Job Description

Location: Flexible within the US

Type: Full-time

Start Date: Winter/Spring 2024

Priority Application Deadline: January 12, 2024

Job Summary

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving thousands of educators from across the country, from pre-service teachers to system-level leaders. Our mission is to ensure that all students are taught by excellent educators, in order to build a more just world where every student has a clear path to a fulfilling life.

The Financial Controller team is part of the Finance function at Relay and is responsible for the successful performance of the organization’s day-to-day financial controlling activities. The Vice President will set the vision and strategy for strong financial management and successfully lead the Accounting and Bursar sub-teams to realize those goals. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, this VP is a dynamic financial leader with experience leading high-performing teams and being a key member of cross-functional collaboration. With a keen eye for systems and continual improvement, this person will play an integral role in ensuring Relay’s financial sustainability for years to come by building & maintaining strong financial systems and processes.

Functional Responsibilities (50%)

• Set the vision and strategies for strong financial management by leading the Accounting & Bursar sub-teams to execute on the daily, monthly, and annual accounting, cash management, banking, payables, and other treasury processes and procedures according to local, state, Federal regulations; Board policies; and industry-recognized best practices.
• Produce monthly and annual financial statements, state and Federal reporting, and other required and needed reporting.
• Prepare, monitor, and follow-up (or support the following up) on accounts receivable, including tuition receivables generated by the Bursar’s office, professional education invoices, philanthropic contributions, and managing the bad debt / write-off processes.
• Lead and oversee the investment and/or management of the organization’s reserves and preparation of any required investment reports.
• Coordinate external audits and lead the development of responses and process improvements to address findings, comments, and recommendations.
• Develop, document, and implement standards, controls, and procedures to perform functional requirements, meet customer experience needs, and comply with statutory requirements and best practices.
• Build and maintain current accounting and reporting knowledge, especially as it pertains to non-profits and higher education, by attending workshops, reviewing publications, and taking advantage of other continuing education opportunities.
• Support, as necessary, other financial operations such as payroll, procurement, financial planning, and grants management with reporting, analysis, and accounting.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Finance function

Team Leadership / Management (30%)

• Lead the team’s strategy & execution of the month-end and fiscal year-end financial procedures, including but not limited to bank statement reconciliation, credit card verification and payments, financial system rollover, and other transactions, to timely and successfully close reporting periods.
• Establish attainable and impactful goals & operating standards for self and team align to Relay’s mission and goals; implement the structures and culture to support the team’s ability to meet or exceed goals
• Develop and monitor metrics and key performance indicators to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of functional responsibilities in alignment with department goals, organizational priorities, and industry best practices.
• Manage direct reports & their sub-teams to successfully drive towards team and individual goals; identify areas of growth & development opportunities to ensure each teammate’s professional development and the team’s succession planning
• Create team structures to support continuous feedback loops for improvement; model a growth mindset of knowledge, skills, abilities,& relationships
• Align & iterate on team resources, people & budget, to optimally match the team’s responsibilities
• Set a meeting structure (group & 1:1) across the team that promotes continual improvement, accountability, innovation, and communication
• Model and champion an intentional focus on creating a team culture of joy and belonging, effective customer-service, & solutions-orientation; ensuring effective collaboration on all financial operations efforts

Executive / Organizational Leadership (20%)

• Inform the vision and strategy for the broader Finance function
• Serve as a member of Relay Senior Leader (RSL); modeling the ability to lead through ambiguity, lead flexibly with an adaptive spirit, champion decisions, engage with - not around - others, and balance truth & hope
• Champion cross-team and cross-functional collaboration and build relationships across the organization; identifying issues and aligning the team’s work accordingly
• Communicate institutional messaging effectively to their team

Job Qualifications

First and foremost, the Vice President, Financial Controller must share the Relay community’s commitment to working together to improve student growth and achievement through phenomenal teacher preparation grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This includes providing teacher preparation programs that set novice teachers up to succeed in the classroom from day one; leadership programs that train new and veteran school and district leaders to best serve their school communities; and teacher-facing professional education that provides ongoing learning to educators. Additionally, for this position we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field required.
• CPA or related industry credential, or in the process of pursuing such credentials, strongly preferred.
• At least 10 years of experience in financial and accounting operations; government or non-profit experience desired.
• Experience managing people and/or leading teams in a fast-paced, complex, service-oriented organization required.
• Deep understanding of financial accounting practices.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and accounting software.
• Ability to effectively work with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and multitasking skills with a commitment to accuracy and continuous improvement.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.

Relay prepares teachers and school leaders to teach students of all identities and backgrounds in order to push toward a time when this country no longer faces stark educational inequities. We recruit, develop, support, and retain a diverse staff, faculty, and graduate student body because we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and actively anti-racist institution. We know, and the data supports, that diversity, equity, and inclusion cultivate an environment in which people of all backgrounds can thrive and this is critical to achieving our mission of educational excellence and equity.

To fulfill that commitment, Relay encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply for roles that align with their own interests and career trajectory. If you meet a majority of the qualifications and see yourself in this role, we would love to see your application!

COMPENSATION

Relay is committed to creating and maintaining a compensation and benefits system that supports our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team. As we make decisions about compensation, we will be guided by the following values: clarity, consistency, and internal equity. The salary range for this role is $152,896 - $206,409. New hires will be offered a salary at the starting point of the range, $152,896, to allow for an equitable starting salary process and continual salary growth during an employee’s time at Relay GSE.

To ensure internal pay equity:

• Relay does not currently differentiate starting salary offers based on years of experience,
• All staff salaries will be capped at the salary range maximum, and
• Relay does not negotiate salary offers.

Relay offers a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc. To learn more about Relay’s benefits, please visit here .

WORK LOCATION POLICY

Employees must have a primary work location within the U.S., where they are legally authorized to work. Relay is a registered employer in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and Washington DC. Please note that Relay Graduate School of Education's headquarters are in New York City. Employees who choose to perform work from states not listed here will be subject to NYC state withholdings.

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Relay highly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine. Relay abides by each state’s requirements, and acknowledges those may change over time. If moved forward to the phone screen stage, you will have the chance to ask your recruiter more about this policy.

Relay Graduate School of Education provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.

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