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Job Description
BASIC FUNCTION:
Under policy direction, plans, organizes, controls, integrates and directs the
District's
financial and accounting activities and operations; directs, integrates and manages the preparation of financial analyses and reports; oversees development of annual operating, capital, program, grant and fund budgets and long-range financial forecasts; manages and monitors financial planning activities for programs authorized by the Board of Education; Directs and supervises payroll department. Provides expert professional assistance and support to District management and the Board of Education on financial, accounting and related matters; and performs related duties as assigned.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
The Executive Director, Fiscal Services is responsible for managing and integrating a program of broad, comprehensive financial services for the district, including budgeting, financial forecasting and analyses, financial reporting and accounting including CalPERS and state public retirement system. Responsibilities and assignments are broad in scope and allow for a high degree of administrative discretion on issues that are complex, interpretive, and evaluative in nature.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:
The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class. There will typically be an assigned schedule for these duties.- Plans, organizes, controls, manages and evaluates the work of the Fiscal Services department; with supervisors and staff, participates in establishing operational plans and initiatives to meet department goals and objectives; implements departmental plans, work programs, processes, procedures and policies required to achieve overall department performance results; coordinates and integrates department functions and responsibilities to achieve optimal efficiency and effectiveness; participates in developing and monitoring performance against the annual departmental budget.
- Participates with other managers in establishing strategic plans for the
District; sets overall management and policy goals and objectives for a department; coordinates department program and policy issues with managers of other departments and/or on a District-wide basis. - Directs and oversees payroll and employee benefits operations and activities to assure District employees are paid in an accurate and timely manner and receive the appropriate employee benefits; review, edit, approve and process District payroll; oversee the processing of payroll-related forms and applications; review, edit, approve and process District payroll; assure payroll activities comply with established laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures.
- Direct and reconcile, process, and submit District payroll tax returns, W2s, PERS, STRS and Tax-Sheltered Annuities (TSA) retirement reports.
- Plans and evaluates the performance of supervisors and staff; establishes performance requirements and personal development targets; monitors performance and provides coaching for performance
improvement and development; takes disciplinary action, up to and including termination, to address performance deficiencies, subject to management concurrence, in accordance with the
District's
merit system rules, human resources policies and procedures and labor contract provisions. - Review District payroll tax returns, W2s, PERS, STRS and Tax-Sheltered Annuities (TSA) retirement reports.
- Provides leadership and works with supervisors and staff to develop and retain highly competent, customer service-oriented staff through selection, compensation, training and day-to-day management practices that support the
District's
mission, strategic goals and core values. - Plans, organizes, directs and oversees the District's budget administration activities and functions; oversees development and implementation of and interprets, enforces and explains budget process, policies and procedures; reviews, analyzes and develops recommendations regarding budget requests and other issues; prepares and delivers budget presentations, which include highly sensitive and confidential information to senior management and the Board; negotiates and resolves sensitive or complex budget disputes; monitors expenditures and prepares periodic budget status reports.
- Performs or oversees financial planning activities and analyses, involving complex, specialized and technical data and in-depth understanding of accounting and financial principles and practices; creates financial forecasting models for District programs; analyzes and determines the impact of economic and legislative changes on the District's financial plans and budgets; provides assistance and expertise to other departments in financial planning for programs authorized by the Board; analyzes complex business agreements and develops and provides recommendations to best protect the District's interests.
- Plans, organizes and manages the District's general accounting activities and operations; ensures records are accurate, up-to-date, complete and in compliance with all appropriate standards, laws, rules, regulations and policies; plans and directs the operation and implementation of financial controls for the billing, receipt and accounting for funds from grants and other sources; ensures proper accounting for all expenditures and revenues in accordance with GAAP, GASP and GASB; prepares or oversees the preparation of State and local required reporting; directs and ensures payment of vendors and contractors per contract and agreement terms and conditions; directs and oversees District-wide position control and payroll processes in accordance with District salary ordinance.
- Reviews and analyzes accounting, financial and management reports prepared for District departments, the Board, senior management and other governmental and regulatory bodies; identifies and communicates issues important to the
District
and provides findings and recommendations, which are often based on interpretations of complex regulations, laws and guidelines, including recommendations to improve the financial performance of the
District. - Provides expertise, guidance and assistance to staff, senior management, other District personnel and external customers; evaluates specialized information and data and provides decisions and recommendations on a wide array of financial matters; advises on availability of funds for long-term projects; interprets and explains complex regulations, laws and guidelines.
- Directs and oversees department involvement in development, enhancement and administration of the
District's
enterprise financial systems; directs and participates in identification of financial areas
that require process improvement; oversees development, integration and implementation of new or revised policies, processes, standards and internal controls for the Fiscal Services department. - Directs and oversees coordination of departmental activities with external auditors for annual audit.
KNOWLEDGE OF:- Principles and practices of general, fund, and governmental accounting including financial statement preparation and methods of financial control and reporting
- Principles and practices of cost and fixed asset accounting
- Internal control and audit principles and practices
- GAAP, GASP and GASB accounting standards and requirements
- Principles and practices of public agency budgeting
- Laws and regulations relating to the financial administration of public-school districts
- District functions and associated financial management issues
- Principles and practices of business data processing particularly related to the processing of accounting and financial information
- Principles and practices of public administration, including purchasing, contracting and the maintenance of public records
- Principles and practices of sound business communication.
- Research methods and analysis techniques
- Principles and practices of management and supervision
- District merit system rules classified human resources policies and procedures and labor contract provisions
ABILITY TO:- Plan, organize, manage, and integrate the District's finance and accounting activities and operations to meet District objectives, professional standards, and legal requirement.
