Finance Director

About the role

Country Day, an international school in Costa Rica and part of the Nord Anglia family, is looking for a Finance Director. The role leads the school's financial management and controllership, covering budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, internal controls, compliance, cash flow oversight and strategic decision support. It works closely with the School Leadership Team, Regional and Group Finance to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the month-end close and prepare accurate management accounts, financial statements and performance reports for the School Leadership Team, Regional Finance and Group Finance
• Oversee statutory accounts in line with local GAAP, IFRS and Group policies, and manage internal and external audits
• Prepare and review key reports such as month-end closing, capex, cash collection, KPIs and variance analyses
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and multi-year financial planning, and analyse performance against budget and forecast
• Manage cash-flow planning, working capital, procurement and contract management, including vendor evaluation and negotiation
• Act as a trusted advisor to academic, operational and administrative departments, and liaise with parents, staff, auditors and external stakeholders
• Lead and mentor the Finance team, oversee AP and AR activities, and coordinate inputs for Group Tax, Legal and Treasury teams
• Ensure compliance with financial procedures, accounting standards, local regulations and Group policies, including payroll processing

Required profile

• Minimum 8 years of experience in accounting, controllership or financial leadership, preferably in an educational or service-based organization
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Economics or a related field; Costa Rican citizenship is a plus
• Experience implementing process improvements, automation and strong internal controls
• Experience in procurement and contract management, including vendor evaluation and negotiation

Required skills

• Solid knowledge of IFRS and local-to-IFRS adjustments, and experience with statutory compliance and audits
• Proficiency with financial systems such as Microsoft Dynamics/Navision and strong Excel and financial modelling skills
• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills