Career Center

Job Title:  Director of Finance

Department: Business Office

Reports to: Headmaster

FLSA Status: Exempt

Last Updated: January 2022

Summary:  

Blue Ridge School is a college-preparatory boarding high school for young men on a 750-acre campus lying along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains 20 miles northwest of Charlottesville, Virginia. The school is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accredited with the Virginia Association for Independent Schools.

The Director of Finance leads the daily operations of the school’s Business Office and in that regard oversees the school’s $9M operating budget.  The Director of Finance’s primary duties include supervising and providing guidance to the Business Office staff, preparing and maintaining the school’s annual operating budget, supporting the school’s annual close and audit prep processes, managing the school’s cashflow, and various ad-hoc strategic projects as assigned by the Headmaster. 

The Director of Finance oversees the school’s relationship with its banker, food service vendor, legal counsel, and audit and tax advisory firm.  The Director of Finance also works closely with the Associate Head for External Affairs and his team on the financial aspects of Admission, Institutional Advancement, and the school’s summer camps and other Special Programs offerings. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Budgeting

• Prepare and maintain the school’s annual operating budget
• Engage in periodic budget variance analysis

Reporting

• Publish monthly reporting package to the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees

Leadership

• Demonstrate continued professional curiosity and growth

• Supervise the Business Office staff, and support them in their duties, which include primarily:
  • Accounts payable
  • Accounts receivable and collections
  • Student billing
  • Monthly, quarterly, and annual close process
  • Financial aid administration

• Manage the school’s cashflow

• Ensure internal controls of Business Office are followed on a daily basis
• Facilitate the annual financial statement audit
• Lead the initial planning and budgeting for all capital projects
• Conduct periodic RFPs for services and purchases

Communication

• Manage delinquent accounts with discretion and care in accordance with school policy
• Serve as primary liaison to the school’s Fniance Committee of the Board of Trustees
• Engage in regular, open communication with the Board of Trustees on important school aspects as necessary
• Manage all supplier and vendor contracts, and act as the primary point of contact for the school’s banker, food service vendor, legal counsel, and audit and tax advisory firm relationships

Community Partnership

• Collaborate and coordinate with Advancement Office to ensure proper recording of gifts and pledges
• Assist Enrollment Office with enrollment contract process
• Coach one season of sports or serve as an advisor
• Participate in dorm duty occasionally throughout the school year
• Perform various ad-hoc strategic projects as assigned by the Headmaster

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Accounting Manager
• Accounting Clerk

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or similar field of study; CPA or MBA preferred
• 4 years of related experience, including 2 years of leadership and supervisory experience
• Experience working in Microsoft Excel and general ledger systems
• Ability to organize and analyze financial data
• Experience with budget preparation and fiscal management
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Ability to run meetings and develop and deliver effective presentations
• Professional attitude, demeanor, and discretion

Preferred Qualifications

• 6 to 8 years of related experience, with previous experience working in a school business office, including 3 to 4 years of leadership and supervisory experience
• Experience working with Blackbaud’s Financial Edge NXT general ledger software
• Strong background in Microsoft Excel with experience working with vlookups, sumifs, concatenate, text-to-columns, and if functions
• Familiarity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, especially those that focus on non-profit organizations

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 70% sitting, 20% walking, and 10% standing. The job is performed under minimal temperature variations and under conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.