Employment

Location: Bellevue, WA 
Start Date: Negotiable (March 1 – July 1, 2026) 
Salary Range: $140,000–$170,000 + comprehensive benefits 

About The Little School 

The Little School is an independent preschool–5th grade school nestled on 12.5 acres of woods and meadows in Bellevue, WA. Our mission is to cultivate authentic learning in community and the natural world, amplifying curiosity and expanding each child’s sense of self, belonging, and possibility. We envision a future rooted in sustainability, justice, and joy. 

The Opportunity 

The Little School seeks a Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) to join our leadership team and help shape the future of our vibrant learning community. 

You are a strategic thinker with a passion for operational excellence and financial stewardship. As DFO, you will be the backbone of our school’s financial health and operational success—overseeing finance, human resources, facilities, risk management, and technology. You’ll work closely with the Head of School and Board to ensure long-term sustainability and contribute to strategic planning that supports our mission and vision. You’ll also collaborate deeply with a high-quality administrative team that cares about the school and each other. 

This is a role for a collaborative leader who thrives on both big-picture strategy and hands-on execution. 

What You’ll Do 

• Financial Leadership: Manage all accounting functions, cash flow, investments, and capital project budgets. Prepare and present financial reports to leadership and the Board. 
• Budgeting & Strategy: Develop annual budgets, provide long-range financial planning, and support strategic initiatives. 
• Compliance & Audit: Oversee audits, tax filings, and regulatory compliance. 
• Operations Oversight: Lead HR functions, risk management, and supervise technology and facilities teams. 
• Team Leadership: Directly manage a talented operations team and foster a collaborative, mission-aligned culture. 
• Community Engagement: Build strong relationships across the school community and align decisions with our values. 

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field (MBA, MPA, or CPA preferred). 
• 10+ years of financial leadership experience, ideally in nonprofit or education settings. 
• Expertise in nonprofit accounting, budgeting, and compliance. 
• Strong supervisory experience and ability to lead cross-functional teams. 
• A commitment to collaboration and learning in service of the school. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks Online. Experience with Blackbaud a plus. 
• Strategic thinker with exceptional attention to detail and problem-solving skills. 

Why Join Us? 

• Competitive salary and benefits (health, vision, dental, retirement). 
• A leadership role with meaningful impact in a mission-driven school. 
• A beautiful natural campus and a warm, inclusive community. 

How to Apply 

Send your cover letter, resume, and three professional references to: 
employment@thelittleschool.org 

Want more information? Please visit our Employment page for a view into the full job description.  

The Little School is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or family composition.

Position Summary

The Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) is a strategic and operational leader responsible for overseeing The Little School’s financial management, human resources, facilities, risk management, and technology infrastructure. Reporting directly to the Head of School, the DFO ensures long-term financial sustainability and operational excellence. As a key member of the leadership team, the DFO actively participates in Board of Trustees committees, including the Finance Committee, and contributes to strategic planning and institutional decision-making. 

Key Responsibilities 

Financial Management 

• Lead all accounting functions: accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and bank reconciliations. 
• Prepare and present monthly financial reports to the Head of the School and Finance Committee. 
• Manage cash flow and allocations between operating and investment accounts. 
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting, including quarterly loan covenant reports. 
• Oversee capital project budgets and construction-related financials. 
• Monitor investments and liaise with investment firms to support strategic growth. 
• Partner with Development, Enrollment, and Auxiliary Programs to align revenue strategies. 

Budgeting & Strategic Planning 

• Develop and maintain the annual budget in collaboration with school leadership. 
• Provide budget-to-actual reporting and long-range financial planning insights. 
• Support strategic planning efforts with leadership and board committees. 

Audit, Tax, and Compliance 

• Manage classification of restricted and unrestricted assets. 
• Ensure timely and accurate filing of IRS forms 990 and 5500. 
• Coordinate annual independent audits and address findings. 
• Maintain compliance with regulatory bodies and renew memberships. 

Operations Oversight 

Human Resources 

• Supervise HR functions including onboarding, personnel files, and employment agreements. 
• Collaborate on compensation and benefits evaluations. 
• Maintain and update the employee handbook. 
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and health/safety regulations. 

Risk Management 

• Work with insurance brokers to maintain comprehensive and cost-effective coverage. 
• Oversee safety and security protocols for facilities and technology infrastructure. 

Technology & Facilities 

• Supervise the Technology Manager and Director of Facilities. 
• Ensure effective management of physical and digital assets. 

