Manager of Implementations – Financials Team

Manager of Implementations – Financials Team

Location: Des Plaines, IL
Reports to: CEO
Compensation: Competitive salary + benefits + bonus

About Common Goal Systems
Common Goal Systems (www.common-goal.com) provides innovative, SaaS solutions for K-12 schools, empowering districts to manage student information, financial operations, and communication with greater efficiency. Our Financials suite encompasses HR, Payroll, AR/AP, and Budget Management.

We’re seeking a Manager of Implementations – Financials Team to lead the delivery of onboarding implementations for our Financials solution to 50+ new K-12 school districts annually. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role, reporting directly to the CEO, where you will shape strategy, drive operational excellence, and lead a team of talented implementation professionals.

Common Goal Systems is a closely held private company without external investors.  As a consequence our culture and decision-making process are rare within the industry.  We take a long-term view of the business and pursue excellence every day.  We choose to optimize customer satisfaction, employee development, and product quality over short-term profitability or shareholder value.  If you’ve ever felt frustrated by poor decisions forced upon your employer by self-interested investors, our company will likely be a “breath of fresh air.”

What You’ll Do

• Coach and Lead – Own the day-to-day operations of the team while supporting their long-term growth and career development
• Performance Management – Set clear KPIs, monitor progress, and drive accountability through mentorship and regular reviews.
• Strategic Leadership – Develop and execute a multi-year vision for the team, including staffing plans and process improvements to meet growing demand.
• Operational Excellence – Create scalable processes that support customer training and long-term satisfaction
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Work closely with Sales, Product, and Engineering to ensure smooth handoffs, gather customer feedback, and influence product enhancements.
• Executive Reporting – Provide regular updates to the CEO and senior leadership on progress toward goals, implementation pipeline health, and resource needs.

What Excites You 

• Being customer focused - Helping people do their job fills your cup
• Leading a talented team that is deeply committed to helping K-12 districts succeed.
• Balancing high-level strategic planning with hands-on involvement in critical projects.
• Being an intrapreneur who works well with ambiguity and strives to deliver a meaningful positive impact.
• Working closely with other leaders to create a seamless customer journey from contract signing to full adoption.
• Solving complex implementation challenges in a way that builds trust with school district leaders and staff. 

What Excites Us

• You have a proven track record of leading implementation or onboarding teams in a SaaS or ERP environment, preferably in the K-12 or public sector space.
• You combine strategic thinking with operational discipline—able to create a vision and roll up your sleeves to get it done.
• You’re data-driven and comfortable using metrics to make decisions and improve performance.
• You are an empathetic leader who knows how to mentor and inspire a team, fostering growth and accountability.
• You’re skilled at navigating multi-stakeholder environments and building trust with senior executives.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in implementation, onboarding, or professional services for a technology company; at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Experience managing ERP, financial systems, or HR/payroll software implementations.
• Strong understanding of K-12 school district operations, financial workflows, and compliance requirements is highly preferred.
• Proven success managing multiple concurrent projects at scale.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills.
• Ability to analyze and optimize workflows for efficiency and scalability.
• Familiarity with project management tools.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Computer Science, Psychology, or related field.

Why Join Common Goal Systems?

• Mission-Driven Impact – Your work directly helps schools operate more efficiently so they can focus on educating students.
• Autonomy with Support – You’ll have the freedom to shape the team’s future while collaborating with an engaged leadership group.
• Growth Potential – As we expand, you’ll have opportunities to lead new initiatives and scale your leadership impact.
• Pursuit of Excellence – We pride ourselves on doing what’s right for our customers, each other, and the product.
• Unique Company Culture – Join a team unlike any other in the industry, with a focus on long-term decision making and stewardship of our community.