JOB TITLE: Chief Business Officer

LOCATION: Mississippi Achievement School District (mASD) Business and Administration

Center (Yazoo City)

SALARY: $95,000.00 - $125,000.00

WORKDAYS: 235 Days - 12 Month Employee

REPORT TO: Superintendent

FSLA STATUS: EXEMPT

****Desired Start Date July 1, 2022****

The students of the Mississippi Achievement School District (mASD) need your talent, expertise, passion, and leadership.

We are seeking highly motivated and innovative practitioners to join our team at the mASD. We seek individuals who are radically relentless about re-envisioning the landscape of public education in Mississippi and making a significant difference in the lives of students, parents, school leaders, teachers, and central office employees.

Currently the mASD serves approximately 3500 students in Yazoo City and Humphreys County in the Mississippi Delta. As part of the state’s comprehensive transformation effort, the mASD seeks to become the model for sustainable school and district improvement in areas of the state that have experienced chronic and entrenched underperformance. Over time, the mASD intends to develop the highest-performing, competitively compensated, and most revered educator workforce in the state. 

The district seeks proven instructional and operational leaders with outstanding interpersonal skills who have a passion for working with schools, principals, and communities and who are committed to ensuring all students achieve. Serving a population as diverse as ours requires creativity, commitment, and vision. Will you join us?

POSITION OVERVIEW

The mASD is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as the Chief Business Officer. This position serves as the chief finance and business officer for the District charged with developing and executing financial and operation practices for the state’s first achievement school district. There is no existing model so the individual serving in this role would need to possess and employ an entrepreneurial and “can do” approach to this work. The Chief Business Officer will directly manage all business office staff and manage a budget of nearly $80M combined for both regions. The person selected for this position will be responsible for transitioning the District into a variable-cost organization and reducing its fixed costs and liabilities; implementing tight financial controls to reduce wasteful spending; aligning district resources to the organizational priorities; providing training and development as needed districtwide, and improving operational support for schools. This position will report directly to the Superintendent. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned. 

Essential Functions

• Serves as the district’s senior leader on all matters related to finance and business services.
• Refine financial practices and procedures for the state’s first achievement school district.
• Formulate, coordinate, and direct all aspects of the mASD’s financial planning and administration including development of comprehensive short-and long-range budgets
• Direct the planning, receipt collection, disbursement, and accounting of mASD’s revenues and expenditures, managing the investment of mASD’s funds and assisting the Superintendent and other department heads in preparing the annual budget.

• Participate in organizational budgeting process.
• Manage the creation of program-specific budgets.

• Direct and participate in the formulation and implementation of applicable finance policies, ensuring adherence to generally accepted accounting practices and principles of governmental accounting, compliance, contracts, grant activity, and the rules and regulations of the MDE.
• Oversee maintenance of accounting work on grants received by schools, processing adequate records, reimbursements, code reviews, etc., to comply with applicable laws and ordinances.

• Advises leadership and staff on external agency requirements and guidelines; interacts with district and grant funded departments to resolve problems and clarify policies; and develops internal procedures for monitoring and tracking of grant awards for compliance.

• Assist members of superintendent’s cabinet with financial matters as necessary; answers inquiries and explains policies and procedures.
• Direct a staff of professional, technical, and clerical personnel responsible for compiling data for various reports required by MDE and assisting outside auditors.
• Lead the District in transitioning into a variable-cost organization and reducing its fixed costs and liabilities.

• Provides projections, forecasts, and analyzes financial impacts; monitors and responds to budget variances. Generates required financial reports. Takes corrective action, as required.

• Implement tight financial controls to reduce wasteful spending and align district resources to the organizational priorities.
• Safeguard mASD’s physical assets through implementation of adequate internal controls and ensures adequate accounting records to document compliance with local, state, and federal laws and ordinances.
• Direct the activities of staff members in the performance of designated functions and participating in auditing and maintaining general accounts and the general ledger.
• Provide training, support, and development to all employees within the finance department and district wide as needed.

• Evaluates employee performance and provides guidance and feedback to assigned staff; counsels and disciplines employees as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field 
• Five years of full-time, paid, business office experience in school district finance
• Experience as a school district business officer or manager in the State of Mississippi
• Business manager certification in the State of Mississippi
• Able to work effectively with multiple internal and external stakeholders 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills 
• Able to develop and execute strategy independently with little guidance and supervision 
• Ability to create and facilitate finance presentations for lay personnel and audiences with limited to no finance background 

• Willingness to work in a diverse, small office, small team environment
• Must be able to pass a background check
• Proficiency with Marathon Accounting Software
• Strong presentation skills

Preferred Skills/Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field 
• Five years of full-time, paid, school district business officer or manager experience

• Government budget experience
• Grants Management Experience
• Superb inter and intrapersonal skills and competencies
• Full-time, paid experience in AP/R and payroll

Additional skills/competencies necessary:

Teaming: Ability to motivate and inspire a team. Must show a commitment to establishing and maintaining vision in a fast-paced fluid environment and to help team members to understand their role in helping to accomplish the vision.

Initiative: Measure self against a standard of excellence. Undertake self-development activities and learn new skills, seek increased responsibilities, and ask for and offer help when needed. Demonstrate the ability to work independently and harmoniously with a variety of personalities and leadership styles.

Communication Skills: Clearly and persuasively communicate, including public speaking; listen and seek clarifications; participate in meetings; write clearly and informatively.

Integrity: Work well in a rapidly changing environment; treat others with respect and consideration; accept responsibility for own actions. Understand business implications of decisions, align work with strategic goals, complete administrative tasks and develop strategies to achieve organizational goals.

Flexibility: Able to multitask in a changing work environment. Handle competing demands and unexpected events. Willingness to change approach to best fit the situation.

Dependability: Follows instructions, takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments.

Working Conditions

• This position occasionally requires long hours and occasional weekend work.
• This job generally operates in a professional office environment.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Interested individuals who meet minimum requirements should apply online at www.masd.k12.ms.us.

Questions concerning this vacancy announcement should be directed to:

Dr. Sametra Brown, Director of Human Capital & Talent Management

Mississippi Achievement School District 

662-746-2125

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Candidates selected for an interview will be contacted by phone.

 ***The Mississippi Achievement School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer***

I understand and agree to the terms of this job description.

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