Team Leadership 

• Directly supervise the Bookkeeper, HR Manager, Director of Facilities, and Technology Manager. 
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and mission-aligned team culture. 

Community Engagement 

• Participate in school events and daily life. 
• Build positive relationships with colleagues, families, and students. 
• Align operational decisions with the school’s mission and vision. 

Qualifications 

Education & Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or related field; MBA, MPA or CPA preferred. 
• Minimum of 10 years in financial leadership, ideally in nonprofit or educational settings. 
• Experience with fundraising support, commercial banking, and loan operations. 
• Proven supervisory and team leadership experience. 
• Experience with educational billing systems, such as Blackbaud, including integration with broader accounting and reporting workflows. 

Skills & Competencies 

• Strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks Online (QBO). 
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills. 
• Ability to perform complex scenario analysis and provide strategic insights. 
• Highly collaborative and communicative; proactive and solution oriented. 

The Associate Teacher program brings The Little School back to its roots as a place to nurture progressive educators in the early years of their careers. Associates receive training and support both from their teaching teams and from school leadership using an apprenticeship model. Learning goals are individualized to support career clarity and professional growth.  

Associate Teachers are committed to progressive education in a school with a long history of ideals and practices educating the whole child. TLS teachers deliver powerful instruction driven by curiosity and inquiry, that embraces academic and social emotional learning. Our faculty are committed to collaborative teaching within a vibrant adult learning community.  

Job Description: A TLS Associate Teacher 

Partners in Facilitating Learning

• Delights in the possibility and potential of children. Associate Teachers respect the social, physical and intellectual development of each child and create experiences where learning feels playful, and play is full of learning. 
• Nourishes the social emotional life of each child by supporting and teaching curiosity, empathy, enthusiasm, interest, resilience, reflection, inquiry and collaboration.  
• Supports and provides engaging instruction, nurtures positive relationships and community, and establishes a safe, warm, responsive environment for learning. 
• Conveys an understanding of and commitment to progressive education ideals and practices, equity, inclusion and social justice; integrates these ideals in curriculum, teaching and communication with children, families and colleagues. 
• Maintains inviting, intentional and organized classroom spaces 

Supports Planning, Instruction and Collaboration

• Supports the planning and implementation of integrated curriculum, rich learning tasks and activities, and authentic learning objectives in academic, emotional, social and physical growth.  
• Supports classroom learning during absences. This can include subbing for the entire day on one’s own or partnering with the curriculum support specialist to cover a co-teacher's absence.  
• Plans and leads lessons and/or units in partnership with their teaching team. 
• Works with students individually, in small groups and as a whole class. 
• Works collaboratively and productively with fellow teachers, associate teachers and administrators. 

Supports Assessment, Documentation and Communication

• Works with co-teachers to understand learning and social goals and implement strategies to support that growth. 
• Partners with co-teacher in communication with parents, supporting verbal and written updates and conferences with families. 
• Uses academic work, photographs, captured quotes or student artwork to create documentation of student learning for display, parent communication or conferences. 

Shares supervision of lunch and outside time 

• Independently supervises scheduled lunch or outside times, maintaining appropriate limits and boundaries. 
• Engages with students in ways that promote outside time as an extension of the classroom. 

Builds community and collegiality 

• Models respect and ease  
• Shares a sense of humor and helps others laugh 
• Offers specific and authentic observations that lift others 
• Adapts style to the students and colleagues with whom they work  

Reflects and Learns 

• Learns and grows professional skills, maintaining an authentic interest in being part of a passionate progressive educational community 
• Meets regularly with co-teachers, the associate teacher cohort, and the Faculty Support Specialist to reflect on practice and goals. 

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: 

• Frequently twist/bend/stoop/squat; stand/walk, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 40 pounds. 
• Work outdoors on a regular basis, occasionally in inclement weather.  
• Work and attend various events that take place on evenings or weekends.  

Skills and Experience 

• Minimum of one year of experience working with elementary school age children 
• Prior experience working collaboratively with another adult in a school or similar setting 
• Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a related field preferred 

Compensation includes salary, health, vision, dental and retirement benefits. Salary for 2026-2027 will be approved in March. Currently, this year’s salary is $52,311 for 10 months paid over 12 months.  

Submit: 
Resume, letter of interest and three references to employment@thelittleschool.org as soon as possible.  

