Director of Operations and Finance

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Location: Berkeley, California
Who We Are

The Edible Schoolyard Project (ESY) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the transformation of public education by using organic school gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias to teach both academic subjects and the values of equity, nourishment, stewardship, and community.

The Edible Schoolyard Project was founded in 1995 by former Montessori teacher and restaurateur, Alice Waters, at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, CA and has inspired a network of 5,800 Edible Schoolyards around the globe. This program and our South Stockton Edible Schoolyard serve as the Edible Schoolyard Project’s demonstration sites and innovation hubs. Additionally, we produce extensive curricula and resources available to all, host family focused programming, and welcome guests from around the world for tours, training, and workshops.  We believe that every student deserves access to a free, delicious, and nutritious school lunch that is organically and regeneratively grown by people who are taking care of the land and addressing climate change.

The Alice Waters Institute (AWI) is a new non-profit being developed alongside the Edible Schoolyard Project. AWI’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a regenerative food and farming system through school supported agriculture that connects regenerative farmers, ranchers, and food producers directly to school cafeterias. The Institute will stimulate a market for regenerative organic farmers and food producers by developing, teaching, and transforming the food procurement model for K-12 schools and higher educational institutions, where the values of community, nourishment, equity and environmental stewardship can be conveyed to the next generation through food. 

What it Means to Work Here

Food and education are universal, and the public school system is the place where we can teach every child the values they need to live on this planet together. When you join ESY and AWI, you are part of a curious, collaborative, equity-focused team that appreciates creativity and finds joy in our collective mission. We are deeply committed to providing an edible education using a hands-on whole-child educational model which teaches academic subjects to state standards in the kitchen and garden classrooms. Our work environment appeals to those who are self-starters, enjoy working as part of a small team and able to communicate and engage the ESY vision.

Job Description

The Director of Operations and Finance (DOF) ensures the organization is running smoothly and efficiently to meet its overall goals and mission. They are responsible for overseeing the organization’s operations, administration, and finances. This includes managing internal financial controls and budgeting, maintaining organizational systems, and coordinating human resources. The DOF manages an Operations and Finance Coordinator. The DOF reports to the Executive Director (ED) of ESY and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AWI. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Financial Management 

  • Support ED of ESY, CEO of AWI, and Board Finance Committee with financial investment account oversight and preparation of annual budget 
  • Coordinate and facilitate financial audit and tax reporting 
  • Reconcile and review bank statements and credit card accounts each month. 
  • Code and book credit card income invoices 
  • Lead the monthly financial close process. Work with third party accountants to ensure all income and expenses are correctly entered and coded and accounts are reconciled to internal documents (accruals, prepaids, depreciation, TRNA) 
  • Maintain budget spreadsheets and controls: prepare monthly financial reports including budget to actual reports, statement of cash flow, forecasts, and other ad-hoc reports as required 
  • Prepare government compliance reports and filings, including IRS form 990, form 1099, and other IRS returns 
  • Manage accounts receivable and payable 
  • Ensure all donations are properly recorded and coded in Xero 
  • Meet with the ED and Development team on a routine basis to review financials and provide a cash flow analysis 
  • Regularly review internal finance controls and ensure all policies and procedures are clearly documented and communicated 
  • Assist ED in developing board financial correspondence, meeting agendas, and other materials 

Development Support

  • Oversee the Operations Coordinator in processing donations and generating timely and accurate gift acknowledgment letters and tax receipts
  • Ensure data integrity through careful review of data entry and ongoing clean-up efforts 
  • Assist the Development Team in coordinating the production and distribution of recurring appeals and stewardship materials 
  • Support the Development team with grant budget preparation, grant reporting and tracking of restricted funding
  • Assist with fundraising events and processing payments
  • Assist with collecting and generating data for ESY’s Annual Report 

Human Resources

  • Manage new hire processes including maintaining employee manuals, developing and producing new hire packets, drafting letters of agreement, and enrolling employees in health and 403(b) programs. Support in off-boarding of employees
  • Act as point of contact for ESY health insurance, worker’s comp, and 403(b) programs 
  • Maintain and update employee files including updates to salary, job descriptions, or employment status 
  • Administer semi-monthly payroll and track paid time off 
  • Draft, process, and manage consultant contracts and invoices 
  • Ensure employee handbook and personnel policies are valid and reflective current events 
  • Maintain all ESY insurance policies (Employment Practices, Directors and Officers, Package Liability Policies, Workers Comp) 
  • Prepare annual Workers Comp audit 
  • Prepare annual 403(b) census
Qualifications
  • Minimum of a BA, ideally with an MBA/CPA or related degree
  • At least 7 to 10 years of overall professional experience; ideally six-plus years of broad financial and operations management experience for a non-profit organization 
  • A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision making
  • Deep knowledge of non-profit accounting and legal structures 
  • The ideal candidate has experience of final responsibility for the quality and content of all financial data, reporting and audit coordination for either a division or significant program area, and has preferably overseen a human resources function previously
  • Ability to translate financial concepts to – and to effectively collaborate with -- programmatic and fundraising colleagues who do not necessarily have finance backgrounds
  • A track record in grants management and reporting (including government grants) 
  • Experience with investment strategies and/or endowments a plus 
  • Technology savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software installations and managing relationships with software vendors; knowledge of accounting and reporting software, fundraising database management (Salesforce a plus) 
  • Commitment to training programs that maximize individual and organization goals across the organization including best practices in human resources activities
  • Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
  • A multi-tasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment
  • Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of ESY and AWI
Salary Range

$115,000 - $130,000

Application Instructions

Please send your CV and cover letter to jobs@edibleschoolyard.org with the subject line “Director of Operations and Finance”