About Newark, NJ

Located 11 miles away from mid-town Manhattan, Newark is a vibrant city in its own right. Newark is the financial, commercial, and transportation nucleus of the Garden State. It also is a thriving cultural hub, with residents from all over the world. Newark is filled with events and attractions, such as the Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Festival and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. There is something for everyone to explore and enjoy in the City of Newark, from festivals and parades, to museums and musical venues, Newark is the New York City metropolitan area’s best kept secret.

About the Paulo Freire School

The Paulo Freire Charter School is conveniently located across the street from Newark Broad Street Station, which provides a 15 minute direct line of service to New York Penn Station. The Paulo Freire Charter School (aka The Freire School) opened in September of 2012, and was chartered by the New Jersey State Department of Education to serve students in grades 9-12 within the city of Newark. At capacity, the Freire School will serve 320 students.

Mission of the Paulo Freire Charter School

The mission of the Paulo Freire Charter School (aka The Freire School) is to service those who strive to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding for the betterment of our society. We seek to improve the quality of life by putting scholarship into practice for the purpose of addressing social inequities and injustices. Through a cyclical process of inquiry and social engagement, our scholars take key concepts and apply them to service learning projects that promote social justice and democracy. Our goal is to develop a self-actualized scholar, who possesses a knowledgeable and discerning mind, thrives in service to others, and is prepared for higher education.

Our teachers must firmly believe in the mission of the school, its goals, and its core value: as teachers one of our most important roles is to foster the active use of knowledge.

About the Position:

The School Business Administrator will also support the education program of The Paulo Freire School by working with the Executive Leadership to ensure fiscal solvency. This position reports to the Executive Director.

The School Business Administrator will perform the following duties:

Governance Support

Attends all Board Meetings, keeping full and accurate minutes

Prepare board meeting notices, and notify appropriate media outlets of meetings as per requirements of the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act.

Prepare board minutes and deliver copies of minutes to the appropriate state and county authorities.

Gives public notice of all Board Meetings as required by Chapter 231,”The Open Public Meeting Act.”

Prepares, in consultation with the executive directors and board president, an agenda setting forth all known items of business to be considered at a meeting and delivers the agenda to appropriate persons as provided by statute and board policy.

Publishes all legal notices concerning district business.

Is responsible for investment of board funds in accordance with statute and board policy.

Assists the Executive Directors and the board in developing and updating policies for all aspects of the school business operation.

Performs duties related to school board elections as required by the school by-laws

Presides at the annual reorganization meeting of the board until such time as a president is elected.

Administers the oath of office to newly elected board members.

Develops and transmits all mandated reports and submissions to the county superintendent of schools.

Notifies the New Jersey School Boards Association of the names of newly-elected or appointed school board members in a timely manner to ensure the fulfillment of training required by the School Ethics Act.

Serves as custodian of school records.

Prepares Specifications and makes recommendations for all school projects.

Performs all other such duties as may be prescribed by statute.

Budget and Planning

Assists in the planning, preparation, and implementation of the annual budget, as well as long-term planning in terms of community resources and needs.

Consults with other administrators, architects, attorneys, and financial advisors in planning construction, contracting, and in acquiring suitable financing.

Provide professional advice, guidance, and information that will establish and maintain the business office.

Supervises a program of budget control.

Accounting and Finance

Supervises the accounting system necessary to provide the Governing Board and administrators with accurate financial reports.

Responsible for implementation and use of GAAP accounting system per NJSA 18A:4-14.

Authorized signatory for bank accounts, along with the Board President.

Along with the Executive Director(s), serves as an authorized signatory on requisitions and purchase orders.

Oversees the management of the financial affairs of the school.

Supervises the collection, safekeeping, and distribution of all funds.

Assumes general responsibility for the operation of the district’s insurance programs.

Collects tuition fees and other monies due to the board and school.

Payroll and Purchasing

Is responsible for all purchasing in accordance with the law and board policy.

Acts as the district’s payroll officer.

Oversees the preparation of the district payroll and ensures proper maintenance of records related to auditing requirements, tax laws, and employee benefits. Is responsible for implementing hospitalization, major medical and other types of board-approved employee benefit plans.

Compliance

Assists and oversees administrative staff with enrollment-related reports such as NJ SMART data entry and Charter School Enrollment Database.

Advise administrative staff and Board of Trustees on regulatory compliance.

Respond to the New Jersey Department of Education as needed.

Food Services

Assumes responsibility for the efficient business management of the school lunch program.

Oversee the maintenance and reconciliation of all financial operations of the food service program.

Support Assistant Assistant School Business Administrator and Executive Director of Operations in food distribution and collection of relevant data for the School Nutrition Program

Manage the collection student payments and update the database

Manage the completion and submit weekly and monthly nutrition program reports and documentation

Personnel Administration

Participates in the recruitment, selection, recommendation and assignment of classified personnel.

Plans and implements programs of staff development to improve the skills of classified personnel and to address state and federal laws and regulations.

Supervises personnel assigned to the business office.

Building and Support Services

Assumes responsibility for the operation of the pupil transportation program.

School District/Community Relations

Interprets, in cooperation with other administrators and the Board of Trustees, the school budget and other pertinent areas of school business and financial operations for appropriate audiences.

Cooperates with other members of the staff and shares professionally with colleagues.

School & Community Relations

Maintain positive, cooperative, and mutually supportive relationships with the administration, instructional staff, students, parents, and representatives of resource agencies within the community.

Participate in the school community as a full member of the staff, including but not limited to assisting the Executive Directors with student and staff recruitment, planning of school-wide events, and participating in all-staff retreats and team-building events.

Professional Development

Attend required staff meetings and serve, as appropriate, on staff committees

Be open to feedback and willing to take personal responsibility

Engage in appropriate studies and activities to improve professional competence

Participates in appropriate local, state and national professional meetings, conferences, and conventions

Keeps informed of the latest research trends and developments in pertinent areas of position

Stays current on school law and fiscal matters.

Continue to grow professionally through collaboration with colleagues and professional growth experiences

Miscellaneous

Acts as advisor to the Executive Directors on all matters relating to the business and financial affairs of the district.

Prepares all state, federal, and grant reports which relate to the business office.

Performs such other tasks and assumes such other responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time by the Board of Trustees and/or the Executive Directors

Skills & Qualifications:

1) New Jersey State Certification as a School Business Administrator

2) Minimum of three years of successful experience as a School Business or Administrator/School Board Secretary or Assistant School Business Administrator/Assistant School Board Secretary.

3) Strong human relations and communication skills.

4) Experience in GAAP budgeting, transportation services, insurance, policies,regulations, and grant development.

5) Strong background in facilities maintenance, planning and oversight.

6) Experience in facilitating renovation and construction projects.

7) Successfully completes required criminal history check and has proof of U.S.citizenship or legal resident alien status.

How to apply

Please send a cover letter, current professional resume, 3 professional references, and a copy of your state certification to careers@thefreireschool.org .

Please put the job title, School Business Administrator, in the subject line of your email.

Please also see our website www.thefreireschool.org for additional details.