Sustainable Community School (SCS) Grant Financial Specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third-largest school district in the United States, serving over 350,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Job Summary:

The CPS Community Schools Initiative (CSI) Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) Business Operations Coordinator is responsible for the successful fiscal management and reporting of the CSI SCS grant. The CSI Business Operations Coordinator reports to the Lead Business Operations Coordinator of the Community Schools Initiative (CSI) in the Office of College and Career Success. The CSI SCS Business Operations Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the accurate and efficient execution of all business support functions, including budgeting, purchasing, travel, board reports, and business process development and improvement. As part of that responsibility, the Coordinator will work closely with the CSI team and school partnerships to ensure that effective budget management tools and practices are in place and ensure strict adherence to the Sustainable Community Schools model.

Typical Duties/Responsibilities:

• Conduct the development and ongoing review and monitoring of SCS grant budgets

• Regularly analyze business operations with an eye toward process improvements and fiscal integrity

• Ensure accurate execution of department and school purchasing processes, and monitor and assess processes for efficiency improvements

• Monitor SCS school-level spending, including partner agencies, and assist in the management of all financial transactions to ensure all funds are spent in accordance with grant guidelines

• Work directly with SCS schools to manage all SCS funding and assist and advise staff through the budget modification process

• Manage invoicing process for all SCS Purchase Orders with Lead Partner Agencies, this includes reviewing for allowable/non allowable charges, tracking expenditures, and working with a variety of stakeholders to ensure timely payment

• Assist CSI staff with other responsibilities related to office operations and other duties as assigned.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the CSI SCS Business Operations Coordinator must possess the following qualifications:

Type of Education Required:

• Bachelors degree required

• Masters degree preferred

Type of Experience Required:

• Five+ years of professional experience

• Experience managing/administering budgets and procurement processes

• Knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management and organizational development

• Strong knowledge of Oracle and other CPS databases, or ability to learn these quickly

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, PowerPoint, Word

• Exceptional written, verbal, organizational, and budgetary skills

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with multiple levels of management and address challenges in a constructive manner

• Ability to build trusting relationships and function effectively with all stakeholders; both at the school and central office level, as well as the community partner level

• Self-starter with ability to conduct multiple projects concurrently, both independently and as a member of a collaborative team

• Ability and willingness to learn and quickly adapt amidst new and shifting priorities

• Demonstrate high levels of integrity, honesty, and credibility

Residency Requirement:

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and must maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.