Assistant Deputy Controller

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third-largest school district in the United States, serving over 340,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Job Summary:

The Office of the Controller is responsible for the financial operations of Chicago Public Schools, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Internal Accounts, and Corporate Accounting.

Under the direction of the Deputy Controller, the Assistant Deputy Controller, is primarily responsible for overseeing one or more Accounting functions, ensuring the maintenance of an accurate general ledger and accounting system, preparing financial reports including Annual Comprehensive Financial report, implementing new Government Accounting Standards Board standards and assisting in financial system implementation projects. The Accounting department has two Assistant Deputy Controllers to support this work: An Assistant Deputy Controller, Corporate Accounting and an Assistant Deputy Controller, Financial Reporting & Compliance.

The Assistant Deputy Controller will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Manage all activities of the assigning accounting function(s)
• Assign, review and approve work completed by accounting staff
• Provide leadership, develop goals, objectives and performance standards for department staff and conduct performance evaluations
• Organize, develop, and schedule ongoing training and development for staff
• Assist in the reporting of a $7+ billion organization
• Ensure the timely and proper application of Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) best practices and advisories, U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, and other federal, state and local regulatory directives
• Evaluate the business process and/or application changes needed to stay in compliance with changing accounting rules based on new and existing GASB pronouncements.
• Assist in enhancing and implementing systems, controls and procedures that will afford an efficient operation of the department and Chicago Public Schools
• Serve as the liaison to the Office of Budget & Grants Management, Treasury, Law, and other CPS departments
• Responsible for assisting ITS in the migration and/or upgrading of varied Oracle Financial modules
• Attend meetings, provide input, develop test scripts and direct the end-user acceptance testing
• Other duties as assigned

Assistant Deputy Controller, Corporate Accounting:

• Ensure that staff adhere to policies and procedures in the daily maintenance of the general ledger
• Manage timely and accurate monthly and yearly closing of the general ledger, subledgers, and budgetary transactions
• Monitor, develop and review financial reports and audit reports and develop and approve account reconciliations and analyses

Assistant Deputy Controller, Financial Reporting:

• Prepare financial reports including Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), interim financial statements, Annual Financial Report (AFR-ISBE), and Single Audit Reporting as required under the US OMB Uniform Guidance, in addition to other Federal, State and Local regulatory requirements.
• Provide overall management of the Annual Financial and Federal Single Audit for CPS and prepare the Schedule of Expenditures of Financial Awards (SEFA).
• Create and maintain Oracle general ledger security and cross validation rules.
• Overall management of the annual asset inventory and asset management function

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Assistant Deputy Controller must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance or a related field is required
• Master’s degree preferred
• Certified Public Accountant Certification is preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of seven (7) years of accounting or financial reporting experience at a government or public accounting firm
• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience, managing a team of finance professionals.
• Previous experience in accounting and reporting for various revenue activities in a large, highly complex organization is preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Macros is preferred.
• Oracle Financials, Advanced Oracle, SAP or equivalent experience in a large organization
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Ability to lead large-scale programs and projects
• Ability to understand, create and apply complex computations with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to apply in-depth analysis, issue resolution, interpret complex accounting principles, statutes and policies
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present information to audiences at all levels both internal and external to the organization
• Ability to work outside normal work hours as needed

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• 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.
• Be Fully Vaccinated or Submit to Weekly COVID-19 Testing - Employees are required to be fully vaccinated within 30 days of their hire date. Full vaccination is defined as at least two weeks after your second shot of a two-shot vaccination course, or at least two weeks after a one-shot vaccination course. Unvaccinated staff must submit to weekly testing.

CPS Non-Union Job Grade: S11

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $112,000-$144,000

Final salary offers are dependent upon candidate qualifications.