About The Little School: 

The Little School is an independent preschool-5th grade elementary school in Bellevue, WA. Nestled in 12.5 acres of woods and meadows, The Little School provides a natural setting to nurture children’s curiosity and potential. We build upon the inherent strengths of each child and support them as they expand their intellect, build foundational skills and deepen their connections to friends and teachers. Each student knows and is known in our community, and children here learn to develop the interpersonal skills and confidence to advocate for themselves and for others. Our commitment to community includes advocacy and stewardship of our surroundings as well. The classroom extends to the outdoors, providing plenty of opportunities for children to study and appreciate the natural world.  

Our Mission: 
The Little School cultivates authentic learning in community and the natural world, amplifying curiosity and expanding sense of self, belonging and possibility. 

Our Vision: 
We foster vibrant understanding and promote action that forwards sustainability, justice and joy. 

Non-discrimination Statement: 
The Little School does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity or family composition in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, hiring or any other school-administered programs. 

Kickstart Your Teaching Career at The Little School as a Full-Time Extended Day & Curriculum Support Specialist 

Are you an education student, recent graduate, or early-career educator looking for a meaningful full-time role that offers hands-on classroom experience, mentorship, and deep connection to a progressive school community? The Little School (TLS) in Bellevue, WA is excited to invite applications for a full-time Extended Day & Curriculum Support Specialist. 

This role blends after-school teaching with in-school instructional and student support, making it an ideal opportunity for educators who want to grow their practice, build strong relationships, and explore a long-term pathway in teaching. 

Position Overview 

This full-time position combines two deeply connected areas of school life: 

Curriculum Support Specialist (school day): 
A member of our Student Support Team (SST), providing instructional coverage, small-group and one-on-one student support, and logistical flexibility that keeps the school day running smoothly. 

Extended Day Teacher (afternoon program): 
A lead educator in our after-school program, designing and facilitating engaging, developmentally appropriate activities for children ages 3–11. 

Together, these roles offer a rich, immersive experience across the entire school day and year. Many educators in similar roles at TLS have gone on to become associate and lead teachers. 

Compensation & Hours: 

• Job Type: Full-time 
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00-6:00 
• Compensation: $22/hour plus medical, dental and vision insurance 

To Apply: 

Please submit the following to employment@thelittleschool.org: 

• Resume 
• Cover letter 

We look forward to meeting educators who are excited to learn, grow, and contribute to a joyful, inclusive school community. 

To learn more, continue reading below.

Primary Responsibilities: 

Curriculum Support Specialist (school day): 

• Provides classroom and specialist coverage for planned and emergent needs (illness, meetings, absences) 
• Uses existing lesson and substitute plans to ensure continuity of learning 
• Supports small groups, one-on-one student work, and classroom-based instruction 
• Supports students during lunch, recess, and outdoor learning times 
• Models flexibility, professionalism, joy, and collaboration across the school 

Extended Day Teacher (afternoon program): 

• Plans and leads engaging indoor and outdoor after-school activities 
• Builds warm, respectful relationships with children, families, and colleagues 
• Maintains appropriate limits and boundaries 
• Communicates professionally with parents, guardians, and staff 
• Supports all-day camps, substitute teaching, or additional duties as available 

The ideal candidate brings: 

• Genuine joy to working with young children 
• Curiosity about education, child development, equity, inclusion, and social justice 
• A collaborative mindset and strong relational skills 
• Flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of humor 
• Consistent preparedness, punctuality, and reliability 
• Interest in progressive education and whole-child learning 

Desired skills & experiences: 

• Previous experience working with preschool and/or elementary-aged children preferred 
• Students pursuing or holding an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in education or a related field encouraged to apply 
• Early-career educators warmly welcomed 

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Frequently bend, squat, stand, walk, and lift up to 40 pounds 
• Regular outdoor work, occasionally in inclement weather 
• Occasional evening or weekend events 

About The Little School 

The Little School is a close-knit, progressive independent school serving approximately 225 children ages 3–11 on a beautiful 12.5-acre wooded campus. We support the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, and physically—through play, creativity, inquiry, and connection. We honor childhood, value neurodiversity, and believe learning happens best in community. 

Our faculty form a collaborative adult learning community committed to equity, inclusion, and social justice. We strongly encourage candidates of color (BIPOC), multilingual candidates, and those with international experience to apply.  

Requirements

All staff must have or be willing to obtain: 

• First Aid/CPR and BBP/HIV certification (within 1 month) 

• TB test results (within 2 months) 

• 20-hour STARS training (within 1 year) 

• Successful background check