Financial Secretary - School Support

Terms of Employment: 12 months

Exemption Status:
Non-Exempt

AFSCME Scale: UA Grade 12-13

Annual Salary Range: $49,587 to $88,057, determined by years of experience.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

* High School Diploma required, Associate Degree Preferred

* Five years of financial secretary experience required, in a school environment preferred

QUALIFICATIONS

* Advanced knowledge of accounting principles, reconciliations, financial reporting, budgeting, cash controls, purchasing, and records management.

* Ability to interpret policies, procedures, regulations, agreements, and complex financial information and translate them into practical operating guidance.

* Ability to analyze large or complex data sets, identify trends and exceptions, and prepare clear findings and recommendations.

* Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and enterprise financial systems; ability to learn new technology quickly.

* Ability to develop and deliver effective training to adult learners with varied levels of financial knowledge.

* Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, reviews, and school support needs with limited supervision.

* Excellent written, verbal, presentation, consultation, and customer-service skills.

* Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and confidentiality in sensitive situations.

* Ability to build collaborative working relationships with administrators, school staff, central-office departments, vendors, auditors, and community stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

* Provide district-wide oversight and guidance for school financial operations, including student activity funds, school budgets, purchasing, procurement cards, deposits, receivables, disbursements, reconciliations, ticket sales, athletic funds, fundraising, and other school-based financial activity.

* Interpret and apply Board policies, administrative procedures, state requirements, accounting standards, and internal control expectations to school financial operations.

* Monitor financial activity across schools to identify inconsistencies, control weaknesses, unusual transactions, overdue reconciliations, negative balances, documentation gaps, or other areas of risk.

* Develop, recommend, and maintain standardized procedures, forms, checklists, calendars, and operating guidance for school financial processes.

* Advise administrators and school financial staff on complex or sensitive financial matters and recommend corrective action when necessary.

* Coordinate and support internal and external audits of school financial records, including preparation of documentation, review of findings, and monitoring of corrective action plans.

* Assess the effectiveness of internal controls related to cash handling, deposits, purchasing, disbursements, segregation of duties, inventory, ticket control, and financial record retention.

* Conduct periodic reviews of school financial records and practices to promote compliance, accuracy, consistency, and audit readiness.

* Provide technical assistance to schools in resolving audit findings, reconciling discrepancies, correcting financial records, and strengthening local procedures.

* Maintain documentation of reviews, findings, recommendations, corrective actions, and follow-up status.

* Serve as a subject matter expert for Oracle Financials and other financial, purchasing, payment, reporting, or school activity systems used by the district.

* Analyze system transactions, workflow issues, account coding, budget errors, interface problems, access concerns, and data inconsistencies, coordinate resolution with Fiscal Services, Payroll, Procurement, Human Resources, and Technology.

* Create and maintain reports, dashboards, tracking tools, reconciliations, and data analyses that support operational decision-making and compliance monitoring.

* Recommend system enhancements, access controls, automation opportunities, and process redesigns that improve accuracy, efficiency, and accountability.

* Provide individualized coaching, technical assistance, and problem-solving support to schools with complex financial issues or staffing transitions.

* Develop user guides, job aids, presentations, frequently asked questions, and other professional learning resources.

* Act as backup to all school financial secretaries.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS &

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The environmental factors and/or physical requirements of this position include the following:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; and the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-50 pounds. Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard.

The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear.

Charles County Public Schools reserves the right to re-advertise and modify the…