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Assistant Director of Finance and Assistant Controller

The Lawrenceville School

Details

Posted:

April 4, 2025

Location:

Lawrenceville, New Jersey

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Level:

Experienced

The Assistant Director of Finance and Controller (ADFC) oversees the daily financial operations of the School, which encompasses $83 M in annual expenditures and $1.1 B in total assets. With 400+ employees, the School operates at the scale of a small liberal arts college with a national reputation.

The ideal candidate should have a strong accounting background and expertise in financial operations, ideally gained in not-for-profit or academic settings. Additional experience in business operations, endowment accounting, treasury management, financial reporting, and IT system modernization is preferred. Prior experience in education is advantageous. The candidate must be collaborative, approachable, proactive, and committed to staff development and process improvement. A CPA certification is required.

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Controller, the Assistant Controller manages financial accounting and operations, including developing financial policies, overseeing audits, and supervising accounting, treasury, and endowment functions.

This role leads the Finance Office, overseeing a team managing Endowment and General Accounting, as well as an outsourced contract handling Accounts Payable, Procurement and Student Accounts/Tuition Billing. The ADFC ensures financial integrity, GAAP compliance, strong internal controls, and effective financial systems.

A key focus is on enhancing financial processes, automation, and technology, while ensuring efficient and responsive service delivery. The Assistant Controller plays a critical leadership role, driving improvements in finance operations and supporting the School’s overall strategic goals.

Essential Responsibilities:

Develop, implement and maintain procedures and policies to ensure an efficient and effective operation. Manage compliance with existing and stay current on evolving IRS regulations as well as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Ensure compliance with IRS regulations for borrowers of tax exempt debt.
Responsible for management of the General Ledger accounting system (Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT), ensuring a timely month end and annual close, and all appropriate general ledger accounts are properly reconciled. This includes training, managing and mentoring the accounting staff Oversee training and servicing the needs of the end users.
Lead evaluation of processes and systems to identify ways to improve and leverage systems to become more efficient and to better serve end user and management needs. Supervise the Finance Office team and help prioritize projects and work to strengthen systems and automation.
Work collaboratively with HR payroll colleagues to ensure that payroll entries are recorded correctly and all payroll accounts are reconciled.
Oversee and manage the outsourced accounts payable and student billing functions performed by a contract service provider
Strengthen accuracy and quality assurance. At the appropriate time lead review of chart of accounts and lead implementation of enhancements or initiate redesign.
Responsible for the oversight and review of the school-wide purchase card program, Ramp. Oversee the work of the Ramp card administrator
Oversee and manage the endowment accountant, ensuring that endowment accounting is performed accurately, timely and effectively using the Balance Fundriver system, and appropriately reflected in the General Ledger. Ensure strong partnership with Alumni and Development office colleagues and systems, as well as end users.
Work with accounting staff and Summer / Auxiliary Programs colleagues to ensure monthly review of all auxiliary program accounts, checking to make sure entries are recorded properly and the use of appropriate project codes for each transaction.
Prepare the annual financial statements and function as the main contact for the financial audit with external auditors. (Manage process to get audit and financial statements approved by the Audit and Risk Committee each fall and timely filed with EMMA (Electronic Municipal Market Access system), lenders, banks, and other external constituencies.
Responsible for federal and state tax compliance at the School, including preparation of the annual tax returns (e.g. form 990). Manage process to get 990 approved by the Audit and Risk Committee, and filed timely with the IRS.
Oversee Finance Office staff supporting Operations (Facilities / B&G) for capital spending, including Renewal & Replacement (R&R) program. Ensure review of weekly invoices to ensure accurate recording in the general ledger for fund, account and project numbers. Ensure that the project accounts are reconciled and reported on monthly in an appropriate timeframe. Oversee compliance with School’s Debt Policy and reporting obligations for taxable and tax-exempt debt.
Manage fixed assets including monitoring and reconciling projects, maintaining fixed assets and depreciation records and annual preparation of required schedules for the audit. Lead project to strengthen this process and enhance long term financial planning for asset life-cycle management
Lead professional development of the Finance Office team, and help each team member feel supported and grow. Work with each team member to create and maintain written procedures for each position and develop a cross training program. Strengthen systems and tools for self-service by the campus community end users, including updating and expanding the newly launched Financed site on the School’s intranet for employees and expanding training for employees.
Special projects as assigned by the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer and / or Director of Finance and Controller.

Requirements:

Requires a four-year degree in business/accounting from an accredited institution (or equivalent degree plus highly relevant work experience)
CPA is required.
Five or more years of accounting experience, preferably in an educational institution or other non-profit organization
Three or more years of managerial experience supervising accounting/business office personnel preferred
Experience with Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT (and/or similar not-for-profit accounting applications) strongly preferred
Effective analytical, financial and business management skills. Ability to earn the trust and respect of co-workers and the school community, creating positive relationships.
This position also requires strong knowledge of accounting principles, practices, and internal control procedures, as well as working knowledge of accounts payable, tuition billing and payroll functions, and related computing systems.
Ability to manage, supervise, and develop a diverse team of finance professionals, helping them problem solve, set goals and objectives, assess performance, hold team members accountable, determine areas for improvement, coach, plan and obtain professional development, and develop compelling career opportunities and growth for all team members.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with all levels of employees, management and external agencies to maximize performance, solve problems and achieve optimum results within the culture of the School. The ability and instinct to proactively partner with colleagues across functions and offices is essential.
Strong time management skills with the ability to multitask and prioritize work, ability to meet multiple and often competing deadlines. Strong project management skills.
Highly desirable traits include: collaborative work style, high integrity, strong work ethic and positive outlook. Ability to evaluate and improve processes and leverage technology and tools. Inclination to document processes and policies while working in an environment where personal relationships and service are highly valued. Must be highly service oriented, while also motivated and able to drive increased efficiency.
Must be highly proficient with information technology and systems, including Microsoft Suite applications, and have excellent Excel skills, as well as strong proficiency with google tools. Ability to learn and work with various accounting programs (Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT) highly desirable.
Must be able to navigate an unstructured organization and be comfortable with ambiguity and situations where authority is diffused. Understanding of not for profit organizations, accounting, finance and regulations will be a significant asset. Alignment with the mission, culture and pace of a residential boarding school / mission driven non-profit is expected.

Work Environment Characteristics and Physical Demands:

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands are in excess of those for sedentary work. Must be able to remain on their feet for extended periods of time, go up and down flights of steps, as well as stoop, kneel, crouch, and lift.
Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, fax machines, etc.
Must be capable of using visual display terminal with continuous wrist movement on a keyboard
Required to stand for long periods of time
Required to, talk, hear, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms
Required to work some evenings, weekends and holidays in conjunction with School calendar and events
Must be able to lift up to 25lbs. without assistance
Ability to see with normal parameters.
Operates in a professional work environment

The Lawrenceville School is a diverse and inclusive community and makes all employment decisions without regard for an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, national origin, nationality, sex, pregnancy, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability (including AIDS and HIV related illness), genetic information, refusal to provide genetic information, refusal to submit to genetic testing, ancestry, familial status, marital status, domestic partnership status, civil union status, atypical cellular or blood trait, military service, application for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Lawrenceville School will also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals in accordance with applicable law.

The Lawrenceville School conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Eligible employees receive a competitive benefit package that includes health insurance coverage, paid leave and retirement plan options and many other valuable programs.

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Assistant Director of Finance and Assistant Controller

The Lawrenceville School

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