Director of Finance

Director of Finance

The Director of Finance is a member of the school's executive team reporting to the Principal. This position is also accountable to the Board of Trustees, and the various Preston stakeholder groups, including families of enrolled students.

The broad responsibilities of the Director include supervising accounting staff, overseeing internal controls, setting financial targets, implementing fund-raising strategies with the Director of Development, implementing enrollment strategies with the Principal, Director of Admissions, and the Admissions Committee, developing financial strategy, conducting feasibility studies, monitoring expenditure, overseeing annual insurance, monitoring cash flow, evaluating investments, to assist and direct the School in maintaining effective financial strategies, managing debt, improving revenues, sustaining a healthy financial position, and enhancing stakeholder confidence.

More specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Board of Trustees relations
• Annual budget: in consultation with the Principal, Director of Recruitment & Development, and the Chairperson of the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees, the budget is presented to the Board of Directors in December; inherent in the budget are proposed tuition rate and fee schedule, personnel remuneration, plant maintenance, and required bank financing.
• The conduct of the annual external audit and published financial report
• Supervision/monitoring of capital project budgets, including payment of construction-related bills
• Maintenance and updates of the 5-Year Strategic Plan
• Tuition & incidental expense management, from invoicing to collections
• Payroll including employee benefits deductions/earnings (medical, annuity, workmen's compensation, disability, 403(b) retirement plans, unemployment compensation)
• Recommendations on investments: Wells Fargo
• GAAP accounting methods and FASB reporting
• Regular banking procedures
• Review disbursements (fuel, in particular) via accounts payable checks and ACH
• Maintenance and review of General Ledger accounts and reports
• Monthly and quarterly reports for workman's comp./PFL
• Reviews and pays the NYS DoL unemployment statements, when applicable
• SSP invoicing and reimbursements
• Management of revenues associated with all School programs and ancillary income
• Enters Journal entries and adjusting entries
• Prepares deposit journal entries for cash deposits
• Prints out G/L accounts for departments every September and February
• Provides Event Chairpersons with budget reports on a timely basis
• Cash Deposits to the bank
• Annually processes the student re-enrollment fees into FACTS after sending out notices to families (including note to parents that any tuition discounts are not included at this point)
• Collection calls
• Works with Collection Agency to recover outstanding balances
• Key member on Admissions and Other Tuition Assistance Committees.
• Responsible for overseeing and paying our Rent and other liability insurances to the RDC
• Guidance on and final approval of all key monetary decisions, including, but not limited to, major initiatives, leases, capital investments and all purchases of school assets and services.

Other duties/responsibilities as assigned by the Principal