Vice President of Finance & Operations

NYC Outward Bound Schools

About NYC Outward Bound Schools: Why can’t school be more like an Outward Bound course? NYC Outward Bound Schools believes that students benefit greatly from tapping into the world beyond their classroom and their immediate community to partake in joyful learning experiences that can prepare them to thrive in community, college, and career. In partnership with the NYC public school system, NYC Outward Bound Schools is a non-profit organization that serves over 28,000 students in almost 80 schools across the five boroughs of New York City. NYC Outward Bound Schools provides opportunities for unique, liberatory, experiential learning for students in their social, emotional, and academic development. The organization supports NYC young people both by leading students in outdoor adventure programming that pushes beyond their traditional school experiences and also by coaching and supporting educators on how to incorporate lessons from these catalytic experiences within the classroom. Ultimately, our diverse and committed staff support NYC young people in unique ways to develop the knowledge and skills to lead with confidence and curiosity, persist in the face of challenges, and live fulfilling lives.

Role Summary: Reporting to the CEO, the Vice President (VP) of Finance and Operations will serve as the overall lead for the operational functions that enable NYC Outward Bound Schools to deliver services and supports to students and schools, as well as a critical thought partner and advisor to the CEO. This role will be responsible for leading and developing the financial management strategy, including accountability for the financial health and stability of the organization in conjunction with the CEO, and contributing to the development of the organization’s strategic goals. In addition, the VP of Finance and Operations will be charged with overseeing, developing, and implementing strategic processes in the IT and facilities space to ensure the organization has the operational and fiscal health to attain and uphold the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

Essential Functions:

• Develops and oversees the organization's financial management strategy and provides leadership and strategic oversight to the organization’s operations
• Develops and executes on an annual budgeting process that ensures resources are best aligned to the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of the organization; including creating and managing a multi-year budget forecast
• Upgrades and/or implements an appropriate system of policies/procedures, internal controls, and accounting standards
• Ensures compliance and high-quality implementation of accounting services such as treasury management, grants payment processing, payroll, accounts payable, and purchasing
• Provides risk assessments and estimates, advising the CEO on how to minimize the impacts of identified risks
• Advises the president and the leadership team, when appropriate, on financial planning budgeting, cash flow, and policy matters
• Gathers and monitors financial data, creating reports on revenue and budget for the CEO and Board
• Effectively communicates and presents critical financial and operational matters at select board of directors and committee meetings
• Represents the organization externally, as necessary, particularly in banking and lease negotiations
• Participates in the development of new earned income streams, government contracts, and strategic partnerships; provides recommendations, financial analysis, projections, and other data to inform the process
• Manages physical facilities and assets, including maintaining a safe and welcoming environment at both the organization’s headquarters as well as their outdoor adventure course(s)
• Develops and maintains a long-term strategy for capital improvements in physical facilities aligned with the fiscal capacity of the organization
• Identifies, selects, and works with consultants to supplement expertise when necessary
• Analyzes the current technology infrastructure and oversees the development and roll-out of a technology and financial systems plan that supports the foundational needs of the organization
• Ensures the organization is modeling best practices in cybersecurity to minimize the risks and protecting the organization from outside cyberattacks
• Oversees, directs, and organizes the work of the finance, IT, and facilities teams
  
  

General Expectations for All Leaders:

• Manages the planning, design, development, and implementation of specific short and long-term projects, especially those aligned to the goals of the organization’s strategic plan, as directed by the CEO.
• Maintains continuous lines of communication, keeping the CEO informed of all critical issues
• Monitors organizational culture and employee morale to identify improvement opportunities. Cultivates an engaging and inclusive environment that attracts and retains a diverse pool of qualified talent
• Fosters a culture of cross-departmental collaboration, individual initiative, accountability, and responsibility across the organization
• Promotes a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality
• Mentors and develops staff using a supportive and collaborative approach
• Establishes and monitors staff performance and development goals, sets objectives, establishes priorities, and conducts annual performance reviews
• Leads by example and brings awareness to the importance of the organization's efforts toward justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Provides guidance and support to the organization's leaders and employees
• Develops presentations and memorandum, as needed
• Maintains compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and best practices
• Performs other duties as assigned
  
  

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to educational equity for BIPOC youth, diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Demonstrates a dedication to our core values of community, courage, equity, integrity, and learning throughout all aspects of their work
• Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience, ideally with in-house financial management experience
• Business or Accounting degree is strongly preferred
• Proven experience in effectively establishing strategic financial goals and developing financial models
• Experience either as an employee or board member of a nonprofit organization; must be familiar with nonprofit finance and accounting regulations
• Knowledge of fee for service revenue streams and government contracts
• Proficiency in strategic planning, including the ability to develop and implement comprehensive plans and track progress toward the plan’s ultimate goals
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, work collegially, and achieve influence across a wide range of diverse stakeholders
• Ability to generate innovative ideas, originate action without instruction, take initiative, and prioritize tasks effectively
• Ability to remain detail-oriented while also maintaining focus on the big picture
• Skilled in working independently and following through on assignments with minimal direction
• Demonstrated flexibility, maturity, and ability to juggle competing priorities
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal; experience and skill in public speaking and presentations
• Unquestionable integrity and ethical standards in leadership
• Excellent digital literacy skills, including but not limited to Microsoft Office and Google
• Familiarity with the field of education is a plus
  
  

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• HRA/FSA/Transit accounts
• Life insurance
• 403(b) with employer match after one year
• Sick leave
• Generous PTO
  
  

Location:

• Hybrid position; Requires multiple days per week on site in Long Island City as outlined in the organization’s remote work policy
  
  

This job offers a salary range of $120,000 - $175,000, which NYC Outward Bound Schools believes, in good faith and at the time of this posting, reflects the compensation for the position. Exceptionally rare cases, where an external candidate possesses qualifications, credentials, or expertise significantly beyond the position's standard requirements might be considered for a higher salary.

NYC Outward Bound Schools is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination against, and harassment of, any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, qualified individuals with a disability on the basis of the disability, or any other category which may be protected under applicable state or federal law.

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