Director of Finance and Operations

About ASB

Located in the greater Barcelona metropolitan area, The American School of Barcelona is a private, non-profit, coeducational day school serving students from 3-18 years old. ASB offers a balanced approach to learning in an international environment for over 900 students.

ASB believes that students learn to their potential when they are inspired. With rich content and an emphasis on student-driven projects, students are empowered and encouraged to be active and engaged learners. Our teachers provide an education that is both challenging and supportive. They work to ensure that students become active and curious learners - and are both local and global citizens fully prepared for future endeavors and challenges.

ASB’s faculty embodies the values of continuously improving through innovation, creating responsible global citizens, and developing independent and critical thinking students while providing a caring environment that gives students the self-confidence to maximize their potential within a context of diversity. With this in mind, ASB is committed to the professional development of its faculty and offers educators a rich professional experience for continuous growth and improvement.

Position Overview

The Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) has responsibility for non-academic support functions at ASB. The DFO reports to and works closely with the School Director to ensure that all matters within the DFO’s responsibility are conducted in such a way that they have a positive and beneficial effect upon the educational aims of the school.

The DFO serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The DFO directly supervises 4 positions - Financial Manager, Head of HR, Operations Manager, and Facilities Manager.

This key role is pivotal to the day-to-day running of the school and works closely with the other key members of the school community. The DFO, along with the School Director and the Board, is also responsible to ensure the long-term financial viability of the school.

Responsibilities

Strategy, Vision and Leadership

• Advise the School Director on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, and policy.
• Collaborate closely with senior leadership team members to deliver on the school’s vision and strategic plan.
• Serve as the management liaison to any Finance, Facilities, and Investment-related topics of the Board.
• Collaborate with Director on best practice compensation system, workforce, and succession planning, as well as tracking employee engagement and retention.
• Supervise HR recruitment, retention, and professional growth systems
• Supervise and lead on all facilities matters, including any extensive construction and renovation project at ASB and the school’s long-term capital needs.
• Develop new systems of financial and operations management that ensures the most effective use of school resources, strong fiscal controls, and support the objectives of the school.
• Consistently lead for a responsive, service-oriented culture to meet the operational needs of our students, parents, and educators.
• Represent ASB externally, as needed, with parents, businesses, government officials, and community organizations.
• Promote an operational culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
• Ensure operational staff members receive timely and appropriate training and development.

Finance

• Develop the school's long-term cash flows and budget systems and manage them annually with the finance team.
• Lead strategic budgeting process to allocate resources to fund key priorities and ensure team manages long-term cash flow analyses to meet the school’s future need
• Analyze the annual budget and allocation of reserves are aligned with long term strategies
• Oversee the School’s cash flow and work with financial team in managing ASB debt, bank relations, and hedging strategy and ensure positive cash management
• Lead effective financial presentations to the School Director and ASB Board as requested by the School Director.
• Partner with the School Director and Board Finance Committee on strategic financial planning, investments, debt, and overall financial operations
• Design financial models necessary to make sound decisions concerning establishing annual tuition and fees.
• Oversee all financial reporting functions
• Oversee the purchasing function and negotiation of major contracts
• Oversee annual audit processes, insurance assessment, and ASB risk management
• Design and oversee financial and accounting controls and reporting procedures to ensure tax and legal compliance

Human Resources

• Work closely with the Head of Human Resources and HR Team to oversee and develop/maintain employee salary and benefit plans, with particular emphasis on maximizing a cost-effective and competitive benefits package.
• Control and Supervise salary and benefits policy, procedure and practice.
• Oversee implementation