Director of Finance (Chicago)

Students who attend Chicago Jesuit Academy (CJA) will be the next generation of leaders in the City of Chicago. Talented people who wish to be employed by Chicago Jesuit Academy must demonstrate a past and continued commitment to academic excellence, professional development and the Jesuit ideal of being a person for others. Strong candidates are disciplined workers, compassionate listeners and tireless advocates for the children they serve. Most importantly, they recognize that Chicago Jesuit Academy will ask them to approach their work as a vocation and make substantial contributions of their time and talents in the service of the students, alumni and families of CJA.

The Director of Finance reports to the Vice President of Operations & Finance and is responsible for stewarding all resources entrusted to CJA’s care in the service of our students, alumni and families and the accomplishment of our mission. The Director of Finance is responsible for maintaining and strengthening a rigorous and loving institutional culture that invites all members of the community to be persons for others who aspire to seek intellectual excellence and be open to growth, loving, religious and committed to doing justice. The Director of Finance ensures that CJA’s resources are managed with integrity in pursuit of long-term sustainability, especially as CJA grows to add a second campus and a new vocational program. This person manages the Controller and Staff Accountant and serves as the primary liaison to the Finance Committee of the Board.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Strategy & Stewardship:

• Partner with the VP of Operations & Finance, the President and the Finance Committee to execute CJA’s long-term financial strategy
• Drive financial planning across all departments including CJA’s new Vocational Program and second campus
• Prepare and manage annual operating and capital budgets as well as quarterly forecasts
• Actively participate in and regularly present to CJA’s Finance Committee and Investment Subcommittee
• Manage CJA’s invested assets and support the regular review of CJA’s investment policy in consultation with CJA’s Investment Subcommittee as established by the Finance Committee
• Serve as an “on-call’ resource for institutional emergencies that impact the good stewardship of CJA’s resources

Accounting & Financial Operations

• With the support of the Controller, oversee the successful completion of an annual external audit of CJA’s financial statements
• Supervise the Controller’s preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual consolidated financial statements across two entities
• Ensure compliance with GAAP
• Manage tax compliance and filings
• Maintain and update accounting policies, procedures and internal controls
• Lead critical financial initiatives such as capital transactions, real estate acquisitions, government funding programs and New Market Tax Credit financing

Risk Management

• Evaluate financial risks and work to minimize them
• Ensure compliance with the law and CJA’s policies and have an in-depth knowledge of relevant financial law and risk management practices
• Oversee all insurance programs including, but not limited to property, liability, workers’ compensation and cybersecurity
• Review and negotiate contracts to ensure appropriate liability protections and compliance
• Confirm that all vendors carry required insurance and are in compliance with governing bodies

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Support CJA’s Development Team with gift accounting, grant reporting and financial modeling and analysis
• Support CJA’s Talent Department to ensure appropriate HR compliance with all CJA employees

The ideal candidate:

• Has strong leadership skills , is an excellent communicator with all audiences and is an expert on current financial topics that impact CJA’s operations.
• Sees risks and opportunities behind financial data and acts as a strategic partner for the VP of Operations & Finance and President.
• Is detailed-oriented, has exceptional organizational skills and is someone who consistently covers any base they say they will cover with skill and grace.
• Is not perfect. When the Director of Finance makes a mistake, they will take responsibility for the mistake and do what is necessary to fix it.
• Embraces the Catholic and Jesuit identity and mission of CJA and is sincerely committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive school community . The Director of Finance believes all children deserve a high-quality education and a school community where they feel they belong.
• Has experience managing the financial and accounting aspects of significant growth transactions
• Has relevant experience, ideally including non-profit accounting and grant compliance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting
• All candidates must submit a resume AND cover letter to complete an application for this role.
• Has proven experience as a Director of Finance, finance/accounting officer or other relevant role and ideally is a CPA.
• This is a full-time, largely on-site and in-person role.
• All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States

Projected start date : ASAP

Chicago Jesuit Academy Mission Statement

Mission: Chicago Jesuit Academy is a loving and academically rigorous tuition-free Catholic elementary school for students and families from resilient communities impacted by historical disinvestment. We accompany our students and alumni from enrollment through the start of their careers as they develop their gifts and grow as men and women for others.

Means: Located in Austin on Chicago’s West Side, CJA admits students to all grades in our lower and middle school without regard for their race, ethnicity or religion, and CJA enrolls 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade students without regard for their past levels of academic achievement.

We use small class sizes, extended school days and an 11-month school year to give personal care to our students and help them develop as whole persons.

We accompany our alumni on their unique paths to meaningful employment and support them throughout high school, their post-secondary education and the start of their careers, always welcoming them back as leaders at CJA and in the broader community.

CJA students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, volunteers and benefactors listen to and learn from one another and make disciplined sacrifices to accomplish our shared mission.

We partner with other schools and the broader community to create access to better educational resources, confront systemic racism and remove obstacles to educational equity.

We call one another to find God in all things and be men and women for others who are open to growth, loving, religious, seeking intellectual excellence and committed to doing justice.

Chicago Jesuit Academy, in accordance with our Jesuit tradition, is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs and activities, without regard to an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the CJA community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected identity.