The Council of International Schools seeks a Business Manager

Effective August 2026

 

Who are we?

We are a not-for-profit membership community committed to developing socially responsible leadership through international education. We support our global community of schools and higher education institutions in developing effective practices to foster healthy, interculturally competent global citizens.

We serve a diverse and global learning community and believe it is important to seek and include people who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences within our team. We are committed to attracting, hiring, supporting, and developing a diverse, high-quality team. We believe our success is dependent on the distinctive perspectives, capabilities and commitment of our people.

Learn more about our mission and what it’s like to work at CIS.

 

What does this role entail?

As a Business manager you ensure the financial health and operational integrity of CIS by providing strategic oversight of budgeting, compliance, and resource management. You safeguard organizational assets, manage risk, and optimize systems and processes to support informed decision‑making and efficient operations. By leading financial strategy and business administration, you enable CIS to deliver its services effectively and maintain trust with members, partners, and stakeholders.

As a Business Manager, you will be based at the CIS office in Leiden, the Netherlands, and will be responsible to the Executive Director for overall results.

 

What will you be doing?

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Contribute to organizational strategy and effectiveness as a member of the CIS Leadership Team, shaping systems, structures, and policies that support the CIS membership community, employees and consultants.
• Collaborate with fellow CIS leaders to ensure integration and alignment across departments, maintaining clear communication and shared purpose.

Financial Management

• Develop and implement financial policies, procedures, and internal controls to safeguard organizational assets and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Advise the Board of Trustees and Leadership Team on financial strategy, preparing and managing the annual budget, quarterly forecasts, and financial reports to support informed decision-making.
• Support the Leadership Team with financial modelling to determine pricing policies for membership services.
• Manage investment of reserve funds and capital expenditure, liaising with external financial advisors to optimise returns within risk parameters.
• Oversee general accounting operations including the use of financial systems and platforms, accounts receivable, collections, budgeting, payroll, and expense management, ensuring financial accuracy, cost efficiency, and timely debt collection.
• Establish and manage bank accounts, monitor cash flow, and oversee currency exchange processes.
• Ensure integrity and accuracy in all financial transactions and reporting systems.

Regulatory Compliance

• Develop and maintain internal policies to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, monitoring legislative and regulatory changes to update policies as needed, and conducting audits to verify internal adherence to all policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with Netherlands/EU and U.S. financial and tax regulations, filing statutory reports and returns accurately and on time.
• Serve in the capacity of organizational Data Protection Officer to oversee compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Schedule and manage annual external audits, liaising with auditors and providing required documentation.
• Maintain and update the organizational risk register to proactively identify risks, advising the Leadership Team on potential risks and mitigation strategies to protect organizational integrity.
• Liaise with external advisors, auditors, solicitors and statutory bodies to ensure adherence to compliance standards.

Asset and Facilities Management

• Oversee the management of assets and contracted services, ensuring alignment with governance and financial policies:
  • budget for and manage strategic investments in assets and services;
  • review and negotiate vendor terms and agreements for all digital and physical assets and contracted services, ensuring all vendor agreements comply with financial, legal and tax requirements;
  • track contractual payments and renewal dates and ensure timely renewals to avoid service interruptions; and
  • prepare for and manage internal or external audits related to asset management.
• Oversee the management of office facilities, including:
  • preparation of requests for proposals (RFPs) to procure equipment, goods, and services in compliance with organizational standards;
  • implementation of cost optimization measures in the procurement of goods and engagement of services;
  • management of lease agreements, utilities and communication services, office layout and space allocation, and maintenance activities;
  • development and implementation of processes for the operation, maintenance, and lifecycle management of equipment;
  • negotiation and management of vendor and supplier relationships, ensuring service quality and adherence to contractual obligations;
  • maintenance of accurate inventory records of all physical assets; and
  • implementation and adherence to health and safety procedures, serving in the capacity of Head of the Certified Emergency Response Team.

Salaries and Benefits Management

• Design and administer compensation and benefits policies in consultation with the Leadership Team, ensuring compliance with employment laws and government regulations.
• Research and recommend employee benefit plans and providers, negotiating and managing benefits programmes including health, disability, accident, travel, general and professional liability insurances, and pension plans.
• Monitor industry remuneration trends on an annual basis.
• Manage the establishment and oversight of salary, fees and benefits administration for employees and consultants.
• Ensure timely and accurate employee tax filings and compliance with government regulations.
• Liaise with external legal, tax, immigration, and pension advisors to maintain compliance and optimise benefits offerings.

People Management

• Lead and mentor a team of professionals focused on accounting and business administration.
• Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and growth-oriented team culture.
• Ensure team members have the skills, tools, and support needed to deliver high-quality services to internal teams and external stakeholders.

 

Are you eligible?

You are welcome to apply, regardless of your background, if you are willing to make a mid- to long-term commitment to this role and you meet the following criteria.

