Description

The Episcopal School of Dallas prepares young men and women for lives of intellectual discovery, integrity, and purpose. Built upon our Founding Tenets of religio, daily worship; eruditio, scholarship; and disciplina, training within a community of learners, ESD continues to direct its mission to ignite a life of purpose in each student through the development of an educated conscience.

Founded in 1974 by The Reverend Stephen B. Swann with eight seventh-grade students, today ESD educates and inspires 1,150 students in grades beginner (age 3) through grade 12. ESD is located in Dallas, a modern metropolis of North Texas, and a commercial and cultural hub in the region.

At the heart of ESD are talented and compassionate faculty and staff who are the backbone of our institution and paramount to the school's success. They adeptly balance rigorous, college preparatory coursework with understanding and nurturing of the whole child. Classes are small, with an overall student-teacher ratio of 7:1. ESD employees are lifelong learners, and the school invests nearly $500,000 in professional development annually. More than 250 serve the ESD community and all are appreciated and respected for their individual and collective contributions.

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Purpose: The Senior Controller is responsible for preparing the budget, conducting financial analysis and preparing financial reports; developing and implementing an effective accounting system; managing part of the payroll process and maintaining accurate and current records. The Senior Controller is the supervisor of the Business Office. Direct reports to the Senior Controller include the Controller, Accounting Manager, AR Supervisor, and Sr. Staff Accountant/AP Manager.

Essential Functions:

Provide management in finance and accounting in order to ensure finances are managed according to policies and procedures and GAAP.

• Manage accounting and financial system and maintain full and accurate accounting records.
  • Approve the chart of accounts.
  • Implement and monitor payment authority practices.
  • Establish and maintain cash controls.
  • Reconcile general ledger accounts.
  • Complete transfer of investment funds in accordance with Endowment Trust decisions.
• Conduct financial analysis and prepare detailed financial reports and statements.
  • Prepare financial reports for board meetings, finance committee meetings and school leadership.
  • Prepare compliance certificates for ESD's bank(s).
  • Prepare monthly financial reports for the CFO.
• Coordinate the audit of the school and ensure tax filings are prepared in a timely manner.
  • Coordinate the annual audit of the school.
  • Prepare the annual financial report for ESD Consolidated and the ESD Permanent Endowment Trust.
  • Coordinate the 403(b) audit of the ESD retirement plan.
  • Assist the audit and tax firm with preparing the Form 5500 for the retirement plan and Form 990 for the school's three entities.
• Coordinate the budget process for the school.
  • Coordinate the annual budget process for the school.
  • Prepare the true-up of the budget at the beginning of the school year.
  • Attend budget meetings with department managers.
  • Provide analysis and projections for the short and long term operating and capital expenditure budgets.
• Assemble and analyze the information needed for the school's insurance policies.

Successful management of fiscal responsibilities.

• Maintain annual departmental budget.
  • Develop annual budget for Business Office.
  • Ensure all expenditures are necessary and well planned.
  • Carefully allocate expenses to ensure safeguarding of ESD funds.
  • Recruit, train, set goals for, evaluate and organize Business Office staff.

Deliver team driven and goal oriented organizational and departmental leadership.

• Participate and communicate effectively with all constituencies at ESD including faculty, staff, and parents.
  • Create open lines of communication to ensure cohesive development of finance and accounting practices.
  • Provide timely updates regarding finance and accounting for the School.
  • Convey necessary confidential matters to the Chief Financial Officer.
• Provide direction and guidance to the Business Office.
  • Ensure continuity of the department through regularly scheduled and well planned meetings that engage departmental growth and development.
  • Provide leadership by delegating tasks, responding to staff inquiries and providing overall direction to Business Office employees.
  • Evaluate the performance of, and provide training and development opportunities for Business Office staff.
  • Establish and maintain internal controls to ensure compliance of policies and procedures.

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Abuse Risk Management Standards:

• Follows employee screening requirements and uses screening instruments to screen for abuse risk.
• Provides employees with ongoing supervision and training related to abuse risk.
• Requires employees to adhere to policies and procedures related to abuse risk.
• Follows mandated reporting requirements.
• Communicates to all employees the organization's commitment to protect their students from abuse.

Working Environment:

• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling.
• Generally, 40% sitting, 40% walking, and 20% standing.
• Minimal temperature variations
• Off-site travel to include rustic environments and occasional overnight trips.
• Generally, a hazard-free environment.
• Job involves attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time as the job demands.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher academic degree in Accounting or Finance. CPA required.
• Five plus years of financial administrative leadership experience, ideally at an independent school, or other nonprofit or corporate environment of similar complexity or for a public accounting firm, including evidence of strong leadership skills.
• At least 5 years of accomplishment at senior fiscal management level in a relevant organization, and including involvement in budget planning and execution, financial planning and analysis, modeling and forecasting, and payroll processing or equivalent experience in a public accounting firm as an auditor.
• In depth knowledge of finance and accounting systems.
• Background working with multiple constituencies such as faculty, staff, parents, and Board members or clients of a complexity and size similar to ESD.