Position Summary

The Director of Finance & Operations is a senior administrative leader responsible for the financial health, operational effectiveness, and organizational infrastructure of Growing Place, a Santa Monica nonprofit early childhood learning community serving children and families across three campuses: Marine Park, Ocean Park, and the Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School. Growing Place is one school with three campuses, connected by a common mission, vision, pedagogy, and professional development culture.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Finance & Operations provides strategic leadership for finance, budgeting, forecasting, human resources, payroll, benefits administration, risk management, compliance, and key operational systems. This role serves as a trusted thought partner to the Executive Director and works closely with the Director of Advancement, Board Treasurer, Finance Committee, Campus Directors, and outside partners to ensure sound stewardship and long-term sustainability.

The ideal candidate is an experienced, mission-aligned nonprofit leader who combines strong financial and operational expertise with honesty, discretion, sound judgment, and high emotional intelligence. This person understands how to support a complex school organization with multiple campuses, tuition-based revenue, fundraising dependency, tuition assistance, and a people-centered culture. 

Growing Place’s mission is “to create a better future by helping children develop into confident, compassionate, and creative problem solvers,” and its philosophy emphasizes collaborative inquiry, strong relationships, and intentional environments. The Director of Finance & Operations plays a vital role in ensuring that the organization’s business systems, people practices, and operational planning support that mission every day.

Essential Duties

Financial Leadership & Strategy

• Provide strategic financial leadership in partnership with the Executive Director, Director of Advancement, and Board finance leadership.
• Oversee the financial operations of the organization, including budgeting, forecasting, accounting oversight, cash flow monitoring, internal controls, and financial reporting.
• Develop and maintain annual and multi-year financial models to support enrollment planning, staffing decisions, compensation planning, capital needs, and long-term sustainability.
• Prepare accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports, including variance analyses and dashboard summaries for leadership and the Board.
• Lead the annual budget development process in collaboration with the Executive Director, Campus Directors, and Institutional Leadership.
• Partner with the Executive Director on long-range financial strategy, scenario planning, and institutional decision-making.
• Support stewardship of tuition revenue, enrollment-related financial planning, and philanthropic income assumptions, including coordination with admissions and development functions as appropriate.
• Oversee audit preparation, tax filings, and relationships with external auditors, accountants, banks, lenders, and other financial service providers.
• Ensure responsible management of organizational reserves, debt, investments, restricted funds, and capital expenditures, as applicable.
• Oversee financial policies, purchasing procedures, contract review processes, and asset management systems.

Operations & Administration

• Lead day-to-day business and operational functions across the organization in ways that support excellence, efficiency, and continuity across all three campuses.
• Oversee operational systems and services, which may include vendor management, procurement, facilities coordination, information technology, security, and campus operations.
• Support the Executive Director in identifying and implementing process improvements that strengthen organizational effectiveness and service to children, families, and the professional community.
• Develop and maintain operational policies, systems, calendars, and workflows that promote consistency, accountability, and strong internal communication.
• Oversee facilities-related planning and operational support, including maintenance coordination, capital projects, lease or property-related logistics, and vendor relationships.
• Ensure that operational practices reflect the needs of a high-quality early childhood environment and support uninterrupted school functioning.

Human Resources, Payroll & Benefits

• Oversee payroll administration and ensure accurate and timely processing of compensation for all employees.
• Lead or supervise benefits administration, including health insurance, retirement plans, leave administration, workers’ compensation, and employee support programs.
• Partner with the Executive Director on compensation philosophy, salary benchmarking, workforce planning, and annual compensation review processes.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, employment agreements, personnel files, and offboarding procedures.
• Ensure compliance with HR policies, wage and hour requirements, employment regulations, and applicable federal, state, and local labor laws.
• Serve as a knowledgeable and trusted resource on human resources matters, employee relations, confidentiality, and policy interpretation.
• Help strengthen systems that support employee experience, clarity, accountability, and legal compliance.

Risk Management, Compliance & Governance

• Oversee organizational insurance programs, including property, liability, health, workers’ compensation, and other coverage as needed.
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit, financial, employment, and operational regulations.
• Maintain custody and organization of key business records, contracts, policies, insurance documentation, and other legal and financial instruments.
• Partner with legal counsel and external advisors on institutional matters as needed.
• Support the Executive Director and Board with policy review, reporting, and organizational compliance obligations.
• Attend Board meetings as requested and work closely with the Finance Committee to present financial information clearly and accurately.

Strategic Partnership & Leadership

• Serve as a strategic and visionary thought partner to the Executive Director in shaping organizational priorities, growth planning, and sustainable infrastructure.
• Translate mission-driven goals into practical financial and operational plans that support Growing Place’s children, families, and educators.
• Help leadership make informed decisions by providing clear analysis, realistic guardrails, and forward-looking recommendations.
• Contribute to organizational planning that reflects Growing Place’s unique model as a nonprofit, community-supported early childhood school with tuition revenue, fundraising needs, and tuition assistance commitments. 
• Foster a culture of integrity, collaboration, responsiveness, and service across administrative functions.
• Supervise and develop operations and business office staff as assigned, building strong systems and an accountable, collegial team culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
• MBA, CPA, CMA, SHRM credential, or other relevant advanced credential preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in finance and operations.
• Significant experience in nonprofit finance and administration required; independent school or early childhood education experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, audit coordination, internal controls, and cash flow management.
• Strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles, fund accounting concepts, and financial compliance requirements.
• Experience overseeing or partnering closely on payroll, benefits administration, compensation planning, HR compliance, and employee records management.
• Experience working with boards, finance committees, auditors, legal counsel, and external vendors.
• Strong systems orientation, with the ability to improve processes, build infrastructure, and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical, and interpersonal communication skills.
• High level of integrity, honesty, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Strong emotional intelligence and the ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically with a wide range of constituents.
• Ability to think strategically and act operationally.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Growing Place and to supporting a warm, inclusive, and community-centered school culture.

Reporting Structure

• Reports directly to the Executive Director. 
• Works in close partnership with the Director of Advancement, Campus Directors, administrative leaders and program leadership.  
• Serves as a key staff liaison to the Board Treasurer and Finance Committee, and attends Board meetings as appropriate.  
• Supervises business and operations staff and oversees external consultants, vendors, and service providers as assigned.
• Collaborates closely with Executive Director and Campus Directors on admissions, development, revenue planning, compensation, and organizational strategy.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work on-site in a school and office environment across multiple campuses in Santa Monica.
• Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer and attending meetings.
• Ability to move throughout campus environments, including offices, classrooms, and outdoor areas.
• Ability to bend, reach, carry files or materials, and lift up to approximately 25 pounds on an occasional basis.
• Ability to manage the pace, interruptions, and activity level of a dynamic school environment.

Benefits

• 100% Employer paid health, dental and vision insurance.
• 403b retirement plan with employer match.
• FSA - Health.
• Dependent Care Savings Account.
• 72 hours paid sick leave - frontloaded annually at the start of the school year.
• 4 weeks of paid time off during synchronized school closure (Winter, Spring and Summer).

About Growing Place

The Growing Place is an early childhood education center established in 1985. Our mission is to help children develop into confident, compassionate, and creative problem solvers. Our program unifies children, parents, and teachers into a community that learns together. We operate three centers in Santa Monica; Our three sites are licensed to serve 257 children and positively impact approximately 500 working parents and 80 early childhood educators.We use a social constructivist approach to working with teachers, children, and families; in partnership with Reggio Emilia. We fundamentally view children as competent, resilient, and curious individuals, teachers as researchers, facilitators, and collaborators of learning for children and adults, and parents as authentic partners.

Connections working at Growing Place