Strategic School Finance & Operations Lead

The English Schools Foundation (ESF); Hong Kong Island; On-site; HKD 420,000 - 680,000; Full time

Job summary

Island School is seeking a Senior Administrator to manage projects, oversee the school’s financial budget for SLT review, and handle day-to-day accounting operations.

The role requires a university degree in Accounting or Finance, 5+ years of experience, Cantonese and English fluency, and strong stakeholder management. You will work within ESF guidelines and support governance and process improvements.

Qualifications

• A recognized university degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA or equivalent qualification is advantageous.
• At least five years of relevant experience.
• Fluent Cantonese with strong English communication skills.
• Comfortable operating within complex school transformation environments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the confidence to influence business stakeholders.
• Excellent computer skills in MS Office and Google Environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead audit remediation (external and internal) and strengthen control governance.
• Manage school budget, strategic planning, and monthly rolling forecast.
• Understand finance processes including General Ledger, Close, R2R, and reporting.
• Oversee department invoice payments and daily data entry.
• Draft SOPs meeting ESF guidelines and industry standards.
• Oversee admission office and handling.
• Supervise attendance and implement prevention protocols.
• Collaborate with security and admin to resolve student tracking discrepancies.
• Execute projects end-to-end and support automation initiatives.

Skills

Bilingual Cantonese/English

Stakeholder management

MS Office & Google Workspace

Autonomy under pressure

Governance & controls awareness

Education

Accounting/Finance degree

CPA or equivalent (advantage)

Tools

MS Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Island School is seeking a Senior Administrator to manage projects, oversee the school’s financial budget for SLT review, and handle day-to-day accounting operations.

The role requires a university degree in Accounting or Finance, 5+ years of experience, Cantonese and English fluency, and strong stakeholder management. You will work within ESF guidelines and support governance and process improvements.