Finance Director Academics and Student Supports

Wake County Public School System offers a hybrid work arrangement in Cary, NC, and the Finance Director will lead the Academics and Student Supports finance team. This role centers on financial management, budgeting oversight, contract administration, and compliance, all in support of academic excellence and student services.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the day to day management and supervision of the Academics and Student Supports finance team.
• Provides training and structure to assigned fiscal administrators to ensure compliance.
• Partners with the finance officer to establish procedures for negotiating and preparing master and non-construction contracts district wide.
• Leads training on contract procedures for the Academics and Student Support Central Services areas.
• Assists department leaders in developing and implementing short and long range budget strategies to optimize the use of financial resources during the budget cycle.
• Reviews budget business cases for accuracy.
• Analyzes financial operations with Academic and Student Support Central Services and offers recommendations on financial and budgeting policies to improve control and resource utilization.
• Prepares periodic financial and budgetary reports and provides analysis for department use, district distribution, and external requirements as needed.
• Keeps current with technical, legislative, and professional developments, including relevant state and federal laws and accounting principles affecting revenue and expenditures.
• Serves as the lead contact for state and federal agencies on program financial audits within the Academics and Student Support Central Services areas.
• Monitors internal controls to ensure proper handling of financial transactions.
• Recommends tools and processes to drive improvement.
• Oversees state and local textbook funding and contributes to long range planning for textbook distribution.
• Manages updates to DocuSign non-construction contract templates in alignment with board policies.
• Reviews the precision of financial requests from Academic and Student Support Central Services areas before submission to the Wake County Board of Education.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Extensive knowledge of personal computers and related software.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with Oracle or other enterprise resource planning systems.
• Proficiency with Google Apps.
• Considerable knowledge of human resource position allotments and payroll procedures.
• Comprehensive knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and governmental accounting principles.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local budgeting and finance requirements.
• Strong critical thinking and problem solving abilities.
• Solid research and analytical skills.
• Extensive contract and purchasing knowledge and skills.
• Ability to develop short and long term initiatives.
• Ability to complete complex tasks with attention to detail and minimize errors.
• Ability to work independently and manage tasks in the absence of explicit direction.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills using diverse tools to facilitate information flow, collaboration, and feedback.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with school officials, administrators, teachers, support staff, vendors, and federal and state contacts.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Five years of related experience.
• Evidence of successful administrative or leadership experience.
• Must hold and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator’s license as required by North Carolina.

Technologies

• Microsoft Office Suite
• Google Apps
• Oracle ERP systems

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional office setting with a predominantly low to moderate noise level. It routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, scanners, and copiers. The role may require direct interaction with school system staff, personnel from external funding agencies, and community members. It is a light physical role, with occasional exertion up to ten pounds of force, and may involve driving as part of duties.