Finance Systems Manager

About KIPP TEAM and Family

KIPP TEAM & Family is our network office that includes support teams - such as Leadership Development, Recruitment, Advocacy, Facilities, Finance, HR and more - dedicated to empowering our schools and ensuring the success of KIPP students throughout New Jersey and Miami. Our schools are part of the nationally recognized "Knowledge Is Power Program" network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and in life. The first KIPP New Jersey school opened in Newark in 2002 and since then our school network has expanded to educate 8,684 students in grades K-12. By 2027, KIPP New Jersey will provide a world-class education to over 10,300 students across Newark and Camden. To learn more, visit 

In 2018, we grew our KIPP community in response to a need for high-quality school options for students in Greater Miami's Urban Core communities. That led to the creation of KIPP Miami, which currently educates more than 1,200 students in 2 schools, with plans to reach 5,800 students by 2026. By offering highly effective educators with strong bonds to families, more time in school learning, services that support a variety of student needs, and a culture focused on achievement, our students in New Jersey and Miami are on the path to and through college, career, and choice-filled lives.

The Finance Systems Manager is responsible for the strategy, administration, and continuous improvement of the organization's financial systems. Serving as the primary liaison between Finance and IT, this role ensures that financial applications (accounting, purchasing-to-payment, and budgeting/forecasting systems) effectively support the organization's mission and meet the needs of the Accounting, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, and Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) teams.

The Finance Systems Manager is principally responsible for the financial systems on behalf of the Finance function, leading process design, functional configuration, reporting, and user training/support, while partnering closely with IT to ensure technical reliability, security, and integration across the full suite.

Key Responsibilities

System Ownership & Governance

• Serve as the primary business owner for financial applications, ensuring they align with finance processes, compliance requirements, accounting standards, organizational policies, and evolving business needs.
• Maintain the chart of accounts, financial data mapping to meet different user groups' needs, and finance system structures (e.g. for user permissions, purchasing & payment approval rules, etc.).
• Lead efforts to optimize finance workflows (purchasing, expense management, AP, approvals, budgeting, reporting).
• Translate objectives and requirements from the finance teams, and create/maintain sufficient documentation, to enable IT to complete technical configuration of financial systems (e.g. the necessary workflows, scripts, user roles, and integrations).
• Lead the process to surface and prioritize system enhancements, including collecting stakeholder input across and outside of the finance function, making recommendations, and managing communications and implications after decisions are made.
• Ensure data accuracy and consistency across financial systems through rigorous, systematic data review and partnership with IT on maintenance of system integrations.
  
   

Training & Support

• Serve as the point of contact for finance system users in need of "Tier 2" support (functional/process issues).
• Develop and deliver user training, documentation, and SOPs, in partnership with IT.
• Build finance staff capacity to effectively use system features.
  
   

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop, maintain, and improve financial reports and dashboards for Finance teams.
• Partner with finance teammates to ensure supplemental / "homegrown" tools integrate seamlessly with core finance systems.
  
   

Additional collaboration with IT

• Work with IT as appropriate on system security, user access, upgrades, and vendor escalations.
• Ensure finance function's requirements are represented in enterprise technology decisions.
  
   

Continuous Improvement

• Monitor system usage and proactively identify opportunities for automation and efficiency.
• Evaluate new modules and technologies to strengthen finance's capabilities.
• Lead or support system implementations, upgrades, and special projects.

Key Competencies

• Systems thinking – sees connections across processes and data flows.
• Finance acumen – understands the requirements of accounting, AP, procurement, and FP&A.
• Change leadership – able to guide staff through system/process changes.
• Communication – translates technical concepts into practical guidance for end users.
• Ownership mindset – accountable for delivering reliable, compliant, and user-friendly systems.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant work experience, including 5+ years of experience in financial systems administration or finance operations.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit/education finance processes (general ledger, AP, purchasing, grants, budgeting, financial reporting).
• Demonstrated ability to translate finance requirements into system solutions.
• Strong collaboration skills; able to work effectively across Finance, IT, and other teams.
• Excellent problem-solving, project management, and communication skills.
  
   

Preferred

• Experience working in a K-12 education environment.
• Prior involvement in system implementation or major upgrade projects.
• Hands-on experience with any of these finance systems: Sage Intacct, Coupa, Edstruments.

Compensation & Benefits

KIPP Team & Family offers a market-competitive salary ranging from $85,000-$105,000.  Salary ranges at KIPP are set based upon the role level and function using benchmarks in the education and non-profit sector and allow for growth within the role.  Individual compensation within this range will be set  based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: relevant professional experience and qualifications; education, skills and training; and market conditions.  

In addition to a competitive salary, we a generous benefits package including, but not limited to, the following:  

• Robust benefits that include medical, dental, and vision 
• Optional participation in the KIPP NJ 403b retirement plan, including matching contributions
• A school-issued laptop
• Transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into Newark from the New York City area
• Generous Time-Off including 3.5-4 school vacation weeks (depending on the year), allocated sick and personal days, and an extended summer break 
• Up to 12 weeks 100% parental leave for primary caregivers
• Employer paid life insurance
• Extensive optional ancillary benefits including, short term and long term disability and accident and hospital indemnity

Our organization is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion, national origin, citizen status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organization will make a reasonable accommodation to known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the organization. No questions on this application are asked for any unlawful purpose.

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