Business Operations Administrator
Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago, IL
- Temporary
- Part-time
- Serve as the subject matter expert for all vendor contract pricing terms and department grants including, but not limited to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Program (CNP) grants.
- Oversee all NSS grants from application to auditing, to ensure timely submission of grant applications and claims. Manage program activity in compliance with federal, state and local rules and regulations as well as board policies and procedures.
- .Recruit, onboard, and coach and train the Business Operations team to ensure robust learning, career development, and performance management consistent with the CPS values and mission
- Maintain the fiscal integrity of the department by monitoring, reviewing and approving financial transactions, ensuring adherence to sound fiscal practices, grant rules and regulations, and district policies and procedures. Implement process improvements where appropriate.
- Develop, present, and oversee the department’s annual budget ensuring that budget plans align with departmental objectives.
- Monitor budget performance to plan, explaining variances and flagging potential risks.
- Support the Director of Business Operations in sourcing new funding opportunities.
- Analyze trends, prepare cost estimates and forecast the department’s financial performance in support of periodic reporting and multi-year budget planning. Prepare and present financial reports, summaries and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Assist with annual financial audits and grant administrative reviews.
- Conduct industry and market research to inform procurement strategy in alignment with the department’s long-term purchasing needs.
- Assist the Director of Business Operations with developing operational metrics as well as overseeing vendor performance against established key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs).
- Collaborate and build partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders including NSS functional areas (compliance, staffing, IT, nutrition, and operations), the CPS Finance, Procurement, IT and Law departments, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the City of Chicago, various vendors, and industry partners.
- Participate in special projects, as assigned, identifying and implementing process improvements to facilitate operational excellence.
- Train lunchroom staff, vendors and other stakeholders on financial processes and procedures.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance or a related field.
- Master’s degree in business administration preferred.
- Minimum of five (5) years of progressive professional finance and accounting experience, including a minimum of two (2) years of experience managing budgets, forecasting trends and/or conducting financial analysis and reporting.
- Minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience is required.
- Experience managing federal grants is preferred.
- Experience leading the implementation of cross-functional projects is preferred.
- Flexibility and willingness to work evenings and weekends and travel to various CPS sites as needed are required.
- Strong analytical skills with high attention to detail and a demonstrated ability to work with large data sets.
- Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and their relationship to financial statements and business processes.
- Ability to develop, modify, and implement effective processes.
- Ability to combine quantitative and qualitative analysis to assess historical trends (e.g. volume, financial statements, economic data, consumer preference, headcount) and make future projections.
- Knowledge of grant administration procedures.
- Strong leadership, organizational, project-management, and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to influence others without having formal authority and follow tasks through to completion.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to draft business correspondence, presentations, and reports and explain complex financial data clearly.
- Ability to interact with all levels of staff while maintaining a high degree of professionalism, integrity, and tact when dealing with confidential information.
- High proficiency with the use of computers and software including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Suite and Google applications.
- Ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
- Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.