Head of Finance and Accounting

Steven Douglas is pleased to partner with a rapidly growing, mission-driven educational network headquartered in New York City. This organization has scaled quickly to a multi-site presence and is executing an ambitious long-range plan to significantly expand its student enrollment and geographic reach over the next decade. Driven by a clear and compelling mission, the organization connects families to a values-rich academic environment that strengthens cultural identity and community engagement.

This is a pivotal moment in the organization’s evolution. The finance function has a solid operational foundation, and the organization is now ready to layer in sophisticated strategic financial leadership capable of supporting rapid expansion, major capital deployment, large-scale fundraising, real estate growth, and long-term institutional sustainability.

We are seeking a Head of Accounting and Finance to join the Executive Leadership Team as the organization’s senior financial authority. The ideal candidate is a seasoned executive who is equally comfortable providing visionary financial strategy and rolling up their sleeves to ensure operational excellence across the finance function. This is a high-impact opportunity for a leader who thrives in dynamic, high-growth, mission-driven environments.

• Serve as a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, partnering with the Director and senior colleagues to align financial strategy with the organization’s mission, growth objectives, and long-range vision
• Build and maintain comprehensive financial models, forecasts, and scenario plans spanning near-term and long-range horizons, incorporating assumptions around new site openings, enrollment growth, capital spending, philanthropic revenue, and operational scaling
• Lead financial due diligence, structuring, and integration planning for new location launches and potential acquisition or merger opportunities as the network continues to expand
• Drive fundraising strategy in close partnership with leadership, including modeling large-scale gift campaigns, institutional sponsor ships, endowment development initiatives, and bank financing structures tied to real property
• Provide executive oversight of the accounting team, maintaining high standards across financial controls, compliance, audit readiness, and reporting accuracy; ensure timely and accurate delivery of financial statements and all required nonprofit and regulatory filings
• Lead financial modeling, structuring, and due diligence for real estate acquisitions, long-term lease arrangements, donor-financed facility build-outs, and capital projects supporting new and existing locations
• Oversee budgeting, cash flow management, treasury, and risk management functions; manage banking relationships and investment strategy for organizational reserves to ensure financial resilience across all stages of growth

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field required; CPA, MBA, or equivalent advanced credential strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior executive role (Head of Finance, VP of Finance, Controller, or equivalent); demonstrated track record of building financial strategy and infrastructure in a high-growth organization.
• Deep expertise in education/finance, including fundraising support, grant management, endowment planning, and compliance with nonprofit accounting standards and applicable regulatory requirements
• Advanced financial modeling and analytical capabilities with strong Excel proficiency; hands-on experience implementing scalable financial systems, reporting dashboards, and internal controls across a multi-entity or multi-site organization
• Familiarity with real estate development, long-term leasing structures, and capital project financing in a nonprofit or institutional setting is highly desirable.