leading role in the development of the district’s almost $300 million budget and annual budget publication, including drafting and disseminating budget guidelines, providing training to, and assisting administrators in preparation of department and school budgets and writing and editing key sections.
• Lead financial modeling, trend analysis, forecasting, and projections for budget development and management.
• With a focus on building organizational capacity, provide assistance, guidance and training to a team of 50 school principals and administrators in managing their budgets and addressing fiscal issues.
• Supervise budget department staff and oversee the day-to-day operations of the CPS finance department under the direction of the CFO and in collaboration with other department managers.
• Develop, review, and maintain up to date documentation of financial policies and procedures for use by school and department administrators and by internal finance staff.
• Manage grant administration, including DESE’s two systems EdGrants and GEM$, guiding and assisting departments in the development of grant budgets, tracking grant revenue, monitoring encumbrances and expenditures, and preparing required reports.
• Develop the end-of-year financial report to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and keep track of and oversee the preparation of other required reports.
• Support all CPS internal and external audits, including A133s.
• Stay well informed about best practices and innovations in the management of public school finances and oversee compliance with state, city and school district rules, regulations and policies.
• Play a leading role in improving the school district’s business procedures and systems, soliciting feedback and evaluating operations, identifying weaknesses, helping to develop solutions, and directly managing key process improvement projects.
• Collaborate with key external partners including the City of Cambridge and its departments, outside auditing firms and state and federal agencies.
• Assist with collective bargaining as needed.
• Attend school committee meetings and public hearings as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming Director of Budget and Financial Operations, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Six or more years of experience in budget, grants management and financial administration, including financial modeling, trend analysis, and forecasting.
• Refined project management and organizational skills, with the ability to multi-task and seamlessly manage various priorities and tasks simultaneously in a dynamic environment.
• Track record of progressive leadership experience, including staff supervision and a collaborative disposition; strong technical accounting knowledge required, and at least 3 years in nonprofit accounting is strongly preferred.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills and experience in project management and facilitating change.
• Undergraduate degree required. Master’s degree in public administration, business or related field preferred.
• Strong analytical aptitude, with an ability to see the big picture while maintaining impeccable attention to detail.
• Ability to identify and solve problems creatively and strong analytical skills for data informed decision making.
• Strong communication skills (both written and oral), including the ability to communicate effectively with across diverse audiences.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Advanced skills with standard computer applications, including the Microsoft (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suites.
• Experience with OpenGov or similar budgeting software.
• Experience with PeopleSoft or similar applications, including query writing, is highly desirable.