Finance and Accounting Manager

Title: Finance and Accounting Manager Department: Business Office Reports to: Director of Finance Exempt Status: Exempt Position Status: Full Time Last Updated: 10/20/2025 The Wheeler School, a co-ed. N-12 independent day school of approximately 800 students in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, RI, is seeking a Finance and Accounting Manager. The Finance and Accounting Manager is responsible for overseeing the School’s core accounting operations, and reports to the Director of Finance. The Finance and Accounting Manager is a hands-on and participative manager that is responsible for leading and developing the financial operations of the School. This is a full time, 40-hour per week position for 12 months per year. About our School Founded by visionary educator and artist Mary C. Wheeler in 1889, Wheeler is a school committed to challenging academics, a rich performing and visual arts curriculum, and innovation. Our urban campus is supplemented by a 120-acre farm campus, which is the site of seven fields, tennis courts, a field house, and provides many experiential learning opportunities for students of all ages. Ideal candidates for faculty and staff positions at Wheeler are people with a sense of humor, warmth, and humility. They are excellent communicators, with empathy for others and an ability to listen and respond with good intuition and with the help of colleagues. They are ambitious and hard-working, committed to supporting students by offering help and creating new opportunities. When developing curriculum and programming, our faculty and staff members are curious, striving each year to stretch and grow, to implement new ideas that improve the Wheeler experience. In the end, employees love to spend their days with young people and enjoy all that the Wheeler community - creative, energetic, dynamic, and diverse - has to offer. Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities: Under the general supervision of the Director of Finance, the Finance and Accounting Manager will have primary day-to-day responsibilities with planning, implementing, managing, and controlling all financial-related activities of the School. This will include managing the general ledger accounting system of record, cash management, accounts receivable, student billing, fixed assets and accounts payable. Specific duties include: ● The Finance and Accounting Manager ensures that the School’s financial transactions and reporting comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures, GAAP. ● Manage, support and train a staff of up to three people. ● Constant evaluation of policies and procedures to identify and make recommendations for efficiencies and improvements. ● Maintain the general ledger database and stay current with the features and updates offered to ensure we are using the software to its full capacity. ● Prepare and analyze monthly reports including financial statements and budget to actual reports. ● The month end close process includes monthly reconciliation and analysis of all balance sheet accounts and selected income and expense accounts. ● Monthly reconciliation of other accounts as needed such as restricted funds, fund transfers, gifts and internal transfers. ● Prepare, review and approve journal entries as needed. ● Assist with the annual external audit. ● Maintain the fixed asset database. ● Assist the Director of Finance with the budget process. ● Special projects and analysis as necessary. Qualifications ● A Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance with at least 10 years of experience is required. ● Five years’ management experience is preferred. ● Strong knowledge of financial concepts including Generally Accepted Accounting Standards, GAAP, regulatory reporting standards, and budgeting. ● Excellent analytical skills with the ability to perform detailed account analysis and financial report writing. ● The ideal candidate has superior accounting and communications skills, can work independently, manage a varied workload, and can exercise a high degree of initiative, judgement and discretion. ● Must possess a strong sense of urgency to respond to and address needs of the School, balanced with good instincts and a strong attention to detail. ● Experience with Blackbaud and Microsoft Office preferred. Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands described here are representative of those that are essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. The requirements for performing the duties of this position are as follows: ● Regularly required to stand, walk, talk, and hear; regularly use hands and fingers, tools, or controls, regularly required to sit. ● The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. ● The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. How to Apply Interested candidates should email a resume, cover letter, and references to jillfeingold@wheelerschool.org with the position title in the subject line. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Wheeler Benefits At Wheeler, we offer a comprehensive employee benefits package, including comprehensive medical and prescription drug plans, Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), Dental, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 403(b) Retirement Plan, Vision, Life and AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability Insurance, Wellness and Work-Life Programs, and Benefits Concierge services. Statement on Diversity and Cultural Competency At Wheeler At Wheeler we actively seek students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds in the belief that a broad range of experiences and viewpoints enhance learning, enriches life on campus, and better prepares us all for full participation in a pluralistic, democratic society. We seek to further the overall diversity and cultural competency within our community through hiring. The Wheeler School is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or disability, and any other category protected by federal, state or local law.