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    [Closed Search] Chief Financial Officer at Achieve3000

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    Chief Financial Officer


    Reports To: CEO
    Location: Lakewood, NJ
    Website: www.achieve3000.com

    ACHIEVE3000 IN THE NEWS

    Achieve3000, Inc. Granted U.S. Patent for Online Differentiated Instruction Methodology

    Achieve3000 Helps Florida Teacher Achieve Extraordinary Reading Growth

    Achieve3000 Goes Global with Launch of Worldwide Reseller Program

    New Tools for the Common Core, featuring Achieve3000

    ... and other press releases

    POSITION OVERVIEW

    With Achieve 3000’s recent acquisition by Insight Venture Partners, a leading private equity firm in the Education industry, company CEO Saki Dodelson and the investors have launched a national search for a CFO to be responsible for managing all finance, accounting and reporting functions for this rapidly growing company focused on online differentiated instruction in literacy and other K-12 course areas.

    The CFO will (1) implement KPIs and drive alignment on financial metrics; (2) provide strategy, leadership and coordination of all company financial practices, including M&A, forecasting, budgeting, financial reports, accounting, taxes and audit functions; and (3) work with the leadership, board of directors and investors to assess and upgrade financial operations and processes as necessary for scalability in a rapidly growing company.

    The CEO and IVP share the conviction that the room for future growth is substantial, and that the company's growth objectives will come largely through the acquisition of new schools in the United States and globally, and in cross selling the current portfolio of products to the established customer base.

    THE COMPANY

    For more than a decade, Achieve3000® has supported the individuality and potential of every student by reaching them where they are to help them reach higher levels of reading and writing proficiency.

    The company’s fundamental belief is that literacy unlocks achievement, and that the key to improving literacy is differentiated instruction. Today, Achieve3000 is the leader in differentiated online instruction, serving more than one million students across the United States. In 2011, Inc. magazine included Achieve3000 on its annual 500/5000 list for the fifth consecutive year, the exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest growing private companies.

    Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Read on...

    Achieve provides the only web-based, differentiated instruction solutions designed to reach a school's entire student population — mainstream, English Language Learners, special needs, and gifted. In addition to KidBizPRO®, TeenBizPRO®, EmpowerPRO™ and other literacy solutions, Achieve launched its first differentiated core curriculum solution, eScience3000® in 2011.

    Founded in 2000, Achieve has grown quickly, and today serves more than one million students across America. Today, Achieve3000 is leading the way towards helping every student become independent, reaching higher standards and becoming prepared for college and the workforce.

    Literacy Solutions

    Achieve3000® believes in the power of truly differentiated online instruction to enable significant and sustained Lexile®/reading growth — a belief supported by a decade-plus of scientifically proven performance.

    The need for differentiated instruction has never been greater. With the increased demands of the Common Core State Standards, the imperative for students to become independent readers of complex text grows by the day.

    By setting reading levels, differentiating non-fiction text based on each student's unique academic profile, and continually assessing and increasing the complexity of text, Achieve solutions steadily increase students' ability to read, comprehend, apply and communicate information derived from complex text — prerequisites for success in school and beyond graduation.

    Achieve3000® is accelerating college and career readiness like never before with differentiation that not only embraces individual student reading levels, but also considers where they live and the specialized populations they belong to. They support teachers and administrators in new and exciting ways, making sure they can implement the differentiated solutions more quickly and more effectively.

    KidBizPRO, TeenBizPRO and EmpowerPRO
    KidBizPRO® for grades 2 to 5, TeenBizPRO for grades 6 to 8, and Empower PRO for high school are the powerful, proven, differentiated online literacy instruction literacy solutions that reach every student at his or her Lexile®/reading level. They deliver truly differentiated reading and writing assignments — using high-quality, non-fiction content based on each student's reading level - and that automatically adapts content via ongoing, real-time Lexile assessment.

    Importantly they align closely delete with objectives of the Common Core State Standards to give students the content area literacy skills they need to succeed on the standards and prepare for college and career.

    Powered by Achieve3000's LevelSet™ Lexile assessment tool and proprietary software engine that distributes assignments to the entire class, but tailors them according to each student's reading level, KidBizPRO, Teen BizPRO, and EmpowerPRO enable all students to make continual progress and improvement.

    Achieve Access, Achieve Boost, and Achieve Español
    These solutions do more and go further to meet the needs of the entire population – English language learners, struggling students and students with special needs.

    Newly Developed Science Solutions
    As it has with its differentiated literacy instruction, Achieve is leading the way in science with a fresh approach and powerful partnerships. The new solutions promise to make science a passionate pursuit for students.

    • eScience3000® is a differentiated core science program for middle school students. The solution is an engaging, experiential, differentiated program that changes the game when it comes to science instruction. By making science accessible to all learners, eScience3000 is designed to help meet STEM objectives to move U.S. students from the middle to the top in science achievement over the next decade. eScience3000 is also designed to fulfill all district requirements for core science programs that meet 21st-century educational needs.
    • Achieve3000®'s World of Biology is a breakthrough in differentiated science curriculum for middle and high school — one that helps students achieve the literacy skills they need to succeed in biology and perform better on exams and high-stakes tests. Designed as a supplement to complement existing biology text, World of Biology provides a standards-based biology curriculum with embedded recommendations to support STEM literacy initiatives.

