Title: Controller                                                         Classification: Exempt

Department: Finance and Operations                     Status: Full-Time

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer                          Hired by: Head of Schools

 

School Description

Founded in Chicago in 1876, Sacred Heart Schools at Sheridan Road (Hardey Preparatory for Boys and Academy of the Sacred Heart for Girls are independent, Catholic, single-sex, elementary schools committed to academic excellence within the context of a Christian, faith-based community. The educational mission is deeply rooted in the 200-year tradition of the Society of the Sacred Heart and shared with the Network of Sacred Heart Schools located in 30 countries; including 25 schools in the United States and Canada. The essence of this tradition is the total development of each child: spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. Our girls and boys are taught in single-gender classrooms but follow a similar curriculum and share in many activities. With a total enrollment of approximately 600 students, the Schools are organized into three academic divisions, each led by a division head.

Position Description

The Controller upholds the mission of the Network Sacred Heart Schools as expressed in the Goals and Criteria and the mission statement of Sacred Heart Schools, Chicago as approved by the Board of Trustees. The Controller is responsible to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for managing the schools’ resources in a prudent and careful manner. They partner with the CFO and key management to create a premier Finance Office that upholds NAIS and ISACS Principles of Good Practice and is fully supportive of the Schools' mission, standards, and policies.

Essential Job Functions

General Accounting and Financial Reporting

• Responsible for managing the accounting function of the Schools, ensuring accurate and timely financial information (accounts payable, receivable, fixed assets, accruals, account reconciliations, payroll, etc.)
• Prepare monthly financial statements, including variance analyses
• Supervise student billing and general accounting operations
• Review monthly account reconciliations
• Provide support in the hiring and training of accounting department staff
• Assist the CFO in the preparation and monitoring of departmental budgets and forecasts working with other administrators and department heads concerning budget performance
• Communicate accounting policies to affected employees and ensure compliance with such policies
• Perform cash flow management activities to promote efficient use of working capital

Cash Receipts and Disbursements

• Supervise all incoming cash receipts and deposits
• Maintain daily cash balances and review reports from bank daily
• Provide weekly cash reports to CFO.

Audit

• Leads preparation of schedules and work papers for annual audit (school and 403b plan)
• Leads on other State and Federal reporting
• Maintains permanent office files for all audit schedules prepared by school.

Tuition Assistance and Enrollment

• Support the Manager of Tuition Assistance and Enrollment Services with applications and reporting
• Serve on the Tuition Assistance Committee
• Support Manager of Tuition Assistance and Enrollment Services and Admissions’ office in enrollment reporting and projections

Surveys and Peer Reporting

• Prepare all periodic surveys and reports for the school’s trade organizations (e.g., NAIS, Archdiocese, NBOA, and ISACS)
• Prepare other similar data as requested

Payroll Processing

• Manage payroll processing including all payroll disbursements, benefit deductions, and required withholdings
• Ensure payroll disbursements are properly calculated and recorded in the G/L in the correct accounting period in the correct accounts

Other

• Oversee all day-to-day operations within the Finance Office
• Manage and mentor Manager of Tuition Assistance and Enrollment Services, Senior Accountant, Staff Accountant, and Finance Associate
• Serve as a staff liaison to on the Finance and Audit and Risk Management Committees, and Buildings and Grounds Council of the Board of Trustees

• File required corporate reports with all governmental agencies including the Internal Revenue Service Form 5578, Illinois Welfare Exemption, Cook County Property Tax Return, and other forms
• Attend all-school required events and fulfill weekly school support duties, as assigned
• Execute other duties as assigned by the CFO

 

Qualities and Requirements

• Five+ years of experience in accounting; experience working in an educational environment preferred
• Bachelor’s degree required - major in accounting preferred; master’s degree preferred
• Ability to think strategically and execute with high degree of accuracy, attention to detail, prioritization, discretion, ethics, and confidentiality
• Solid verbal and written communication skills with service orientation, including the ability to communicate intricate concepts and topics clearly, thoroughly, and succinctly
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently as well as anticipate in an environment with changing priorities under tight deadlines
• Enjoy working both independently and as member of a team
• Continuously strive for process improvement and quality outcomes
• Solid computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office – strong Excel skills preferred; experience with payroll/HRIS system(s) (ADP preferred) and comfort in learning and leveraging new software and technology
• Experience with Blackbaud software (Financial Edge) preferred

 

 

Sacred Heart Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate.