Finance Officer jobs in Asheville, NC

K-12 Public School Finance Officer

Overview:

As the Haywood County Schools Finance Officer, you'll serve as the financial steward for the school system, overseeing fiscal affairs encompassing State, federal, and local funds, enterprise funds, and capital operations. This legislatively mandated role demands comprehensive knowledge of fiscal regulations outlined by North Carolina General Statutes, State Board of Education, federal agencies, and funding entities. You'll lead financial strategies, ensuring accountability, transparency, and compliance with evolving accounting standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Financial Leadership: Serve as the financial leader of the school district, offering guidance, policies, and procedures on financial matters to district leadership, the Local Board of Education, and building-level administrators.

• Budget Oversight: Prepare and maintain the school district's annual budget, analyzing and costing local initiatives while ensuring appropriate funding sources and compliance with the School Budget and Fiscal Control Act.

• Data Analysis for Decision-Making: Analyze financial, personnel, and student data to support leadership decision-making and prepare reports for oversight agencies and district leadership.

• Payroll and Compliance: Maintain a compliant payroll system adhering to state and federal laws, including Fair Labor Standards Act and IRS Code, alongside procedures related to salary and absence data mandated by the State Board of Education.

• Purchasing and Contracts: Oversee school system purchasing and contract procedures, ensuring alignment with local, state, and federal policies.

• Federal Funding Compliance: Ensure compliance with Federal funding expenditures, adhering to Uniform Grant Guidance and specific grant requirements.

• Accounting and Financial Reporting: Maintain the general ledger system, reconcile accounts, manage year-end financial statements, and oversee the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for audits.

• Bank Account Management: Manage system-wide bank accounts, ensuring timely and accurate reconciliations of all bank and balance sheet accounts.

• Fiscal Oversight at Schools: Conduct periodic audit reviews of fiscal records at individual schools, taking corrective action as needed to maintain fiscal integrity.

Qualifications:

• Education and Experience:  
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in finance operations paired with one of the following:
• • A bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with at least 15 semester hours in accounting.
  • A licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
  • Certification by the State Board of Education as an LEA school finance officer before July 1, 2023.

Certification Process:

• Submission: Candidates must submit transcripts, CPA license confirmation (if applicable), work history resume, and a letter of recommendation from the superintendent to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Chief Financial Officer for review.

• Certification Approval: If qualifications are met, a recommendation is submitted to the State Board of Education for certification approval.

State Salary:

• Salary Range: Aligned with Accounting Director I and II salary scales:
  • Minimum pay grade at NC24
  • Maximum pay grade at NC25
• Legislative Cap: Maximum salary from State funds not to exceed the allowable maximum for the superintendent at the Local Education Agency (per legislation).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
 

Physical Requirements:

Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, calculators, cellular phones, etc.

Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle.

Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

Data Conception:

Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication:

Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments, or directions to subordinates or assistants.

Language Ability:

Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, charts, strategic plans, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, appraisals, charts, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control, and confidence.

Intelligence:

Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude:

Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in Standard English.

Numerical Aptitude:

Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of algebra, descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and statistical theory.

Form/Spatial Aptitude:

Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape.

Motor Coordination:

Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament:

Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.

Physical Communication:

Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone. 

DISCLAIMER
 

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees