Senior Specialist, Finance Operations

Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast‑growing, and high‑performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole‑child education regardless of zip code or economic status.

When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential.

We are seeking a strategic, project‑driven, and highly analytical Senior Specialist, Finance Operations to manage, modernize, and elevate our company’s financial obligations and operational workflows. This role transitions from standard transactional processing to high‑level departmental oversight, focusing on maximizing end‑to‑end efficiency, championing artificial intelligence and automation innovations, and optimizing the comprehensive monthly closing process. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem‑solver who pairs deep technical and accounting proficiency with a collaborative leadership mindset to guide the finance operations team toward "best‑in‑class" performance leveraging modern AI tools.

• Process & AI Innovation:
  Identify, evaluate, and implement pioneering ideas and AI‑driven solutions (such as Intelligent Document Processing, smart matching systems, and automated workflows) to streamline the entire invoice‑to‑pay lifecycle and enhance overall departmental efficiency.

• High‑Level Accounts Payable & Invoice Management:
  Oversee the review, coding, and processing of high‑volume vendor invoices, ensuring total precision, utilizing automated validation tools, and securing proper internal departmental approvals.

• Strategic Cash & Payment Execution:
  Manage and optimize weekly payment runs via ACH, wire transfers, and checks to balance cash flow priorities with strong vendor relationships.

• Advanced Reconciliations:
  Direct monthly vendor statement reconciliations and spearhead the resolution of complex discrepancies or past‑due balances across all operating accounts.

• Compliance, Audit, & Data Integrity:
  Direct the maintenance of secure digital and physical financial records to ensure rigorous data integrity. Manage 1099 filings, ensure total accuracy in AI‑driven data extraction, and lead annual audit preparations.

• Stakeholder Communication & Leadership:
  Serve as the primary senior point of contact for complex vendor inquiries and internal departmental billing strategy, while mentoring and leading the day‑to‑day work of the finance team.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

Experience

• 5+ years of progressive experience in Accounts Payable, operational accounting, or finance operations.
• Demonstrated success leading or contributing to finance transformation initiatives, including process redesign, system implementation, or automation efforts.
• Experience working in complex, high‑volume environments where accuracy, speed, and compliance are critical.

Technical Expertise

• Advanced Excel proficiency (e.g., Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, data modeling, and reconciliation).
• Hands‑on experience with enterprise financial systems such as Net Suite, SAP, Workday, Coupa, Zip, or similar ERP/procurement platforms.
• Exposure to or strong interest in modern AP automation tools, including OCR‑based invoice processing, intelligent matching engines, and workflow automation solutions.
• Comfortable working with data to diagnose issues, improve processes, and support decision‑making.

Core Strengths

• Exceptional organizational skills with a proven ability to manage competing priorities in deadline‑driven environments.
• Meticulous attention to detail, especially in financial reconciliation, reporting, and compliance‑related work.
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to independently drive projects from ambiguity to execution.
• Natural problem‑solver who actively identifies inefficiencies and implements scalable, technology‑enabled…