Associate Chief of Financial Planning & Analysis

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 annual budget across all of our charters is approximately $350 million. 

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. 

Your Impact 

The Associate Chief of Financial Planning fulfills a core strategic role within Achievement First, advising the CFO and senior leadership team on how Achievement First deploys its resources to best serve students across all three regions we operate.  

The Associate Chief oversees the budgeting, planning, and school level allocations for $350 million in annual revenue across Achievement First’s three regions and seven entities, the management and continuous improvement of Achievement First’s forecasting process, and the strategy for Achievement First’s debt portfolio. The Associate Chief will partner with portfolio management, real estate planning teams, and enrollment teams to support Achievement First’s long-range planning. The role serves as a strategic financial leader and communicator who translates funding policy into practical guidance and presents to principals, lenders, executives, our boards, and other stakeholders. 

The Associate Chief will ensure accurate, timely, transparent fiscal practices and financial reporting and convert analyses into clear actionable insights that outline trade-offs and recommendations to support timely executive decisions. The Associate Chief will continue to build out the FP&A team and must be ready to lead in ambiguous situations and create new processes for the team. The Associate Chief must bring a flexible, solutions-oriented mindset by recognizing when budgeting practices and policies require interpretation and adapting guidance to support the operational realities of schools. This includes exercising sound judgment, balancing risk with mission, and working in partnership with school and network leaders in support of student outcomes.  

Financial Leadership, Analytics, and Strategy 

• Own and continuously improve the strategy and execution of the end-to-end budgeting and forecasting process, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and accountability across network and school leadership, 

• Communicate financial information to Boards, executives, Principals, and other leaders in partnership with the CFO. 

• Provide driver-based analysis and forecasts with clear recommendations to inform senior leadership and Board decisions. 

• Translate complex financial information into clear, actionable narratives, including one-page memos with clear “so what/now what,” named owners, and timelines for diverse audiences including boards, executives, and school leaders.

 Team Leadership 

• Supervise the personnel and functions of the budgeting and forecasting team, including the annual goal-setting and performance management processes and systems. 

• Maintain a high-trust, high-transparency culture by proactively communicating decisions, trade-offs, opportunities and/or constraints.  

• Lead and develop a high-performing finance team, setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and supporting professional growth, fostering a culture of learning and process improvement. 

 Long-Range & Scenario Planning 

• Own multi-year financial planning and scenario modeling that informs growth decisions (school openings/closures, capital projects, talent investments, etc…). 

• Provide strategic recommendations to the CFO and executive leadership based on risk/opportunity analyses.

Process Improvement, Innovation & Change Management 

• Lead process re-engineering initiatives that reduce budget cycle time, improve forecast accuracy, and strengthen financial transparency. 

• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and collaboration within the finance department. 

• Implement key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor financial health and operational efficiency, using data to drive improvements. 

• Apply sound judgment in interpreting and implementing financial policies, balancing compliance requirements with the practical needs of schools. 

• Scale a best-in-class FP&A function that enables sustainable and strategic decision-making across the organization. 

 Qualifications 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field required; advanced credentials such as MBA, CFA, or CPA strongly preferred. 

• Experience: Minimum of 7 years in progressively senior financial leadership roles within large, complex organizations (e.g., FP&A Manager, Director of Finance). 10 years of experience preferred. Experience in the charter school, nonprofit, or education sector is highly desirable. 

Technical Expertise

• Deep knowledge of financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, and long-range scenario planning across large and complex organizations with diverse revenue sources and expense drivers. 
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and business intelligence platforms (e.g., Workday Adaptive Planning, Tableau). 
• Proven track record of building driver-based models and sensitivity analyses that enhanced forecast accuracy and guided resource allocation.
• Experience with governmental or philanthropic grant revenue is highly desirable. 

Strategic Influence

• Demonstrated success in translating financial analysis into clear recommendations that drive executive-level decision-making. 

Leadership & Management

• Skilled at leading high-performing teams with a focus on coaching, transparency, accountability, and professional growth. 

• Experienced in managing organizational systems, processes, and change initiatives to achieve sustainable financial outcomes. 

Collaboration & Communication: 

• Ability to partner effectively across functions and levels, including with school leaders and non-finance staff, to align priorities and move work forward. 

• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to simplify complex financial concepts into actionable insights for diverse audiences. 

• Experience presenting to boards and governance entities is highly desirable.

Problem-Solving & Adaptability

• Proven ability to lead through ambiguity and challenges, applying sound judgment and innovative thinking to achieve long-term financial health. 

Travel Expectations  

This is a hybrid role. The person in the role will be expected to come into the Network Support office (NYC, CT, or RI) three days per week or as the work requires, plus additional occasional travel to regions outside your home region.   

On-site and travel expectations may evolve as organizational needs change. 

Compensation 

Achievement First sets salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role.  The salary for this position is $175,000-$190,000. In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay.  Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.