Vice President of Finance

OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION

SCORE’s Vice President of Finance will play a critical leadership role in advancing SCORE’s work as the organization grows and implements its strategic plan. This position will lead the organization’s finance and accounting function, including financial planning, financial reporting, treasury management, and supporting the Finance and Audit Committees of the board.  Reporting to SCORE President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the VP of Finance will serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, the board, and the rest of the leadership team, and play a critical role in designing and executing strategic initiatives.

ABOUT SCORE

“The progress that our students have made in recent years is inspiring – there is no doubt that they are capable of achieving at high levels and leading Tennessee into a bright future. While education stakeholders are already working together in exciting ways in Tennessee, it is our responsibility to redouble our innovative efforts to ensure that we are supporting our students to truly excel and thrive. The future of our state depends on it.”

- Senator Bill Frist, Chairman and Founder, SCORE

Tennessee has been making significant progress in advancing a bold education reform plan over the last decade and is now a leader in the nation in dramatically improving student achievement. Tennessee is among the fastest improving states for student achievement according to the Nation’s Report Card.

While Tennessee has made significant gains, there is much still to do – in public K12 education, in college and career readiness, and in postsecondary completion. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) plays a critical role in advancing student achievement, aligning K12 and postsecondary, and ensuring that all students can achieve career and life success. We work to monitor statewide progress in support of a prioritized agenda that drives collaboration across the state on policy while generating proof points and providing targeted support for implementation across the state.

SCORE is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization founded by former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and is dedicated to the goal that that all students can achieve success in college, career, and life. SCORE supports student success in public schools across Tennessee by ensuring all schools and systems meet high expectations; preparing, recruiting, supporting, and retaining excellent teachers and leaders; and aligning K-12 and college with career and life success.

SCORE is based at Vanderbilt University’s John Seigenthaler Center. This role is eligible for hybrid work with the expectation of 15-20 hours per week in the office and the balance remote. For more information on SCORE, please visit www.tnscore.org.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, the board, and the rest of the leadership team and work collaboratively to design and execute strategic initiatives across the organization, particularly with a focus on activating and leveraging SCORE’s financial resources to advance efforts aligned to the organization’s mission
• Lead long-term financial planning for the organization, including the development and regular review of operating budgets, financial forecasts, and scenarios – all with an eye toward maintaining and improving SCORE’s strong and stable financial position
• Support the SCORE Board of Directors on finance and audit priorities and ensure finance and audit committees are effective; communicate timely, accurate, and insightful information and reports
• With the leadership team, cultivate an organizational culture that embodies SCORE’s values of student-centeredness, collaboration, optimism, excellence, and innovation
• Support the development of SCORE’s fundraising strategy and help support relationships with local, state, and national funders

Financial Management 

• Ensure financial sustainability of the organization through budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and analysis, cash management, and investment strategies
• Cultivate strong and deeply collaborative working relationships with program team members, with a focus on providing thought partnership on the financial aspects of current and planned programs
• Collaboratively lead the development of grant, programmatic, and project budgets and reporting
• Oversee the annual audit process and ensure a clean financial audit, in partnership with the Director of Finance
• Partner with the Senior Director of Impact to manage strategic and targeted investments through the innovation fund, fiscal sponsorship, and sub-grants
• Establish strong internal controls and ensure compliance with GAAP and all applicable state and federal laws

Operations and Risk Management

• Manage the organization's critical financial infrastructure and lead implementation of scalable financial processes and systems
• Identify, evaluate, and proactively manage potential financial and legal risks, in close concert with the CEO and leadership team
• Manage contractors, vendors, legal, and insurance, closely coordinating with members of the program team when applicable
• Ensure that the organization is complying with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations

Team Leadership

• Lead a high-performing finance team that embraces SCORE’s core values, including supporting a high-performing Director of Finance
• Clarify roles and responsibilities; establish and monitor performance goals to ensure achievement of SCORE’s goals in this next phase of growth and impact
• Implement professional development to set up employees for success and professional growth and provide regular and targeted coaching to team members

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Strong alignment with SCORE’s mission and core values (student-centered, excellence, collaboration, innovation, optimism)
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or related graduate degree preferred
• At least 7-10+ years of expanding leadership experience in finance or accounting
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment; educational, nonprofit, or social enterprise experience preferred Strong relationship-building and communication skills; ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels, including senior executives
• Proven project management skills with the ability to translate strategies from plans to action and to implement them with strong attention to detail  
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as strong financial modeling skills
• Inspirational and servant leader with experience managing teams
• Exceptional integrity, a commitment to personal and professional growth, and intellectually curiosity

SCORE is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth by providing team members with feedback and opportunities to grow in their work.

BENEFITS

SCORE deeply values team members and their well-being and is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits plan. All full-time SCORE employees are eligible for benefits, including:

• Medical insurance, including access to a high-quality network with SCORE paying for most medical coverage costs; dental insurance options; vision insurance options; employer-paid disability, life insurance, and EAP benefits; access to Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) benefits.
• Eligibility for participation in a 401K program with employer match after 90 days of service.
• Paid parental leave time, including paternity, maternity, and adoption leave, available after six months of service.
• Paid time off, holiday office closures, and paid floating holidays.
• Free on-site parking.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

At SCORE, we are committed to creating a workplace where all team members bring their whole selves to work and thrive both personally and professionally. We deeply value collaboration, optimism, excellence, and innovation in our student-centered work and in how we work together and support each other as a team. We also believe that it is important for our team to reflect the rich diversity of students in Tennessee, and that we intentionally create space for diverse viewpoints to meaningfully contribute to our work.

SCORE is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.

TO APPLY

SCORE will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We recommend interested applicants apply here as soon as possible.