Financial Operations Coordinator

Job Description

Position: Financial Operations Coordinator (40 hours per week/12 months)

Finance Department

Overview:

Cambridge, Massachusetts is a dynamic, diverse urban community with a strong commitment to investing in our public schools. Rich in racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity, the Cambridge Public Schools is committed to academic excellence and social justice, with rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning experiences for all students.

Serving approximately 7,000 students in grades Preschool to 12th grade and post-graduation programs in 18 schools, Cambridge Public Schools is a well-resourced, supported, and strongly positioned urban public school district from financial, educational, community, and civic perspectives.

The Role:

The Financial Operations Coordinator plays a crucial role in supporting the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the finance team. This person's primary responsibility is supporting the CFO in their work to provide strategic financial leadership and efficient fiscal management for the district. This position requires a highly organized, detail-oriented individual with excellent communication and analytical skills. The ideal candidate will be proactive, resourceful, and possess a strong understanding of financial principles. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to grow their career in finance and gain exposure to high-level financial operations.

The Finance Department is responsible for enabling principals, administrators, and staff to plan and manage their departments' resource allocations as effectively and efficiently as possible. Under the leadership of the CFO, Finance includes budget management, accounting, payroll, purchasing, accounts payable, and grants management. Working together with staff in all of those areas, the Financial Operations Coordinator will ensure smooth office operations for the Department.

This role requires excellent project management oversight, interpersonal and writing skills, the ability to think and work strategically and flexibility to manage change, and engage multiple stakeholders, and technical skills in Google applications, calendaring in various platforms, Excel, and an ability to learn new software/applications quickly.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the CFO's calendar, including scheduling meetings and anticipate potential conflicts, proactively resolving scheduling issues.
  
• Act as the primary point of contact for the CFO, screening calls and emails, and responding to inquiries with professionalism and discretion. Prepare correspondence, presentations, and other documents as needed.
  
• Prepare meeting agendas, gather relevant materials, and take detailed minutes during meetings. Follow up on action items and ensure timely completion.
  
• Assist in preparing financial reports, analyzing data, and creating presentations for internal and external stakeholders. This may involve working with spreadsheets, financial software, and other analytical tools.
  
• Manage annual and special projects, including scheduling meetings, liaising with stakeholders, establishing effective project communication plans and ensuring their execution, and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that all parties are on track with project requirements, deadlines, and schedules. Prepare status reports by gathering, analyzing, and summarizing relevant information.
  
• Provide general administrative and operational support to the finance department, such as ordering supplies, managing files, and coordinating team events.
  
• Process and reconcile the CFO's expense reports, including travel arrangements and reports, ensuring accuracy and adherence to company policies.
  
• Assist with special projects as assigned by the CFO, which may include research, data gathering, and project coordination.
  
• Attendance at periodic evening meetings to assist with notetaking and event management.
  
• Additional duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Your Skill Set:

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

• Bachelor's degree
  
• 5-7 years of experience in an administrative or financial support role, preferably supporting a senior executive
  
• Strong track record leveraging Microsoft Office (especially Word & Excel) and Google/G Suite (especially Google Docs & Sheets) to manage information
  
• Proficiency in video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams
  
• Experience with financial software and accounting principles is a plus
  
• Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
  
• Keen attention to detail, and the ability to check others' work, including checking formulas in Excel files
  
• Ability to think strategically and communicate thoughtfully
  
• Creative and proactive disposition, able to tackle challenges with persistence and a sense of humor
  
• Ability to be flexible in fast-paced, environments
  
• Possess a growth mindset and embrace risk-taking and innovation
  
• Team-player who also has the ability to work independently and be self-directed
  
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion and professionalism
  
• Skilled in working with a variety of stakeholders, including educators, families, and community partners Customer service orientation
  
• Alignment with CPS mission and vision

Salary: $78,249-$86,736/annually

Terms of Employment: 40 hours per week/12 months per year, non-union position

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position as well as stating how you heard about this opportunity.