About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

Each of our schools is a vibrant learning community shaped by its local context yet guided by a shared set of values: leading for racial equity, striving for excellence, embracing challenge, caring for the whole person, choosing joy, and going further together. These values guide our work across the organization and reflect both who we are and who we aspire to be.

At Achievement First, we are strengthened by being one network — united by shared values, a common mission, and a deep belief in what’s possible for our students. At the same time, we know that education is a deeply local endeavor, which is why we work in close partnership with families and local communities to ensure each school has the resources and support it needs to thrive.

Together, we’re building a future where every student receives an excellent education grounded in the strengths of their community, and where the impact of our collective work endures for generations.

We are looking for an organized and ambitious Finance Coordinator to join our Finance team.

Your Impact

At Achievement First, we know retaining top talent in the market is a critical factor in closing the achievement gap. Our ability to provide a high-quality education to our students is only made possible through the talent and determination of our teachers, leaders, operations staff, and network teams. As a member of Team Finance, you will ensure efficient and accurate administration, data entry, approvals, communication with internal and external stakeholders, and document retention related to payments.

Reporting directly to the Accounts Payable Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Assisting with financial systems configurations and end-user access to our Finance Systems (Concur, Adaptive, Amazon Business, and others) at the direction of the Finance Leadership.
• Updating policy/procedures as requested by management.
• Ongoing maintenance of our bank signers, account closures, and tax exemption certifications.
• Collecting approvals from authorized signers for all intercompany billing prepared by accounting.
• Coordinating communications and project management support ensuring ongoing finance deliverables and goals are met by the department.
• Supporting Team Finance with invoice submissions, audit requests, reviewing returned Concur checks with the Manager to determine next steps.
• Assist in the New Haven office with mailing documents, cutting checks, obtaining wet signatures from leaders and other support as needed.
• Submitting Ops Blasts, memos, and other communications as requested by management.
• Maintaining internal sites (ManyMinds and Zendesk) with most up to date guidance and information.
• Liaison with Finance Committee Members in terms of scheduling committee meetings, create agendas, and take record of minutes.
• Schedule internal and external meetings as requested by Team Finance leadership.
• Enter Team Finance-specific invoices into Concur on-behalf of Team Finance leadership.
• Assist with administrative tasks as requested by Team Finance leadership.
• Could require occasional travel to other AF regions as needed.

Skills You’ll Have

All candidates for this position will foster a culture of entrepreneurialism, innovation, and project management to ensure Team Finance, like our schools, are setting a high bar in all areas and pursuing it relentlessly. All candidates must have a high school diploma and at least 2 years of finance-related office experience to be successful.

An ideal candidate will demonstrate competency in the following areas:

• Supporting Team Finance in a fast-paced work environment.
• Proficiency with AP software as well as advanced Microsoft Office and Excel skills.
• Strong ethics and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Advanced proficiency in Concur and Zendesk preferred but not required.

In addition, the following characteristics are required to be successful on this team:

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed.
• Exceptional attention to detail, follow-up skills, and organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proactive communication style.
• Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model.

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/