Aspire Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that currently operates 34 high-performing, open-enrollment public charter schools serving 12,000 students in underserved communities across California and will open schools in Memphis, TN in fall, 2013. Aspire is one of the highest-performing public school systems in California, delivering a rigorous ‘College for Certain’ education to students in grades K-12. An unrelenting focus on college preparedness led to 100 percent of graduating Aspire seniors being accepted to four year colleges or universities in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Aspire offers a high-quality education in six cities throughout California: Los Angeles, Oakland, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto and East Palo Alto. Visit Aspire Public Schools at www.aspirepublicschools.org.  

GENERAL SUMMARY:  
Aspire seeks a driven and detail-oriented Financial Analyst to provide budget tracking and analytical support for a regional set of our schools, serving as the key financial advisor to that region’s Principals and Area Superintendent.  In addition to the core activities of budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, the Financial Analyst will also explore ways to increase the team’s efficiency by leveraging and creating technology tools and processes.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepare school budgets in collaboration with Principals and the Area Superintendent 
• Support Principals in tracking and adjusting their budgets throughout the year to ensure that they meet their budget targets
• Perform analysis across schools to identify best practices and efficiencies in spending trends and share those analyses with the other members of the Finance team
• Improve and/or create technology tools & processes to increase team effectiveness and efficiency
• Perform ad hoc financial analyses and special projects as requested by the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Finance, Area Superintendents, Principals, and other Home Office Directors
• Work with charter authorizers and the California Department of Education to comply with local, state, and federal reporting deadlines
• Ensure accuracy of all data critical for accurate budget tracking and reporting, including student enrollment/attendance, student demographics, revenue accruals, site ledger revenues, HRIS setup, resource allocation manager, expense reports, finance portal purchase orders/invoices, A/P team invoices, and expense accruals
• Demonstrate knowledge of, and support, the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements, standards, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

1) Required knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Strong MS Excel and financial modeling skills
• Ability to provide timely and meaningful financial analysis in a dynamic work environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to clearly communicate complex financial concepts to a non-financial leader within the organization
• Strong strategic thinking, organization, and project management skills
• Ability to proactively recognize and address challenges
• Strong understanding of and experience with budgeting and financial reporting
• Extremely detail oriented and dedicated to getting the job done accurately
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of accuracy

2) Minimum educational level:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field

3) Experience required:

• At least two years in a financial analysis-related role such as consulting, banking, etc.
• Background in financial analysis and accounting, through coursework and/or work experience
• Track record of identifying and implementing steps to automate tasks and increase efficiency
• Experience with charter school and/or nonprofit finance a plus
• Experience with databases (particularly SQL and OLAP cubes) and reporting tools (Tableau) a plus
• Experience with accounting systems a plus