Residency

• You are already a legal resident of the Netherlands with authorization to work in the country,

OR

• You are willing and able to relocate to and take up residence in the Netherlands, with CIS sponsoring your immigration visa, providing a comprehensive relocation benefit, and assisting with the move.

Educational Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field.
• Professional accounting certification such as CPA or ACCA.

Professional Experience

• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in financial management and business administration within international, non-profit, or membership-based organizations. Of which:
  • 3+ years of experience in a leadership or senior management capacity with responsibility for budgeting, regulatory compliance, and strategic financial planning.
  • substantial work experience gained in organizations operating in the Netherlands (or, at minimum, within organizations elsewhere in the EU).
• Experience managing assets and facilities, including vendor negotiations and contract management.
• Experience managing audits and risk registers.
• Experience in compensation and benefits administration across multiple jurisdictions.
• A plus: International and intercultural working experience.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency using financial digital systems and platforms (e.g. Certinia, or similar) and advanced Excel skills.
• Well-developed knowledge of international finance systems, including multi-currency cash management.
• Strong understanding of payroll systems and benefits administration platforms.
• Well-developed knowledge of Dutch and international (notably U.S.) tax regulations and reporting requirements with an ability to monitor regulatory changes and apply compliance standards across jurisdictions.
• Ability to prepare RFPs and manage procurement processes.
• Familiarity with health and safety compliance requirements.
• Fluency in English and Dutch, both spoken and written.

Competencies for the Role

• Strategic leadership: demonstrating vision and strategic thinking to shape organizational direction, systems, and policies in alignment with CIS’s mission and sector trends.
• Financial and business insight: applying strong financial acumen and business understanding to safeguard organizational assets, optimize resource allocation, and interpret market and membership trends to and provide clear, data-driven advice to support CIS’s strategic priorities.
• Analytical decision-making: interpreting complex financial and operational data and communicating insights clearly and persuasively to enable informed and timely decisions and build stakeholder confidence.
• Operational agility in a global context: managing complexity across diverse systems, cultures, and regulations, and adapting processes to meet evolving organizational and member needs.
• Planning, alignment and process optimization: prioritizing resources and aligning operational plans with CIS’s strategic objectives, while continuously improving and streamlining work processes to ensure efficient, high-quality delivery of services.
• Collaborative leadership and service orientation: building trust-based relationships across teams and with external partners, demonstrating a commitment to high-quality service delivery and fostering a culture of transparency and shared accountability.
• People leadership: an ability to lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, inclusive team, fostering professional growth and a collaborative culture.
• Digital fluency: confidently using financial and compliance systems, leveraging technology to streamline processes, and adapting quickly to new tools.
• Flexibility and resilience to work when/where needed globally to meet business objectives.

Core Competencies for all CIS staff

• Instilling trust: gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity; an ability to guide, manage and motivate a team using an accessible servant leadership approach.
• Value differences: recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Global perspective: taking a broad view when approaching issues, using a global lens; a strong service orientation, working across multiple time zones, applying interpersonal communication and collaboration skills.
• Self-development orientation: actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels; a learning orientation.

 

What can you expect from CIS?

You will be engaged as a full-time employee, initially on a one-year agreement, subject to renewal. It is CIS’s intent that contracts are renewed if performance meets expectations so that colleagues stay with us for as long as possible.

Roles at CIS are evaluated by an external global organizational consulting firm that assesses the responsibilities of each role against the accountability, know-how and problem-solving demands of the job. CIS’s compensation strategy is that each employee who is performing satisfactorily according to the responsibilities for their role will reach the salary mid-point for their role, as specified at the time of their hire, as of January three years after their date of hire. The salary mid-point for the role of Business Manager at CIS is € 120,285.

Additional benefits will include:

• 25 days of paid leave per year in addition to Dutch national holidays;
• a contribution towards the cost of health insurance;
• a contribution of 10% of the employee’s annual gross salary into a private group pension fund or, if the employee opts out, as a pension allowance to invest as they choose;
• accident insurance, long-term disability insurance, travel insurance for business-related travel, and general and professional liability insurance coverage.
• an annual professional development budget—available in most years—to be allocated towards the cost of study, training or other activity to develop professional skills directly aligned with the employee’s role at CIS.

To allow for in-person collaboration and supervision of work, you will be based at the CIS office in Leiden, the Netherlands. However, flexible working arrangements are in place to allow for hybrid work. Commuting and work-from-home allowances are provided to contribute towards the expense of commuting between your residence in The Netherlands and the Leiden office and/or to offset utility costs when working remotely.

If you are a non-EU national currently based in the Netherlands and already employed/sponsored by a Dutch employer, CIS will take on the administrative and financial sponsorship related to your and your dependents’ ongoing legal authorisation to live and work in the Netherlands for the duration of your employment with us.

If you are based outside the Netherlands, CIS will sponsor your immigration visa and offer a comprehensive relocation benefit and assistance with the move.