VP of Business Operations and Finance, Blue Engine

Full-Time, Remote

$160.9-174.9k

Senior and Expert level
Remote in US
Blue Engine

Non-profit partnering with public high schools

Be an early applicant

Blue Engine

Non-profit partnering with public high schools

21-100 employees

B2BEducationSaaS

Be an early applicant

$160.9-174.9k

Senior and Expert level
Remote in US

21-100 employees

B2BEducationSaaS

Company mission

To shift the paradigm of “typical” teaching.

Role

Who you are

  • Bachelor’s Degree Required
  • 8-10 years of relevant leadership operations and finance experience
  • Proven track record of successfully leading teams, planning and managing complex projects, and facilitating cross-functional decision-making
  • Ability to analyze and display data in a way that illuminates business insights and supports members across the organization to do so
  • Communicate and deliver information, both written and verbal, across audiences
  • Demonstrate resourcefulness in finding solutions in ambiguous situations and allocating resources to achieve organizational objectives
  • Ability to strategically balance technical and adaptive leadership, knowing when to follow a plan and when to deviate from a plan to achieve our organization’s goals
  • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate existing processes and create a vision and strategic plan for impact

Desirable

  • Experience leading an annual audit
  • Experience managing external vendors (such as an accounting firm)

What the job involves

  • 1) Business Operations
  • A) Leadership & Management: Lead, support, and develop a team (currently 1 FTE) and manage a network of vendors/consultants responsible for central operations functions, including finance, HR, knowledge management, internal communications & staff engagement
  • B) Contracting & Compliance: Oversee contracting and compliance for all revenue streams, including earned, private, and government funds. Project manage procurement processes for district and federal applications. Oversee the development of grants budgets and spend-down and reporting across revenue streams. Engage with partners and donors on operational issues as needed
  • C) Strategic Planning: Collaborate with the CEO to lead annual planning and performance tracking processes. Ensure that our 3-year strategy is translated into ambitious annual goals and feasible priorities within our available resources, and implement systems for tracking progress towards these goals
  • D) Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the VP of Product and SVP of Org Strategy & Improvement to maintain alignment between organizational, product strategy & design, and revenue strategies
  • E) Systems & Processes: Oversee financial, budgeting, and administrative processes—including HR, payroll, grants management and benefits functions—to continuously develop and improve systems
  • F) Resource Management: Ensure our organization has the physical and digital resources (technology, systems, space, materials) necessary for current operations and future growth. Lead the build-out of key infrastructure needed to advance organizational sustainability, such as CRM and staff utilization systems
  • G) HR & Employee Relations: Resolve employee/employer relations issues that arise confidentially, fairly, and equitably. Ensure that the organization is in compliance with federal, state and local regulations; and that Blue Engine implements the systems and infrastructure required to do this work at scale
  • 2) Fiscal Health
  • A) Financial Planning: Partner with the CEO to lead financial planning efforts, ensuring a robust annual revenue strategy. Allocate resources in alignment with organizational priorities and goals
  • B) Revenue & Efficiency: Collaborate with the leadership team to align revenue generation and staff utilization with fiscal objectives
  • C) Financial Practices: Conceptualize, structure, and deliver sound financial practices to accurately capture, inform, and report incoming and projected revenue
  • D) Financial Management: Oversee day-to-day financial management, including budget monitoring and cash flow; ensure sound financial controls are in place; oversee third-party accounting firm and annual audit
  • E) Board Liaison: Serve as the management liaison to the board and finance committee, effectively communicating and presenting critical financial matters at a select board of directors and committee meetings
  • 3) Provide enterprise-level leadership
  • A) Strategic Contribution: Participate as a Blue Engine Leadership team member, contributing to developing Blue Engine’s strategic goals, engaging in organizational-wide decisions, and championing BE’s mission and vision
  • B) Internal Communications: Support cross-departmental collaboration and strengthen internal communications to ensure staff receive clear, consistent, and transparent information about enterprise-level priorities
  • C) Executive Support: Undertake ad hoc project work at the CEO's request; develop options and solutions, creating materials for discussion to support executive decision-making
  • D) Feedback Culture: Proactively give constructive feedback to teammates across all levels of the organization to foster continuous improvement
  • E) Demonstrate Core Values: Model and champion Blue Engine’s core values within the organization

Application process

  • Application. Share reflections to these questions (1) Why are you interested in working at Blue Engine as the VP, Business Ops & Finance role?, (2)Please share your years of Business Operations & Finance experience? What are the key outcomes you've been responsible for achieving in these roles?(3) What is your favorite aspect of your current or most recent role? Why?
  • 30 min Phone Screen
  • 90 min Interview with Hiring Manager (CEO)
  • 2 hour virtual panel interview w/ a pre-work task

Our take

With research showing that the diversity of needs in classrooms is becoming ever more complex, Blue Engine uses data-driven plans to help teachers create teaching plans based on existing curricular resources.

The non-profit is especially focused on high schools in low-income communities, providing plans for inclusive and collaborative practices and helping teachers design clear and impactful lesson plans. The aim, ultimately, is to address the diversity of thinking, language and learning differences within high school classes, thus ensuring all pupils are getting the teaching they deserve - and in the right way for them.

Steph headshot

Steph

Company Specialist

Insights

Strong hiring activity
Led by a woman

Most candidates hear
back within 2 weeks

Company

Company values

  • Mission Alignment: Believes in the infinite potential of all humans and supports an educational system that liberates this potential. Understands education topics, including supporting Students with Disabilities and Multilingual Learners
  • Community: Demonstrates self-awareness, empathy, and perspective-taking to foster an inclusive, supportive environment. Builds belonging through honest communication, authentic connections, and collaboration
  • Inclusion: Designs to meet the needs of all individuals, prioritizing the most marginalized. Cultivates an inclusive culture by taking collective ownership, valuing differences, and ensuring everyone can contribute and lead
  • Growth: Values improvement over static thresholds, showing curiosity, humility, and adaptability. Uses data to inform decisions, learns from successes and mistakes, and seeks opportunities for learning to drive collective improvement
  • Equity: Commits to eliminating barriers for marginalized groups, challenging personal and organizational biases. Acts courageously to address and disrupt inequities, ensuring fair distribution of responsibilities and burdens
  • Impact: Focused on impact for students and teachers, relentlessly pursues a just, inclusive education system. Approaches obstacles creatively, maintains high expectations, and balances sustained effort with self-care and joy

Leadership

Jessi Brunken

(CEO (Not Founder))

Previously Vice President of Organizational Learning & Innovation at Blue Engine, Campus Director at Citizen Schools, Math Coordinator at The Leigh Technology Academy and a MAth Teacher at MS 223.

Share this job