Accounting Manager

DISTRICT OVERVIEW

Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 4,800 students, of whom 80 percent are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners. We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.

Holyoke Public Schools’ strategic plan, “Moving Forward Together,” builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students’ well-being. 

Many successes contributed to Holyoke’s return to local governance after 10 years in state receivership. These include:

• The highest graduation rate on record of 77.1 percent, an increase of more than 15-points over 10 years
• Meaningful, applied learning opportunities for high school students, including theme-based academies, career vocational technical education programming, work-based learning, and advanced coursework
• A comprehensive approach to early literacy that includes strong core instruction and one-on-one tutoring, contributing to more students reading at grade level
• A thriving dual language English/Spanish program, where nearly 900 students are on their path to becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural

• More than one-third of Holyoke teachers identify as people of color, a 19-point increase over 10 years. Many partnership programs support staff to earn licensure or additional certification.

Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us, our recent accomplishments, and our commitment to equity. 

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PERSPECTIVA GENERAL DEL DISTRITO

Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke son un distrito escolar público que cuenta con 11 escuelas de prekínder a 12.° grado y acoge a casi 4 800 estudiantes, de los cuales el 80 % se identifica como latino o latina. Empleamos a casi 1 300 personas que, en conjunto, educan y apoyan a una comunidad de estudiantes altamente diversa. Estamos comprometidos a contratar y retener educadores de alta calidad que creen firmemente que todos los niños pueden aprender y aprenderán, y que se esfuerzan diariamente por hacer de la escuela un lugar alegre de descubrimiento, apoyo y pertenencia.

El plan estratégico de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke , “Avanzando Juntos”, se basa en nuestras fortalezas previas y, al mismo tiempo, sirve como un llamado a la acción para acelerar el aprendizaje estudiantil a través de una nueva perspectiva sobre cómo enseñamos, cómo trabajamos en colaboración y cómo apoyamos el bienestar de los estudiantes. 

Existen numerosos logros que permitieron a Holyoke recuperar el control local después de 10 años de administración judicial.  Entre estos logros se encuentran:

• La tasa de graduación más alta registrada, del 77.1 %, lo que representa un aumento de más de 15 puntos porcentuales en 10 años
• Oportunidades significativas de aprendizaje práctico para estudiantes de secundaria, que incluyen academias temáticas, programas de educación técnica y vocacional, aprendizaje basado en el trabajo y cursos avanzados
• Un enfoque integral de la alfabetización temprana que combina una sólida instrucción básica con tutorías individuales, lo cual ha contribuido a que más estudiantes lean a nivel de grado
• Un próspero programa bilingüe de inglés/español, en el que casi 900 estudiantes avanzan hacia el bilingüismo, la biliteracidad, y la biculturalidad.

• Más de un tercio de los maestros de Holyoke se identifican como personas de etnicidad diversa, lo que representa un aumento de 19 puntos porcentuales en 10 años. Diversas colaboraciones con programas que han contribuido a que miembros del personal obtengan sus certificaciones o credenciales adicionales.

Visite el sitio web de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke para obtener más información sobre nuestra comunidad, nuestros logros recientes y  nuestro compromiso con la equidad. 

The Accounting Manager is responsible for providing direction and compliance with all accounting functions of the District and to ensure that the office is using school business strategies and practices that promote the best educational outcome for Holyoke Public Schools. The Accounting Manager is required to perform a variety of complex professional, administrative, supervisory, and technical accounting and finance functions that promote efficient and expeditious administration of the day-to-day financial operations that maintain compliance with established guidelines.
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:
Operations

• Monitors budget allocations, expenditures, fund balances and related financial activities for the purpose of ensuring that allocations are accurate, revenues are recorded, expenses are within budget limits and/or fiscal practices are followed
• Interprets data and presents information to senior management
• Manages all fiscal and cash controls, including student activity accounts
• Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit
• Develops and implements process improvements that promote compliance and efficiencies
• Responsible for mentorship of several Finance Office staff
• Responsible for Month End and Year End Close
• Financial lead for assigned cost centers
• Other duties and projects as assigned by the CFOO or Designee

Risk Management and Compliance

• Conduct internal audits to ensure maximum effiviencies and compliance with state and federal regulations in order to minimize risk exposure
• Ensures the integrity of financial data
• Create and assist in creating policies and practices that safeguard district assets
• Responsible for all auditing, compliance, and reporting
• Serves as main point of contact for all external audits
• Responsible for ensuring the reconciliation of all fund balances on a monthly basis between the school and city accounting systems
• Evaluate and analyze current data to identify areas of inefficiency and develop recommendations to maximize efficiency within the department
• Work with integration of systems to ensure accounting and finance systems are aligned
• Assist the finance team with the development of the budget

Communication

• Collaborates with internal and external personnel with discretion, professionalism, and tact on special requests for financial data and analysis and for information of current programs/projects
• Facilitates meetings, workshops, seminars, etc. for the purpose of identifying issues, developing recommendations, supporting other staff, and serving as a District representative
• Conducts internal training on business office policies and procedures and resolves questions of both routine and difficult nature

EDUCATIONAL & JOB EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Prefer a Bachelor's degree or greater in Accounting, Public Administration, Business or Finance or other appropriate discipline from an accredited college or university
• Preferred three (3) years of experience in municipal finance or relevant experience to job
• Up to date knowledge of current financial and accounting computer applications; three (3) years minimum MUNIS experience preferred
• Excellent verbal, analytical, organizational and written skills
• Excellent rapport with all levels of management, established communication skills, and the ability to lead people
• Knowledge of principles, methods, and practices of municipal finance, accounting, and budget preparation
• Knowledge of Massachusetts General Laws and local ordinances, especially as related to municipal finance
• Experience managing projects with multiple deadlines and across departments