Finance and Operations Assistant Manager

About the role

The Payroll & Financial Aid Manager is a senior Business Office role with end-to-end ownership of two of the school’s most sensitive functions: payroll administration and financial aid. This individual serves as the school’s payroll expert — responsible for accurate, on-time payroll for all employees and the related accounting — and administers the school’s financial aid programs, including French Government scholarships (bourses scolaires), where French fluency is essential for family and consulate communications.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll processing for all faculty and staff: data collection, changes, review, approval workflow, and on-time execution of each payroll cycle.
• Prepare and record payroll journal entries; reconcile payroll accounts, withholdings, and benefit deductions to the general ledger each cycle.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements, including filings, W-2s, and year-end reporting.
• Cook up with Human Resources on new hires, terminations, leaves, salary changes, and benefits administration; serve as payroll continuity lead during the HR leadership transition.
• Maintain payroll system data integrity (e.g., Rippling) and serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll questions.
• Document payroll procedures and maintain a payroll calendar with clear cutoffs and controls.
• Administer the school’s financial aid programs, ensuring compliance with Lycée policies and applicable guidelines.
• Manage the French Government scholarship process (bourses scolaires) end-to-end: family outreach and support in French, application preparation, consulate coordination, and required documentation.
• Support the Financial Aid Committee: prepare application materials, financial analyses, and award recommendations.
• Maintain confidential financial aid records and ensure an equitable, policy-compliant award process.
• Analyze financial aid trends and recommend policy changes to the Business Office Manager and CFOO.
• Assume ownership of the accounts payable function as automation is implemented, ensuring vendor payments are accurate, properly coded, and on time.
• Direct the day-to-day AP work of the Business Office Associate, including invoice processing, approvals, and vendor records.
• Support the transition to automated AP workflows, including vendor onboarding, approval routing, and exception handling.
• Support the monthly close with payroll accruals, financial aid entries, and assigned reconciliations, meeting close-calendar deadlines.
• Aid external auditors with payroll and financial aid schedules and documentation.
• Contribute to the documentation and continuous improvement of Business Office procedures.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in payroll administration and/or accounting operations, with a record of accuracy and dependability.
• French language fluency (spoken and written) for family, consulate, and French government communications.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage recurring deadlines with confidential information.
• Working knowledge of payroll tax compliance and payroll accounting (journals and reconciliations).
• Equity and access lens: sensitivity to family privacy and economic diversity in administering financial aid.
• Clear, service-oriented communication with employees and families.

Qualifications

• Preferred Experience with Sage Intact, Rippling, and AP automation tools.
• Experience in a school, nonprofit, or French-American/international environment.
• Familiarity with the French Government scholarship (bourses scolaires) process.

Skills

• Attention to detail.
• Confidentiality.
• Communication.
• Financial management.
• Payroll administration.
• Technical proficiency (Sage Intact, Rippling, AP automation tools).

Benefits

The Lycée offers an excellent benefits package including: medical, dental, vision, 11 paid holidays, generous paid vacation package, long-term disability and retirement benefits, and professional development support.