- Define issues, analyze problems, evaluate alternatives, and develop sound, independent conclusions, and recommendations in accordance with laws, regulations, rules and policies
- Analyze and make sound recommendations on complex financial data and operations
- Understand, interpret, explain, and apply District policies and state and federal laws and regulations applicable to District financial accounting, reporting and record keeping
- Evaluate financial programs, procedures and controls and implement recommendations for improvements.
- Perform complicated mathematical calculations and analyses
- Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive financial statements, reports and written materials
- Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy guideline
- Exercise tact and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive, complex, and confidential issues
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of District management, administrators, staff, representatives of other governmental agencies, external auditors and others encountered in the course of work
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge skills and abilities required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities.
Education, Training and Experience:
Any combination equivalent to:
a bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university with a major in
Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a closely related field; and at least seven years of increasingly responsible financial and accounting experience, at least five of which were in a supervisory or management capacity; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Managerial experience in a public agency is preferred.
A master's degree in Finance or Business Administration is preferred, but not required.
Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:
Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor or Certified Management Accountant is highly desirable.
LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Valid California Driver's License and vehicle insurability to comply with District requirements.
Employment eligibility that includes fingerprint, tuberculosis and/or other employment clearance.
Environment:
Driving a vehicle to conduct work
Indoor and outdoor work environment
Interactions with dissatisfied, hostile, and irate individuals
Subject to demanding timelines and constant interruptions
Physical Demands:
Bending at the waist; kneeling or crouching to file and retrieve materials
Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard and mouse
Hearing and speaking to present or exchange information in person and on the telephone
Operating a computer keyboard for extended periods of time
Perform work which involves lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects typically weighing 35 pounds, reaching overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally
Closing Date/Time: Wed, 30 Jul 2025 - Plans, organizes, controls, manages and evaluates the work of the Fiscal Services department; with supervisors and staff, participates in establishing operational plans and initiatives to meet department goals and objectives; implements departmental plans, work programs, processes, procedures and policies required to achieve overall department performance results; coordinates and integrates department functions and responsibilities to achieve optimal efficiency and effectiveness; participates in developing and monitoring performance against the annual departmental budget.
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Berkeley Unified School District
Show moreAbout the District
Since the founding of the University of California, Berkeley in 1868 and the establishment of Berkeley’s first high school in 1879, Berkeley’s community has been proud to be a leader in public education. In 1968, the Berkeley Unified School District was the nation’s first school district to desegregate without a court order. What you should know about our District:
- Students are our priority.
- We take pride in our diversity.
- We hold high expectations for ourselves and our students.
- We treat each other with respect and act with integrity.
Berkeley Unified is responsible for educating more than 9,400 individual students in 11 public elementary schools, 3 middle schools, one comprehensive high school, and an alternative high school. In addition, the district has 3 preschool facilities and an Adult School serving several thousand students each year. With a tradition of excellence rooted in a vibrant community, Berkeley Unified alumni have become national and international leaders in business, civic society, politics, academia, sports and the arts. Students and staff in Berkeley Unified come from a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, surrounded by one of the most intellectually and culturally rich regions in the United States.
The Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals of Berkeley Unified are encapsulated in the four E’s:
- Excellence
- Equity
- Engagement
- Enrichment
Excellence in Learning, in Teaching, and in Service to our Students and Families
Equity in Access, in Resource Allocation, and Educational Outcomes
Engagement with Parents, Guardians, Families, and Community
Enrichment in Curriculum with Music & the Arts, Libraries, Gardens & Nutrition, Science & Health, Physical Education & Sports
Parent and Community Involvement
The Vision for BUSD is one in which parents, family, and community are an integral part of each school. When parents and families get personally involved in education, their children do better in school and grow up to be more successful in life. This is why Berkeley has dedicated resources and specialized staff to support the home-school partnership and to give all parents/guardians access to understanding opportunities and services available for their children.Public Support
Over the past 25 years, the Berkeley Unified School District’s ability to provide well-rounded educational resources and opportunities to all students has been significantly boosted by the generous financial support of local taxes that augment the General Fund for specific purposes.Berkeley voters have overwhelmingly supported the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP), a special local tax first adopted in 1986 and renewed consistently since then, most recently as Measure A in 2006. (1986 to present)
Berkeley voters are as committed to the safety and modernization of school and district facilities as to the students and educational programs they house, most recently evidenced in the renewal of a maintenance special tax and a new facilities bond in 2010.
- Facilities Bonds (1992, Measure BB of 2002, Measure I of 2010)
- Maintenance Parcel Tax (Measure H of 2010)
Very Low Class Size
Berkeley Public schools have among the lowest class sizes in the state. While many school districts have exceeded 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, thanks to the BSEP tax measure Berkeley has maintained 20:1 since 1984. Grades 4 and 5 classrooms have average student-teacher ratios of 26-1, again much lower than the state average.- All Berkeley elementary schools have fewer students than the state average of 525 students — in fact, the Berkeley average is 375.
- The average student-teacher ratio in academic classrooms in middle school is less than 28:1, and many math classes are 20:1.
- The average student-teacher ratio in academic classrooms in high schools is 28:1.
Because the Berkeley community recognizes that public education is the cornerstone of a productive, creative, and healthy society, all of our schools benefit from the generosity of monetary and in-kind donations. Visit our “Public Support” page to find out more about the generosity and commitment of our supporters and how the many different funding and volunteer organizations enhance each child’s education in the Berkeley Public Schools.
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