Director of Finance

OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Finance has a critical role in supporting Green Dot’s mission to prepare students for college, leadership, and life. The role requires a strong understanding of finance, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to communicate financial information effectively to diverse stakeholders. The Director will serve on the Finance team, report to the Chief Financial Officer, and is primarily based in Los Angeles.

• Budgeting and Forecasting
  • Lead the development and oversight of the annual budgeting process for both school sites and the Home Office.
  • Collaborate closely with department heads and senior management to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
  • Cultivate a deep understanding of the organization’s funding models, state and federal education funding sources, key expense drivers, and opportunities for financial optimization.
  • Enhance and refine budgeting and modeling tools, including the utilization of Adaptive Insights, to streamline the budgeting/forecasting process.
  • Manage budget performance throughout the fiscal year and execute corrective actions based on trends and analysis.
  • Collaborate closely with Operations and Finance Managers to fine‑tune monthly forecasts and develop tools for disseminating financial information to stakeholders.
• Reporting and Analysis
  • Collaborate with the CFO and other leaders to develop interactive multi‑year projections encompassing Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow statements at school and organization levels.
  • Oversee standard and ad‑hoc analyses and reports that provide a comprehensive view of financial and operational aspects.
  • Identify long‑term risks, devise strategies to mitigate financial volatility, and propose strategies to enhance financial outcomes.
  • Lead annual continuous‑improvement projects aimed at refining financial processes, optimizing reporting systems, and implementing best practices.
  • Act as a key resource for senior management by providing insightful analyses and actionable recommendations to inform strategic decision‑making.
• Grants and Fund Management
  • Facilitate the creation and management of budgets and projections for public and private funding sources.
  • Collaborate with program managers to construct comprehensive grant budgets, ensuring precision and completeness in reporting to funders.
  • Support grant proposal preparation by providing required financial data.
• Management and Communication
  • Maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, including school leaders, department heads, and organization partners.
  • Act as a liaison between the finance department and other departments, facilitating effective communication of financial matters.
  • Communicate financial information and insights effectively to non‑financial stakeholders.
  • Manage Finance Manager duties and provide necessary resources and support.
• Other
  • Maintain and update financial policies and procedures aligned with industry best practices.
  • Manage the process for annual financial audits, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • Develop strategies to optimize cash reserves and investments.
  • Identify financial risks and develop mitigation strategies.
  • Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement changes as necessary.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Bachelor’s degree required;
Master’s degree preferred.

5+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, budgeting, or financial planning, preferably within California K–12 public education or charter school environments.

3+ years of direct experience managing and developing finance, accounting, or budget team members.

Demonstrated experience managing complex organizational budgets for both school‑site and centralized/home office budgets.

Advanced expertise in financial modeling, forecasting, variance analysis, and budget system development; experience with Workday Adaptive Planning strongly preferred.

Proven ability to identify financial discrepancies, cross‑reference data across systems, and partner effectively with operations and finance leaders to drive accuracy and accountability.

Pass a TB test and background check at the time of offer.

Highly…