Associate School Finance Manager 9/26

Vertex Education; United States; On-site; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Medical, dental and vision benefits

401(k) with employer match

Referral bonuses

Career mentorship and training funds

Job summary

Vertex Education is seeking an Associate School Finance Manager to serve as the de facto CFO for a portfolio of 4–6 schools, owning their financial health by delivering monthly financials, managing compliance, and guiding leadership with clear stories that empower them to focus on student outcomes.

You will collaborate with school leaders to build budgets and forecasts, prepare variance analyses, oversee audits, and translate complex data into proactive, actionable insights.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 4+ years of progressive experience in accounting or corporate finance.
• Experience building budgets and forward-looking forecasts.
• Experience presenting financial analysis and reports to leadership.
• Track record of managing client or internal partner relationships.
• Experience navigating financial compliance and audits.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio Financial Operations & Execution: build budgets and forecasts, analyze variance reports, ensure data integrity in financial systems.
• Client Advisory & Financial Storytelling: deliver clear presentations, advise on key decisions, and foster strong client partnerships.
• Compliance & Proactive Risk Management: oversee compliance reporting and audits, monitor cash flow and risks.
• VSS Practice & Team Development: mentor staff, improve tools, and lead internal initiatives.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial analysis

Client advisory

Audits

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

NetSuite

Sage Intacct

Vena Solutions

Job description

At Vertex Education we are a team of high achievers, courageous leaders, and passionate believers in changing lives through education. As a purpose-led education services provider, our mission is destined to benefit many and yet it starts with just one person inspired to work together with us to make a memorable and meaningful difference for our clients, schools, students, and communities. Be the one who makes a difference-with us.

We're hiring an expert financial operator to become the indispensable partner our school clients need. As the Associate School Finance Manager, you will serve as the de facto CFO for a portfolio of 4-6 schools depending on complexity, taking complete ownership of their financial health by delivering flawless monthly financials, managing complex compliance, and presenting in their board meetings. Success in this role means moving beyond simple execution; it's about translating complex financial data into proactive guidance and clear stories that empower school leaders, freeing them to focus entirely on changing students' lives.

Responsibilities / Essential Functions

1. Portfolio Financial Operations & Execution:

• Collaborate with school leaders to build comprehensive annual budgets and develop forward-looking financial forecasts that model key operational scenarios.
• Prepare and analyze budget-to-actual variance reports, providing clear, concise explanations for financial performance and emerging trends.
• Administer client financial systems (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Vena), ensuring data integrity and the efficient processing of all financial transactions.

2. Client Advisory & Financial Storytelling:

• Create and deliver clear, compelling financial presentations for client finance committees and governing boards, translating complex data into actionable insights.
• Serve as the primary financial point of contact, building a trusted advisory relationship by providing expert guidance on key operational and strategic decisions.
• Guide non-finance school leaders through complex topics by explaining the 'why' behind the numbers in a simple, direct, and empathetic manner.
• Nurture client partnerships to drive high satisfaction and contract renewal by consistently delivering exceptional value and proactive support.

3. Compliance & Proactive Risk Management:

• Oversee the timely and accurate completion of all state and federal compliance reporting required for each assigned client, managing a proactive calendar of deadlines.
• Act as the primary liaison for annual financial audits, coordinating all document requests and ensuring a smooth, efficient, and low-stress process for the client.
• Analyze financial trends and operational data to proactively identify and flag potential cash flow issues, budget shortfalls, or compliance risks before they materialize.
• Maintain expert-level, up-to-date knowledge of the specific school finance regulations and grant requirements for each state in your client portfolio.

4. VSS Practice & Team Development:

• Delegate appropriate tasks to and mentor junior finance staff, providing coaching and feedback to support their professional development on your client work.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of VSS financial tools and reporting templates by providing constructive feedback from frontline client interactions.
• Take ownership of at least one internal initiative, such as serving as a subject matter expert for a specific state or leading a project to enhance a team capability.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 4+ years of progressive experience in accounting or corporate finance roles.
• Proven ability to build comprehensive budgets and forward-looking financial forecasts.
• Experience preparing and presenting financial analysis and reports to leadership or external stakeholders.
• Track record of successfully managing relationships with clients or internal business partners.
• Experience navigating financial compliance requirements and supporting annual audits.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines for multiple entities or projects simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in K-12 school district, charter school, non-profit, or governmental accounting.
• Hands-on experience with modern ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct) and FP&A tools (e.g., Vena Solutions).
• Experience delegating tasks to and mentoring junior staff.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint for financial modeling and presentation development.

Be excited to be a part of our team and grow your career with us!

Be the one who enables us to positively impact over 258,000 students across multiple states while driving our growth forward so we can enrich even more lives. Be the one who helps us achieve excellence for over 226 schools that we support with academics, finance, technology, human resources, communications, marketing, facilities, construction, and food services. Be the one who is a diverse thinker, a team player, a smart risk taker, an innovator, and a difference maker by encouraging others to climb higher and reach farther to further education.

• Be yourself surrounded by wonderful people who care about you, value your unique skills, and lift you up.
• Be supported in your work by caring leaders and team members who want you to succeed.
• Be empowered to make a difference and climb higher and reach farther to change lives through education.
• Be well in all aspects of your life from your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing to your finances.
• Enjoy industry-leading pay, rewards, referral bonuses, with unlimited flexible paid time-off for performance.
• Be able to care for your health and your family with comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits and invest in your future with 401(k) plans with a 6% employer match on your contributions.
• Enhance your growth and development with mentoring and money to take training classes.
• Thrive in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment where we treat others with fairness and respect, celebrate diversity, and elevate equality and inclusion as an equal opportunity employer.

Be the one who makes a difference!

With an innovative mind, a hungry heart, and engaging spirit you can change lives through education. Be a part of Vertex Education and let's make a difference together.