Director Finance

DC Prep is a high performing network of public charter schools serving over 2,100 preschool through 8th-grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. We’re proud of the high bar we set for ourselves to achieve results–our students deserve our best! We recognize that how we support our students to be successful is just as important as the results we achieve, which pushes us to reflect on questions such as: How can we facilitate our students’ academic, social, and emotional development? How can we support our team members’ professional growth and personal ability to do this work long-term? How can we engage our students’ families as our own? While this work is hard, it’s worth it – we believe in the transformative power of education, the can-do-itness of our students and staff, and the joy that comes from engaging in meaningful work with people we care about and trust! Here’s how we drive results: Rigorous academic focus. Our Preppies receive the highest level of academic preparation through standards-based instruction, daily targeted interventions, and meaningful assessments. Social-emotional learning. We have always had a dual mission of academic and social-emotional skill development. Our research-based SEL curriculum is integrated into daily instruction, helping students leverage their personal values to strengthen their self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making skills and create a school-wide culture of empathy and reflection. Commitment to reflection and refinement. Our results tell us that we are moving in the right direction, but there’s further to go to ensure that every student receives a transformative education. As a team, we regularly reflect on our programmatic model to see what’s working and where we can get better. Are you interested in learning more about the DC Prep Way? If so, check out our website to find out more about what we’re working towards and how we’re doing it. THE OPPORTUNITY At DC Prep, strong financial leadership is essential to being an enduring organization that exists to serve our mission for generations of Preppies. As the Director of Finance , you will join a financially strong organization and help position it for continued success. DC Prep consistently earns clean audits, maintains strong reserves, operates within budget, and meets compliance deadlines. In the spirit of We See the Good , you will build upon and celebrate this progress while identifying opportunities to learn, improve, and prepare the organization for what comes next. The opportunity—and the challenge—is navigating an increasingly complex financial environment. Like other public schools across the District, DC Prep faces rising operating costs and uncertainty in future funding. Living our value of We Are Brave , you will help leaders confront these challenges directly, ask difficult questions, and make thoughtful decisions that balance immediate needs with DC Prep’s long-term financial health. You will also help lead an important organizational shift already underway. Through a multi-year initiative, DC Prep is decentralizing budget ownership and empowering campus and Home Office leaders to actively manage their budgets. Reflecting We Belong Together , you will build collaborative relationships and invite budget owners into the financial decision-making process. You will develop the systems, reporting, and coaching structures that allow leaders to make informed, student-centered decisions with greater confidence and shared accountability. Our value of We Ask Why will be central to this work. You will use data, curiosity, and a problem‑solving mindset to examine whether current practices are working, understand the reasons behind financial trends, and identify better ways to support leaders and schools. You will also help modernize the systems and tools that make financial information accurate, accessible, and actionable. Through We Aim High , you will maintain rigorous standards for financial management while rallying others around the connection between their budgets and DC Prep’s mission. Finally, We Do the Work means examining how financial decisions, systems, and policies affect different students, campuses, and teams. Success in this role means maintaining DC Prep’s track record of clean audits, strong compliance, and sound financial management — while also strengthening budget owners’ confidence and capability, and building financial systems ready for what’s next. The Director of Finance reports to the Chief Financial Officer, directly manages the Finance Associate, and oversees DC Prep’s relationship with its external accounting partner, EdOps. THE DAY TO DAY The Director of Finance is responsible for leading: Oversee the network’s financial planning and reporting infrastructure, including budgeting, P&L, cash management, accounts payable/receivable, and grant fund tracking, ensuring campus and Home Office leaders have timely, accurate, and actionable financial information. Lead the annual budgeting process with Home Office and campus teams under the CFO’s direction, translating organization-wide budget priorities into executable, campus- and team-level plans. Build and maintain reporting systems that give budget owners real-time visibility into their financial position, driving accountability and informed decision-making at the campus and team level. Review and approve procurement contracts, leases, and other financially significant agreements, ensuring terms protect DC Prep’s financial interests and are in compliance with procurement regulations. Proactively identify cost-saving opportunities and strategic financing options, including contract renegotiation and debt restructuring. Partner with Operations, Data, and Enrollment teams to maximize government revenue (ESEA, National School Lunch Program, and other funding streams). Cultivate and manage relationships with external auditors, PCSB, OSSE, banking partners, and vendors as DC Prep’s primary financial point of contact. Own the implementation and ongoing management of financial systems and tools (e.g., accounts payable platforms, budgeting software), ensuring processes are efficient, accurate, and scalable as the network grows. Support the CFO in operationalizing FP&A infrastructure — including finance dashboards, cash management policy, and reporting cadences — translating strategic frameworks into day-to-day practice. Audit & Compliance Own the annual financial audit and 403(b) retirement plan audit, ensuring clean results and strong internal controls. Design and maintain internal control systems that safeguard DC Prep’s financial integrity. Ensure DC Prep maintains appropriate general liability, property, and workers’ compensation coverage. Partner with Legal to manage financial risk and ensure compliance with all applicable city, state, and federal regulations. Ensure ongoing compliance with the terms of all financing agreements. Financial & Organizational Leadership Serve as a strategic partner to Home Office and campus leaders in setting organizational goals, evaluating growth opportunities, and identifying key risks. Advise executive leadership on the financial implications of long-range plans, new programs, systems, and partnerships. Lead financing strategy for facilities projects in partnership with internal and external stakeholders. Partner with the Development team on grants management and donor/foundation reporting. Team Management, Coaching & Development Manage and develop the Finance team, building a culture of technical precision, transparency, and exceptional service to campus partners. Provide weekly 1:1 coaching and supervision to the Finance Associate, driving growth against Individual Development Plans and annual goals. Manage the relationship with DC Prep’s external accounting partner (EdOps), ensuring accurate, timely execution of outsourced accounting functions. Direct the ongoing evolution of financial policies and procedures, guiding the team to execute accurate, standardized accounts payable, credit card reconciliation, and expense reimbursement processes network-wide. Exceptional strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to disaggregate problems and structure and implement solutions to complex, cross functional challenges Ability to communicate financial information clearly and credibly to non-finance audiences, connecting the numbers to why they matter for students, families, and staff Track record of building durable systems and routines that produce reliable results Extraordinary attention to detail, both in planning and execution Emotional resilience and constancy coupled with strong leadership presence and passion to motivate, support and sustain teams in challenging and critically important work Experience 4+ years of progressive experience in financial management, strategy consulting, or another analytically rigorous field, ideally in a nonprofit, school, or public sector setting Demonstrated experience managing and developing direct reports Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MS in Accounting/Finance) or CPA certification preferred ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS The Director of Finance must be able to perform the following essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodation: Represent DC Prep with professionalism, integrity, and enthusiasm while consistently modeling the organization’s mission and core values. Maintain consistent and reliable attendance and fulfill the role’s in-person and remote work expectations, including regular engagement with Home Office and campus-based leaders. Manage confidential and sensitive financial, employee, student, vendor, and organizational information with discretion, integrity, and sound professional judgment. Ensure that financial activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, deadlines, accounting standards, grant requirements, financing agreements, internal controls, and DC Prep policies. Respond to urgent financial and operational matters and adjust priorities during high-volume periods, including annual budgeting, audits, reporting deadlines, and the beginning and end of the fiscal and school years. Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the CFO or organizational leadership to meet evolving student, school, financial, and operational needs. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role. All of these physical requirements should be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness to DC Prep’s vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipment Ability to handle potential high stress conditions JOIN US We’re an equal opportunity employer and hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr