Employment Opportunities

Controller

Controller Job Description

Job Title: Controller	FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: Administration	Reports To: Director of Finance
Location: Irving, Texas	Position Type: Full-time
Date Posted: 9/8/26	Start Date: Immediately

OVERVIEW

Cistercian Preparatory School (Cistercian) is an independent Catholic preparatory school near Dallas, Texas, educating boys grades 5-12 through an all-honors curriculum. Enrollment is 358 students on average.  Cistercian is rooted in the life and spirit of Catholic monasticism. It offers talented and motivated young men challenging programs within a supportive community, allowing them to develop their strengths and face their weaknesses in preparation for college and life beyond, all for the good of the whole person in service to God and neighbor.

SUMMARY

The Controller is the individual primarily responsible for maintaining accurate financial records and supporting the day-to-day accounting and financial operations of the School. This position performs general ledger accounting, cash management, bank reconciliations, accounts payable support, tuition and student-accounting functions, gift and development accounting, financial reporting, audit preparation, and regulatory compliance.

The Controller works closely with the Director of Finance, Headmaster, Development Office, Admissions and Enrollment, Human Resources, faculty and staff, families, vendors, auditors, and financial institutions. The position requires a high degree of accuracy, confidentiality, integrity, organization, and customer service.

RESPONSIBILITIES

General Accounting & Financial Records

• Maintain accurate and timely accounting records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and School policies.

• Record daily financial transactions, including cash receipts, checks, electronic payments, ACH transactions, gifts, transfers, and journal entries.
• Prepare journal entries, account reclassifications, and interfund or project transfers for approval by the Director of Finance
• Maintain the chart of accounts and ensure transactions are recorded to the appropriate accounts, funds, departments, and projects.
• Perform monthly account reconciliations and investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Assist with month-end and year-end closing procedures.
• Maintain organized and complete financial documentation and supporting schedules.

Cash Management & Banking

• Record and reconcile cash, check, credit-card, online, and electronic income.
• Reconcile operating, payroll, development, and other School bank accounts for approval by the Director of Finance
• Prepare and make cash deposits in accordance with School policies and internal-control procedures.
• Record transfers between bank accounts, funds, and projects.
• Maintain check logs, Positive Pay activity, and other banking records.
• Support compliance with PCI requirements and applicable banking regulations.
• Maintain appropriate segregation of duties and internal controls over cash and banking activities.

Tuition & Student Accounts

• Maintain the School's student billing and tuition-management system.
• Record and reconcile tuition, fees, financial aid, and other student charges to the general ledger.
• Monitor tuition billing, collections, delinquent accounts, withdrawals, refunds, and adjustments.
• Respond timely, professionally, and confidentially to family questions regarding tuition accounts and billing.
• Work with Admissions, Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, and School administration to ensure accurate student-account information.
• Assist with annual enrollment, tuition-setting, and system-integration processes.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between the student-information/tuition system and the general ledger.

Accounts Payable & Credit Cards

• Assist with sales-tax reporting and other regulatory filings.
• Serve as backup support during the absence of the Accounts Payable Specialist or during peak periods.

Development & Gift Accounting

• Record and reconcile gifts received by cash, check, credit card, ACH, online giving, securities, and other methods.
• Reconcile development and gift-related bank accounts and systems.
• Ensure gifts are properly recorded by donor, fund, restriction, campaign, and accounting classification.
• Reconcile development records to the general ledger.
• Support the Development Office with gift reporting, reconciliations, and financial documentation.
• Assist with capital campaign and restricted-fund reporting.
• Provide financial information for donor and development reporting while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Payroll & Employee Benefits Support

• Reconcile payroll accounts and related general ledger activity.
• Assist with payroll-related journal entries, benefit accounting, and reporting

Audit, Compliance & Regulatory Reporting

• Prepare schedules, reconciliations, supporting documentation, and reports for the School's annual financial audit.
• Work with external auditors and provide requested information in a timely and organized manner.
• Support audits and reporting related to tuition, cash, restricted funds, and internal controls.
• Support compliance with IRS requirements, sales-tax requirements, 1099 reporting, unclaimed-property requirements, and other applicable regulations.
• Maintain appropriate records in accordance with the School's document-retention policies.
• Assist with implementation and monitoring of internal financial controls.

Internal Controls & Risk Management

• Follow and help strengthen established financial policies and procedures.
• Identify discrepancies, unusual transactions, and potential control weaknesses and communicate them to the appropriate administrator.
• Maintain confidentiality of student, family, donor, and School financial information.
• Ensure financial records are properly secured and retained.

 

Administrative & Professional Responsibilities

• Maintain current knowledge of accounting standards, independent school business practices, technology, and applicable regulations.
• Participate in professional development and continuing education.
• Attend appropriate School and Business Office meetings.
• Support the Business Office during special projects, system implementations, audits, enrollment periods, and year-end activities.
• Respond to all in a timely manner and communicate in a clear and professional manner, maintaining positive relationships with families, employees, vendors, donors, auditors, and School administrators.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Finance.

Qualifications
Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Accounting experience with demonstrated knowledge of general ledger accounting and financial reporting.  Fund accounting is desirable.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a school environment.
• Must be able to pass a comprehensive background and credit check.

Preferred

• Experience working in an independent school, nonprofit, educational institution, or similarly complex organization.
• Experience with tuition-management systems such as FACTS or similar platforms.
• Experience with accounting systems (non-profit financial software systems, particularly Veracross, is a plus), payroll systems, online giving platforms, and banking/merchant-service systems.
• Experience with restricted funds, donor accounting, financial aid, and capital campaign reporting.
• Experience supporting an annual financial audit.
• CPA, CMA, or other professional accounting certification is a plus.

Key Attributes
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Integrity and discretion when handling sensitive financial and personal information.
• Accuracy and attention to detail in all accounting and reporting activities.
• Accountability and reliability in meeting deadlines and maintaining financial controls.
• Service orientation when working with families, faculty, staff, vendors, and administrators.
• Collaboration across the Business Office and other School departments.
• Problem-solving ability and sound financial judgment.
• Adaptability in a dynamic independent school environment.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the School.

Success in the Role
Success in this position is demonstrated by accurate and timely financial records, reconciled accounts, reliable tuition and gift reporting, well-maintained documentation, effective internal controls, timely audit support, regulatory compliance, and responsive service to the School's families, employees, administrators, and other stakeholders.

Please direct all inquiries and resumes to ­­­­­­­­­­Lisa Richard at Cistercian Preparatory School (lrichard@cistercian.org).

Director of Finance

Director of Finance Job Description

Job Title: Director of Finance	FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: Administration	Reports To: Headmaster
Location: Irving, Texas	Position Type: Full-time
Date Posted: 9/8/26	Start Date: Immediately

OVERVIEW

Cistercian Preparatory School (Cistercian) is an independent Catholic preparatory school near Dallas, Texas, educating boys grades 5-12 through an all-honors curriculum. Enrollment is 358 students on average.  Cistercian is rooted in the life and spirit of Catholic monasticism. It offers talented and motivated young men challenging programs within a supportive community, allowing them to develop their strengths and face their weaknesses in preparation for college and life beyond, all for the good of the whole person in service to God and neighbor.

SUMMARY

Cistercian has a unique appeal that draws in and keeps exceptional talent for the long term. The new Director of Finance will play a crucial role in maintaining and further elevating our School’s outstanding standards, while fully engaging with its close-knit community, collaborative spirit, and mission. Given Cistercian’s deep-rooted traditions and long-term vision, the Director of Finance must first take the time to understand and embrace our culture.  Reporting directly to the Headmaster, the Director of Finance will work closely with other members of the community and build strong relationships with key stakeholders across the School community, while also realizing this is a “hands-on” working role that requires an ability to roll up one’s sleeves to do what is necessary.

 RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee and manage all Business Office functions including revenue collection, accounts payable, vendor contracts, payroll, accounting and reporting, regulatory reporting and compliance, risk management, financial aid, external audit, human resources and other business administration activities.
• Review the work of direct reports and provide training as needed. Assist with hiring direct reports as needed. The Director of Finance will have three direct reports: the Controller, Accounts Payable Specialist, and the part-time Human Resources Coordinator.
• Ensure that proper financial policies are documented and enforced, detailed records are maintained, and internal controls observed to safeguard assets, protect confidential information, and provide accurate financial reporting. Maintaining a strong internal control environment will require the Director of Finance to review and approve items prepared by the Controller such as journal entries and account reconciliations.
• Maintain the books and records in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Perform a thorough review of the financial reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. Investigate significant variances between actual and budget. Alert the Headmaster to any areas of concern.  Identify and resolve discrepancies, unusual transactions and/or any observed weakness in internal controls.
• Develop, monitor, and manage the School’s annual budgets and monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting, ensuring financial resources are allocated efficiently and in alignment with the School’s goals.

• Collaborate with and aid the Headmaster and School Board committees in meeting fiduciary responsibilities (conduct quarterly Audit Committee meetings, document quarterly Investment Committee meetings, provide Headmaster with reports for quarterly School Board meetings).
• Oversee the annual insurance policy renewal cycles alongside the Headmaster.

• Supervise, obtain and provide accounting information and documentation to the independent public accounting firm to assure the timely completion of the annual audit on a June 30 fiscal year end.

• Ensure that human resources policies and practices are clearly articulated, consistently applied, and conform to legal requirements.
• Participate in developing School strategy by providing recommendations, financial analysis, projections, and other data to inform the process.
• Model high ethical standards and respect for colleagues, alumni, parents, and students in conducting School business.
• Respond to all in a timely manner and communicate in a clear and professional manner to all colleagues, staff and stakeholders.
• Remain current with business management trends in education and participate in educational opportunities such as reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in local, regional, and national professional organizations.
• Learn and understand the culture of our community and the wider educational environment to support the School and its leadership.

SPECIFIC SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, budgeting, financial reporting, and investment management. Experience with fund accounting in an educational setting is highly beneficial.
• Proficiency in administrative and non-profit financial software systems, Veracross preferred. Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.

• Familiarity with human resources practices and employment laws in educational settings.
• Ability to lead and work collaboratively with the School’s leadership, staff, and community.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Keen analytical competence and a detail-oriented work style.
• Adaptability and creativity in problem-solving.
• High ethical standards and integrity.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Commitment to educational excellence
• Ability to be flexible to the demands of the role as needed.

KEY ATTRIBUTES
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Integrity and discretion when handling sensitive financial and personal information.
• Accuracy and attention to detail in all accounting and reporting activities.
• Accountability and reliability in meeting deadlines and maintaining financial controls.
• Service orientation when working with families, faculty, staff, vendors, and administrators.
• Collaboration across the Business Office, other School departments, and School Board committees.
• Problem-solving ability and sound financial judgment.
• Adaptability in a dynamic independent school environment.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the School.

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPENSATION

• A BBA in Accounting or MBA in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, CPA with audit experience is desired.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in full-cycle accounting, preferably with a managerial background.

• Must be able to pass a comprehensive background and credit check.

• Compensation commensurate with experience.

 SUCCESS IN THE ROLE

Success in this position is demonstrated through the professional supervision and execution of all duties resulting in accurate and timely financial records, reconciled accounts, reliable tuition and gift reporting, well-maintained documentation, effective internal controls, timely audit support, regulatory compliance, and responsive service to the School's families, employees, administrators, and other stakeholders.

 

Please direct all inquiries and resumes to ­­­­­­­­­­Lisa Richard at Cistercian Preparatory School (lrichard@cistercian.org).