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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 500+ schools and employing approximately 44,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.  In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Job Summary: 

The Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) Business Operations Specialist is responsible for the successful fiscal management and reporting of the SCS grant. The SCS Business Operations Specialist reports to the Grants Manager of (SCS) in the Office of College and Career Success. 

The SCS Business Operations Specialist is responsible for ensuring the accurate and efficient execution of all business support functions, including budgeting, purchasing, travel, board reports, and business process development and improvement.This position is also required to build the capacity of external partners to ensure effective implementation of the SCS grant.As part of that responsibility, the Coordinator will work closely with the SCS team and school partnerships to ensure that effective budget management tools and practices are in place and ensure strict adherence to the Sustainable Community Schools model. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Conduct the development and ongoing review and monitoring of SCS grant budgets. 
• Regularly analyze business operations with an eye toward process improvements and fiscal integrity
• Ensure accurate execution of department and school purchasing processes, and monitor and assess processes for efficiency improvements 
• Monitor SCS school-level spending, including partner agencies, and assist in the management of all financial transactions to ensure all funds are spent in accordance with grant guidelines. 
• Work directly with SCS schools to manage all SCS funding and assist and advise staff through the budget modification process
• Manage the invoicing process for all Purchase Orders with Lead Partner Agencies. This includes training Lead Partners on the process, reviewing for allowable/non-allowable charges, tracking expenditures, and working with a variety of stakeholders to ensure timely payment. 
• Manage all processes associated with department travel and reimbursements. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

 In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the SCS Business Operations Specialist must possess the following qualifications: 

 Education Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required
•  Master’s degree preferred 

 Experience Required: 

• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience working in finance, budget, or accounts payable.
• Experience managing/administering budgets and procurement processes 

 Other Requirements: 

• Flexibility of schedule, including occasional evening and weekend work, is required 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Google Workspace.
• Strong ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with a variety of individuals at once, including school leaders and or non-profit organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with multiple levels of management and address challenges in a constructive manner. 
• Strong knowledge of Oracle and other CPS databases, or ability to learn these quickly. 
• Ability to build trusting relationships and function effectively with all stakeholders; both at the school and central office level, as well as the community partner level. 
• Self-starter with the ability to conduct multiple projects concurrently, both independently and as a member of a collaborative team. 
• Ability and willingness to learn and quickly adapt amidst new and shifting priorities. 
• Exceptional written, verbal, organizational, and budgetary skills. 
• Capable of success both as a member of a collaborative team and when working independently with minimum supervision and/or outside of a traditional office setting

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency -Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 -Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.