Director of Finance

About the role

The Director of Finance plays a critical role in supporting Green Dot's mission to prepare students for college, leadership, and life. This position is part of the Finance team and reports to the Chief Financial Officer. It serves as part of Green Dot’s central office team, primarily based in Los Angeles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and oversight of the annual budgeting process for both school sites and the Home Office, collaborating closely with department heads and senior management to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
• Cultivate a deep understanding of the organization’s funding models, including state and federal education funding sources, key expense drivers, and opportunities for financial optimization.
• Enhance and refine Green Dot’s budgeting and modeling tools, including the utilization of Adaptive Insights, to streamline the budgeting/forecasting process.
• Manage budget performance throughout the fiscal year; execute corrective actions based on trends and analysis.
• Collaborate closely with Operations and Finance Managers to fine-tune monthly forecasts, fostering cross-functional teamwork and developing tools to effectively disseminate monthly financial information to stakeholders across the organization.
• Collaborate closely with the Chief Financial Officer and other organizational leaders to develop and enhance interactive multi-year projections encompassing Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow statements, both at the individual school level and across the organization.
• Oversee standard and ad hoc analyses and reports that provide a comprehensive view of the financial and operational aspects of the organization, catering to the needs of management, Operational Leadership, and the Board of Directors.
• Forge strong partnerships with Operations and Finance Managers, actively working towards achieving financial sustainability by meticulously dissecting key variances, identifying long-term risks, and devising strategies to enhance financial outcomes.
• Serve as a key resource for senior management by providing insightful analyses and actionable recommendations to inform strategic decision-making.
• Facilitate the creation and management of budgets and projections for both public and private funding sources.
• Actively engage with program managers to collaboratively construct comprehensive grant budgets, ensuring precision and completeness in reporting to funders.
• Aid in the preparation of grant proposals by providing financial data and budget information as required.
• Cultivate and maintain positive and productive relationships with key stakeholders, including school leaders, department heads, organization partners, etc.
• Act as a liaison between the finance department and other departments, facilitating effective communication and understanding of financial matters across the organization.
• Communicate financial information and insights effectively to non-financial stakeholders.
• Manage duties and responsibilities of the Finance Manager ensuring that they have the necessary resources and support.
• Maintain and update financial policies and procedures that align with industry best practices.
• Manage the process for annual financial audits, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.
• Develop strategies to optimize cash reserves and investments.
• Identify financial risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement changes as necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, budgeting, or financial planning, preferably within California K–12 public education or charter school environments.
• 3+ years of experience directly managing and developing finance, accounting, or budget team members, including setting priorities, driving accountability, and building strong cross-functional partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex organizational budgets, including both school-site and centralized/home office budgets.
• Advanced expertise in financial modeling, forecasting, variance analysis, and budget system development; experience with Workday Adaptive Planning strongly preferred.
• Prominent ability to identify financial discrepancies, cross-reference data across systems, and partner effectively with operations and finance leaders to drive accuracy, accountability, and sound financial decision-making.

Job Requirements

• Work Hours: This position requires consistent attendance during scheduled hours, as flexibility is limited by classroom or operational requirements.
• Breaks: Breaks are structured within the workday and must align with operational needs and student care requirements. Extended or frequent breaks may not be feasible in this setting.

Compensation

The starting salary range for this role is $125,000 - $135,000. Please note that candidates who are new to their role or newly promoted can expect offers between the minimum and the mid-point of the range. To allow for salary progression over time, offers at the top of the range are rare. Individual education and experience will be considered when issuing offers.

Benefits

• PPO, EPO and HMO choices for medical, dental and vision coverage - including a 100% employee-only paid option (visit https://www.mygreendotbenefits.com/ for more information).
• Employee Assistance Program (100% employer-paid)
• Life and AD&D Insurance (100% employer-paid)
• Optional Term Life & AD&D Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance (100% employer-paid)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (health and dependent care)
• Monthly parking for Central Office-based employees (100% employer-paid)
• Wellness programs and resources
• Financial planning/coaching access
• Optional non-matching 401(k) plan
• Potential for remote work opportunities (occasional or recurring)
• Potential for annual performance-based compensation increases
• Approved family care and/or medical leave (unpaid)