Position Type:
Classified Administration/Senior Director Finance

Date Posted:
4/15/2022

Location:
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICE

Bargaining Unit: Exempt
Work Year: 12 months
Work Day: 8 hours per day
FTE: Full time, 1.0 FTE
Salary: $138,000 to $141,000 DOE

Job Summary
Working under the direction of and reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Director, Finance is responsible for providing key advice and subject matter expertise regarding finance and business operations. The senior director directs all aspects of Anchorage School District finance including accounting, payroll, and treasury functions and oversees district reporting, internal controls, and metrics analysis. The position has a retirement association with the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).

Job Requirements
The following are required:

1. A bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related field. Equivalent experience, education, and training may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement.
2. Five or more years of supervisory and managerial experience.
3. Knowledge of current Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) initiatives and pronouncements and governmental GAAP.
4. Knowledge of governmental accounting practices, including encumbrances, budget basis accounting, and GAAP accounting.
5. Proficiency with complex financial systems and software packages as well as Microsoft Office, specifically Outlook, Excel, and Word.
6. Ability to travel to ASD schools and administrative sites.

The following are preferred:

1. Prior school business experience.
2. Professional certification as CPA, CMA, CGFM, SFO, or other finance related designation.
3. Five or more years in a governmental accounting environment.
4. Prior project management experience and a thorough understanding of complex multi-module financial software programs.
5. Proficiency with the IFAS financial system.

Essential Job Functions

1. Provides financial information to management to facilitate achievement of ASD strategic plans and initiatives. Prepares and completes action plans, develops and implements financial procedures and standards, resolves problems, identifies financial trends, determines system improvements, and implements changes.
2. Oversees the work of and provides direction, leadership, and professional development to the controller, treasurer, and related staff within finance.
3. Oversees the activities of the Finance Department staff. Makes routine employment decisions by setting goals, monitoring performance, and taking appropriate follow-up actions as needed.
4. Facilitates and synchronizes group efforts, resolves conflicts, and solves complex problems.
5. Oversees the development of the Finance department's budget(s). Monitors and controls expenditures in order to meet budgetary constraints.
6. Oversees ASD accounting and treasury practices and policies to ensure that all financial records are maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), Anchorage School Board policies, and federal, state, and local laws or regulations.
7. Oversees the implementation of sound management practices to manage and direct the accounting and treasury functions, and to ensure the proper maintenance of internal controls and ASD's chart of accounts.
8. Works with a minimum of supervision, scheduling own workload to accurately and efficiently complete assigned projects on time and within scope.
9. Maintains confidentiality of ASD financial and personnel data.
10. Analyzes and interprets financial data and effectively communicates the information to others. Prepares various analyses and reports as directed by the CFO.
11. Responsible for timely and accurate completion of all financial records, including the district's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, all other statutorily required financial statements as well as monthly and quarterly financial statements for submission to the school board, upper management, and public, upon request.
12. Evaluates and develops enhancements to existing financial information systems in order to improve operational efficiencies, including recommending new and innovative technology and communicating effectively with Information Technology on finance system programming basics.
13. Provides ongoing training opportunities to increase knowledge, ability, and compliance with policies and procedures within ASD.
14. Acts as liaison with independent public auditors, governmental auditors, and other examiners concerning financial matters related to ASD.
15. Participates in studies relating to long and short-term planning of ASD financial matters and addresses committees on financial matters.
16. Establishes and maintains a collaborative relationship with schools and departments.
17. Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
18. Must be able to work as part of a team.
19. Provides guidance to other departments by researching and interpreting accounting policies and principles, and communicating financial matters.
20. Coordinates internal audit activity with ASD's internal auditor.
21. Researches, interprets, and understands current and proposed regulations, accounting principles, and other statutory requirements.
22. Provides project management on key initiatives, acquisitions, or other system implementations as required by the CFO.
23. Updates job knowledge by participating in educational and training opportunities. Maintains professional networks and participates in professional organizations.

Physical/Mental Demands
The physical demands of this job require frequent standing, walking, sitting, speaking, and hearing. Specific visual abilities are also required. The employee is regularly required to reach with his/her hands and arms and occasionally lift items weighing less than 40 lbs. Additionally, the employee must be able to communicate by oral and written means in an appropriate business manner and have cognitive skills to understand instructions, readily recall facts and details, handle conflict, and make effective decisions under pressure. The employee must have the ability to effectively manage the stress of working with students, parents, and other employees representing diverse cultures, personalities, and work styles in a dynamic work environment.

The Anchorage School District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all individuals with qualified physical or mental disabilities.

Work Environment
Work is performed in a professional environment with a wide variety of individuals having differing functions, personalities and abilities, including working with diverse groups of people in a variety of different settings.

While performing the duties of this job the employee may be regularly exposed to a video display. The employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Additional Job Information
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties as requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

Anchorage School District employees must possess the ability to read and write in English. This includes the ability to communicate in English with school staff, coworkers, and the public. Employees must also have the ability to comprehend and carry out oral and written directions and understand and follow English instructions and written documents.

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a satisfactory criminal background check.

This position may be required to work in ASD facilities on the military installations (JBER). Please visit www.dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief for additional information.

The Anchorage School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.