    About Insight Venture Partners
    In 2014 Achieve 3000 entered into a new business alliance with Insight Venture Partners (IVP), a private equity and venture capital firm based in New York City. The firm focuses exclusively on investing in technology, software and Internet-enabled businesses and currently has a capital base of approximately $7.6 billion for this purpose. The company has invested in well-known companies such as Twitter, Chegg, Tumblr, Flipboard, Zynga, Quest Software, and Hotel Urbano, a company established in Brazil. Insight’s investments include growth equity, capital for M&A, buyouts, take-privates, pre-IPO rounds, and recapitalizations.

    The partnership with Insight will help advance Achieve 3000’s market leadership position and accelerate revenue growth through acquisitions and building of new products for the education market.

    THE POSITION

    Achieve 3000 is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to help drive all financial management decisions for the company as it achieves healthy growth.

    Specific responsibilities and expectations include the following:

    • Provide financial strategy and leadership for the entire company
    • Oversee all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports and modeling, taxes and audit functions.
    • Work with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits.
    • Help drive all financial strategy, planning and forecasting.
    • Synthesize and generate financial reporting for outside accounting firm(s), ownership, CEO, COO and department heads.
    • Prepare financial analysis for contract negotiations and corporate investment decisions. Manage procurement process for meaningful equipment acquisition or major contracts.
    • Assist in refining and/or establishing policies, procedures, internal controls, and analytical processes to ensure timely and efficient execution of finance and accounting objectives.
    • Refine and execute expense monitoring and control procedures.
    • Supervise finance staff members.

    THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

    To an experienced CFO, this opportunity offers several attractive features:

    • The opportunity to be the principal financial leader in a company capable of growing to $300MM or more within 3-5 years
    • The opportunity to join a mature and profitable, private equity-owned industry leader, but as part of a small executive team—to have “a seat at the table” as the company charts its future
    • The opportunity to work with the current investors in evaluating growth options, including the potential for future acquisitions
    • The opportunity to work in Lakewood, NJ (near the shore)

    THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

    • The ideal candidate is working as Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of Finance for a SaaS-based software company
    • He or she has overseen all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions.
    • Experience implementing KPIs and driving alignment on financial metrics
    • S/he has worked closely with COO/CEO and investors to secure additional funding and/or in an M&A capacity as opportunity presents.

    Specifically, this individual has –

    • Specific experience with revenue recognition, reviewing account reconciliations, and pro-forma analyses, all within a company that grew significantly in both revenues and EBITDA through on IPO or other successful exit.
    • An extensive background in financial management with particular strengths in the areas of financial statement preparation, budgeting/forecasting, financial analysis, internal controls, process improvement, and cash management.
    • Experience working with external parties, e.g. private equity investors, bankers, consultants, and independent accountants; experience reporting on, and monitoring compliance with, bank covenants; M&A and/or IPO experience
    • A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; a Master of Business Administration degree and/or designation as a Certified Public Accountant would be a plus
    • A management style that is decisive and entrepreneurial; strong conceptual, creative, and problem-solving skills; a self-starter who is capable of managing his/her time and priorities effectively while successfully accomplishing planned objectives
    • A track record of exerting strong fiscal control (appropriately managing/conserving cash) and driving EBIT bottom-line growth
    • Experience developing and implementing financial processes and procedures that are scalable as an organization grows
    • Experience managing finances for a multi-location organization, including international
    • Experience bringing a strategic level of leadership to the finance function, serving as financial strategist while managing a the day-to-day requirements of a finance department
    • Superior business and financial analytical skills--success with timely monthly financial reporting, detailed financial analysis, and the preparation of ad-hoc reports and analyses, cash flow planning, and management

    Culturally and temperamentally, the ideal candidate is a team player who believes that individual success flows from the overall success of the organization. This involves a range of personal attributes-- flexibility and adaptability; a great work ethic; leadership with minimal supervision; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and other’s) performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure—a thick skin; self-confidence and a positive attitude about self, company, and marketplace; consistent, effective people skills; sincerity, trust, believability and warmth; and a strong desire for success.

    COMPENSATION

    Compensation will include salary, commissions, bonuses, and equity in line with the individual’s experience.

    TRAVEL

    Travel will be no more than 20% in a year.

    INTERVIEW PROCESS | BACKGROUND CHECK

    Achieve3000 has an Employment Application, Work History and Background Check (provided to candidates). The background check includes compensation verification, professional references, employment and education verifications, state and federal criminal history reports, and drug screen.

    CONTACT

    Resume should be sent as a Word document to Ralph Protsik and Todd Hand, and also posted on the BSG website, www.bsgtv.com. No phone calls please.

    Request Information 

    -by Megan Gillis on Jul 27, 2015 5:28:03 PM

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