Chief Business Officer

ABOUT UNBOUNDED

UnboundEd empowers educators to eliminate the predictability of student outcomes by race, language, and socioeconomic status through evidence-informed, engaging, affirming, and meaningful grade-level instruction—so all students succeed academically. As the largest equity-focused professional learning organization in the nation, we provide professional learning products and services to hundreds of thousands of educators nationwide.

UnboundEd is a passionate team of former teachers, district and school leaders, curriculum writers, and education experts united by the desire to see every student thrive. We walk alongside educators on their professional learning journey, helping them cultivate the mindsets, knowledge, and skills to deliver equitable, effective instruction. In 2023, UnboundEd joined forces with Pivot Learning and CORE Learning to expand our offerings and drive long-needed changes in instruction, especially in the highest-need schools.

ROLE SUMMARY

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Business Officer (CBO) is the finance and accounting leader (budgeting, forecasting, accounting, and financial performance). The CBO will be pivotal in ensuring that UnboundEd and its subsidiaries achieve their financial and regulatory goals. They will also provide expertise, models, and strategies to support new product initiatives that drive sales and revenue growth. As a member of the UnboundEd Executive Team, this position develops and presents financial information to various audiences, including executive leadership, team leaders, and external partners (e.g. auditors, funders, lenders, etc.). This position requires a unique blend of strategic business acumen, financial expertise, and a commitment to educational equity.

UnboundEd is a virtual organization, and this employee can be based anywhere in the United States. UnboundEd has core business hours, during which we expect all staff to be available from 9 am to 5 pm local time, and 15% of travel is required.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:

Financial Leadership: Develop and implement financial strategies that support the organization’s vision, priorities, and goals

• Lead accountability for all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analyses
• Represent the company to investors and public officials
• Collaborate with investment advisors and the board by considering cash and liquidity risks
• Oversee the company’s finance IT system
• Manage relationships with external auditors and other financial service providers to ensure compliance with all reporting and regulatory requirements
• Maintain all banking relationships and initiate strategies to strengthen cash position
• Collaborate with the Talent/HR team to ensure benefits, policies, and payroll are aligned
• Manage insurance policies, in collaboration with UnboundEd’s insurance broker, for domestic and international programs, liability, directors and officers, and workers' compensation; negotiate annual renewal with vendors

Revenue Guidance and Support: Lead budgeting conversations, financial forecasting, and financial modeling to optimize resource allocation

• Collaborate with the executive team to set revenue targets and create strategies to achieve them
• Ensure the organization is well-prepared to address potential financial challenges and opportunities
• Establish and maintain effective internal controls to safeguard organizational assets
• Identify and pursue new revenue streams and partnerships to diversify income sources
• Collaborate with internal teams, including marketing, communications, programmatic, and sales teams, to align financial and regulatory efforts with organizational objectives
• Ensure CRM data is compliant with financial and billing data and provide support for forecasts and revenue recognition

Corporate Development: Develop highly effective, deep relationships with key partners

• Provide day-to-day management of partner relationships with a focus on growth activities (districts and other organizations)
• Analyze the educational landscape and use data to expand UnboundEd’s reach and impact.
• Set account strategy and business objectives per partner; define and track KPIs; take responsibility for mobilizing partners and internal resources to execute to meet goals
• Evaluate potential acquisition and/or investment targets identified by the CEO or Board of Directors; produce materials and pitch decks that can be used to support a potential deal
• Develop and iterate on strategic presentations that support the growth and development of the business
• Perform comprehensive financial valuations involving discounted cash flow, accretion/dilution, and comparable company/transaction analysis
• Analyze and assess the viability of new business initiatives
• Drive strategic corporate financial analysis, building and maintaining detailed financial models

Financial Management: Provide oversight (leadership/guidance) to ensure smooth day-to-day operations

• Ensure the financial ledger is accurate and shared on schedule
• Coordinate audit activities and key stakeholders with the audit firm
• Ensure inter-company transactions are consistent with agreements
• Oversee all tax filings and compliance requirements, ensuring that the organization complies with all relevant laws and regulations
• Lead the creation and reporting of the annual budget

Other special projects assigned by the CEO

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; advanced degree in finance, business, or a related field preferred
• Fifteen (15) years of progressive finance and business operations leadership experience, with at least three (3) years of enterprise-level responsibility for finance and business operations and multi-year financial forecasting for an operating budget of $50 million or greater and 100+ employees
• Preferred qualifications include knowledge and experience with federal grant accounting, compliance, and sales

THE STRONGEST CANDIDATES WILL HAVE/BE:

• Commitment to UnboundEd’s organizational values
• Learning orientation and commitment toward diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy
• Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting financial management principles and practices
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a virtual, remote environment and build strong relationships with colleagues and partners across geographies and time zones
• Willingness to work alongside a dynamic, highly collaborative, and vision-driven team
• Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to thrive in a fast-paced and changing environment
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office, Google-based applications, and online collaboration tools such as Slack
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, especially advanced Excel and Google Enterprise
• Knowledge of Quickbooks Online

Benefits

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION

UnboundEd offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and education and a generous benefits package that includes take-as-you-need vacation time, group medical, dental, and vision plans, disability and life insurance plans, and an employer-sponsored 401K retirement plan with a 5% employer contribution and no vesting period. This exempt full-time position has an annual salary range of $230,000 - $345,000 and bonus-earning potential. Because of our strong commitment to equity and growth, UnboundEd does not negotiate compensation offers.