Description
Position at IDEA Public Schools

About IDEA Public Schools :  

 

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe in college for ALL and we are committed to ensuring that   all   our students graduate from college. IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States sending 100% of our students to college. 50% of our students graduate from college in 6 years - that's 3 times the national rate for students in our communities!  

 
IDEA was founded in 2000 as a single school with 150 students in the Rio Grande Valley. When interest exceeded building capacity, to meet the demands, IDEA's co-founders committed to serving more students in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and beyond. We now serve  over 65,000  students across Texas and Louisiana. Be on the lookout for IDEA schools opening near you-with continued growth in our current regions an d new launches in  Tampa Bay , FL  (2021) ,  and  Jacksonville, FL (2022) !  

 

When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.  

 

To learn more about IDEA, check out this   video .  

Role Mission: The Finance Team strives to support the leadership at IDEA as we work together to meet and exceed our ambitious financial and student achievement goals. The Director of Treasury will lead complex, high-stakes work through significant partnership with and influence of senior internal leaders and external stakeholders. This role will be responsible for leading real estate acquisition and facilities financing in at least one state, beginning with Florida. The director will develop and own relationships with key lenders in related regions and serve as the bridge between IDEA and third-party vendors on Florida projects, including commercial realtors and construction project management firms. The director will also collaborate with the Managing Director of Treasury, Co-Chief Financial Officers, and external financial advisors to develop vision for and execute on operational and strategic issues within the area of treasury and cash management, including portfolio investment decisions and commercial banking business operations and relationships.

 

The Director of Treasury must be a self-starter who possesses an analytical, growth-oriented mindset, an ability to communicate complex ideas to senior leaders, and a desire to make a meaningful impact on a dynamic, high-growth education network. This position reports to the Managing Director of Treasury.

 

Accountabilities

 
Lead real estate acquisition in at least one state where IDEA operates, beginning with Florida.

• Drive the site identification process in partnership with commercial realtors, construction project managers and Florida regional teams.
• Lead internal cross-departmental vetting, including Go/No Go procedures
• Lead the process to get sites under contract, including negotiating Letters of Inquiry (LOIs), term sheets, Purchase and Sales Agreements (PSAs) and other related inter-party agreements.
• Drive real estate board approval processes for both local and national fiduciary boards and work with legal counsel(s) to finalize related board resolutions, amendments and inter-entity agreements.

 

Measurable Goal(s): Secure all necessary real estate for Florida 2023-24 and 2024-25 openings (dependent on site selection) by 6/30/22.

 
Own and execute the Plan of Finance for at least one state where IDEA operates, beginning with Florida.

• Set the vision and strategy for interim and long-term facilities financing in Florida and other portfolio states.
• Lead all aspects of the facilities financing process for portfolio regions, including active troubleshooting to keep deals on track and ensure that IDEA leverages the most advantageous debt opportunities.
• Develop and manage relationships with key lender and banking partners, helping to foster trust and confidence in the organization's financial plans and practices.
• Gather and present critical due diligence information for lender underwriting processes.
• Develop and manage a cross-departmental workstream to ensure adherence to financial covenants and meet lender reporting requirements.

 

Measurable Goal(s): Secure level facility financings for 2022, 2023 and 2024 Florida Projects (dependent on site selection) by 6/30/22.

 
Achieve no less than 135 days of operating cash on hand at June 30 for next three years for IDEA Texas and improve days cash on hand for IDEA Louisiana from 30 days to 45 days by June 30, 2022.

• Lead the research, identification, and pursuit of opportunities to increase access to working capital in growing portfolio regions.
• Partner with Directors of Finance and accounting and budgeting staff to drive the creation and update of rolling cash flow forecasts in partnership with school and regional leaders to ensure schools and regional budgets will meet annual operating income targets.
• Develop cash flow projections related to philanthropic grants in partnership with the Advancement team and Director of Grant Management.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly treasury reports, flagging areas of cash flow concerns and providing recommendations to senior leadership for improving cash positions across entities.

 

Measurable Goal(s): Achieve no less than 135 days of operating cash on hand for Texas and 45 days cash on hand for Louisiana by 6/30/22.

 
Manage liquidity and capital support needed to fund CIP on an interim basis and FF&E.

• Strategically partner with transportation and facilities teams to establish capital expenditure and capital replacement budgets for both IDEA Public Schools and IPS.
• Identify sources of funding for CIP and FF&E needs and partner with Managing Director of Treasury to secure funding.

 

Measurable Goal(s): Establish and execute on plan for Interim Debt Capacity by December 31 st to support the Launch Schedule and Bond take-out.

 
(Team Goal) Collaborate with senior finance leadership and financial planning/analysis team to successfully issue bond series for continued expansion within and outside of Texas.

• Lead efforts to take out interim facilities financing in portfolio regions with long-term capital markets debt.
• Serve as part of the bond issuance team and provide context expertise on portfolio regions when related deals go to the bond market.
• Manage the creation of financial underwriting materials for credit ratings agencies, including S&P

 

Measurable Goal(s): (Team Goal) Affirm IDEA Texas credit-worthy S&P Rating and successfully secure capital markets financings to fund 2022 Texas Phase 2 and 3 projects by 6/30/22.

 
Live values of IDEA

• Believes and is committed to our mission: that all students are capable of getting to and through college.
• Is driven by outcomes and results and wants to be held accountable for them.
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly.
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change.
• Operates with a high degree of integrity.
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities: None at this time. Potential for future supervisory responsibilities in line with the growth of the organization and Treasury team.

 

Qualifications:

• Education: (Required) Bachelor's Degree in business administration, public/non-profit administration, accounting, finance, economics or related field; (Preferred) Master's degree or higher in business administration, public/non-profit administration, accounting, finance, economics or related field
• Experience: (Required) 1-3 years in financial planning & analysis, real estate finance, accounting, investment banking, consulting, public finance, corporate finance, public/non-profit management, or related field; (Preferred) 3-5 years in financial planning & analysis, real estate finance, accounting, investment banking, consulting, public finance, corporate finance, public/non-profit management, or related field; (Preferred) Experience working within the education and/or public charter school sector.
• Mastery in MS Excel and proven experience in building and maintaining complex financial models required.

 

Knowledge and Skills:

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to explain complicated or technical information in a simple way to non-technical audiences.
• Proven track record of data management and analysis.
• Excellent presentation and communications skills (verbal and written).
• Hold ethics and values to high standards.

 

Competencies:

• Mission Focus - focuses on IDEA's core purpose of getting all students into college.
• Communication - displays exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
• Problem Solving - able to synthesize, analyze, and prioritize information to develop strategies for achieving goals and objectives.
• Continuous Improvement - proactively identifies opportunities to improve and consistently reflects on past actions to guide future decisions.
• Judgment - prioritizes conflicting needs; handles matters expeditiously and follows through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures.

Compensation: 
Salaries for people entering this role typically start between $91,100 and $112,900, commensurate with relevant qualifications and experience. This role is also eligible for a performance bonus based on individual and organization goal attainment.

IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.