Operations / Administration Director of Business Services
Job Description
Job Title: Director of Business Services
Reports to: Vice President of School Services
Classification: Exempt
Organization: The Colorado League of Charter Schools has 18 staff members, a statewide membership of nearly 255 schools with 120,000 students, a distinguished 20-year history, a prominent 13-member board of directors, and a strong fiscal position. The League’s mission is to improve student achievement by supporting Colorado’s public charter schools, positively reshaping the public school landscape, and advancing opportunities for innovation and expanded high-quality public school choice. The League’s vision is for all Colorado students to have access to high-quality, publicly-funded school options. The League’s expectation is that all employees of the organization will champion its mission and vision with passion and dedication.
Position Summary: The Director of Business Services will serve as the leader of the Business Services Program, and will support member schools through assessing organizational capacity and performance, evaluating and/or assisting with the development of a strategic business plan, enhancing financial expertise at the board and management levels, facilitating connections between the school and the financial community, increasing the efficiency and sustainability of schools, and coaching schools through strategic growth initiatives.
Essential Job Duties:
- Lead the implementation and coordination of support services offerings for all member schools; specifically focused on operational and financial success. Develop plans to market and communicate services as member benefits.
- Develop and provide a menu of high quality training options for business managers, CFOs, Executive Directors, school leaders and board members focused on continuous operational improvement. Work with internal experts as well as external contractors to provide engaging content in the areas of: budgeting, projections, financial analysis, compliance, and strategic growth planning. Coordinate the Business Service Program’s efforts to either deliver training content directly, and/or work with outside consultants and partners to provide the service. Ensure all service offerings are in demand, impactful, sustainable, and relevant to the League’s strategic goals and the Business Services department.
- Provide a variety of support and mentoring opportunities for charter school business and operational leaders including targeted financial capacity training and sharing of best practices.
- Ensure that Business Service goals and objectives included in the League’s strategic plan are met, including clear understanding and commitment to achieving revenue targets.
- Execute a 3 year business plan that supports the Business Services Program to achieve growth for the charter school sector.
- Collaborate with all other League programs to provide them with business services supports. Collaborate with the larger School Services Team to ensure the quality of member schools is impacted.
- Ensure that each area of the Business Services budget is based on realistic assumptions and then that those budgets are achieved.
- Demonstrate responsible fiduciary and fiscal decision making.
- Seek, pursue and manage grants, sponsorships and donations that support the business services programs.
- Develop, gather, manage and distribute resources on best practices for charter school operations. Coordinate sharing of support tools with League members via multiple communication vehicles and methods.
- Develop and provide opportunities for League members, especially business managers and operational staff, to learn about new products, services and practices helpful to school performance.
- Produce content for e-newsletters to members.
- Collaborate with CDE School of Choice Unit on programming of quarterly Business Manager Network meetings & Annual Finance Seminar.
- Plan and host Business Manager and IT Personnel trainings on a consistent basis.
- Coordinate session offerings at the League’s Leadership Summit and Annual Conference.
- Host vendor education events to provide information about the Colorado charter school sector and as a means to provide higher quality vendor interactions for school needs.
- Provide vendor networking opportunities for partner-status vendors to enable synergistic value and service levels to be brought to schools.
- Other duties as assigned.
Position Qualifications:
- Commitment to the charter school sector and the mission and vision of the League.
- At least five years of experience in a financial operations and leadership role in the charter sector.
- Demonstrated commitment to and track record of supporting high quality learning opportunities.
- Ability to independently lead, manage and accept responsibility for a variety of complex organizational functions.
- Ability to use technology tools and products effectively to achieve the goals of the team.
- Familiarity with Colorado education policy and law.
- Business planning and strategy experience. Ability to forecast, model, and implement budgets.
- Evidence of creating and executing marketing/sales plans.
- Entrepreneurial background and demonstration of self-starting capacity. Ability to work with minimal amount of supervision is critical.
- Evidence of high level organizational skills; ability to successfully manage and coordinate multiple projects and tasks.
- Effective management skills, ability to manage multiple projects and supervise multiple staff members.
- Effective oral and written communication skills. This position will require speaking in front of small and medium-sized groups on a regular basis.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and related software, including Windows, Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
- Familiarity with charter school operations, purchasing, or other back-office efforts.
- Sales experience (preferred).
- Comfortable and resourceful within a small, growing nonprofit organization.
- Demonstrates expertise in a variety of the field’s concepts, practices, and procedures.
- Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
- Willingness to travel throughout the state and on occasion, throughout the country.
- Driver’s license and access to a vehicle.
