Chief Financial and Operations Officer

SUMMARY

Lick-Wilmerding High School (LWHS) is a private school with public purpose, serving 560 students in grades 9-12 in San Francisco. Since its founding in 1895 as a vocational school, LWHS has built upon a long tradition of valuing and integrating the liberal arts, sciences, technical arts, visual arts and performing arts to offer a robust college-prep curriculum. Today, the LWHS curriculum is both a catalyst and a vehicle for civic engagement, and the Public Purpose Program offers students the opportunity to contribute their time, talent, and treasure through partnerships with community organizations. Students demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to their communities, the motivation to deeply explore their interests, and a desire to positively impact the lives of others.

The chief financial and operations officer (CFOO) is a pivotal role at LWHS, and oversees all financial and operational aspects of the school, including budgeting, human resources, facilities, safety, dining, and reception. Leading a large portfolio of eight direct reports across multiple departments, the CFOO must effectively manage time, resources, and strategy. The CFOO serves as a key thought partner to the head of school on strategic and long-term financial matters, to whom this role reports. The CFOO must be able to lead financial and operational discussions and initiatives with a deep commitment to and appreciation for Lick-Wilmerding High School’s mission and DEIB values. Ideally a graceful handoff between the outgoing CFOO and incoming CFOO would occur later this spring. Either way, LWHS needs its next CFOO to start no later than July 1, 2025.

12M & Ed Tech Recruiting is running the search on behalf of LWHS. Applications received by February 23 will receive priority review. For application instructions and the full job opportunity statement, please visit: www.12MRecruiting.com/jobs/LWHS/CFOO

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Priority Deadline: February 23, 2025
Remote Semifinal Round: Week of March 17
On-site Final Round: Week of March 31
Decision Announced: April 18, 2025
Start Date: July 1, 2025 (or earlier by mutual agreement)
Salary Range: $300,000–$330,000
Reports To: Head of School
Classification: Full-time, Exempt

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Financial Strategy & Leadership

• Oversee financial strategy for LWHS, working closely with the head of school and board of trustees  to ensure tuition setting, endowment draw, cash management, balance sheet management, and annual budgeting cycle are coordinated to meet the long-term financial goals of the school.
• Work with each school department to provide transparent and proactive financial reporting, planning, and budgeting processes that build trust among administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and trustees.
• Develop treasury and investment policies to support the financial sustainability of the school’s academic programs, faculty compensation, and tuition assistance models.
• Develop multi-year capital improvement budgets, forecasts, maintenance schedules and other operations plans and projects to meet the evolving needs of the school.
• Oversee and ensure the successful completion of the annual independent audit.

Operational Oversight & Compliance

• Ensure successful performance of several operational functional units and programs, including: human resources; facilities; dining services; reception, and security and safety.
• Proactively communicate with department leadership to ensure that teaching, learning, and all other aspects of the school’s program, as well as scheduled events, are adequately supported by the school’s operating procedures.
• Establish policies, systems, and procedures that are harmonious with school culture to ensure effective operations and improve operational efficiency.
• Provide leadership and expertise in evaluating current local, state, and federal regulatory requirements and ensuring compliance with those regulations for all school policies and procedures.
• Oversee risk management, insurance, vendor contracts and agreements, and leases, and seek to support equitable and inclusive business practices and relationships.
• Collaborate with the head of school, HR manager, dean of faculty, and other senior administrators to provide leadership regarding employee compensation and benefits.

General Leadership

• Supervise a team of finance and operations staff, and evaluate and ensure that institutional and business office staffing levels and budgets are sufficient to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.
• Provide ongoing leadership and professional development opportunities for direct reports, while sustaining a positive, productive, and supportive team culture.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the following board committees: Finance, Risk & Audit, Investment, Stewardship, and Retirement Plan Subcommittee.
• Participate as a collaborative member of the leadership team, and serve as a trusted advisor to the head, leadership team, and board of trustees.
• Report directly to the head of school and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or MBA preferred
• 7+ years of experience in finance and/or operations leadership
• 5+ years of team leadership experience, including supervising managers or directors, preferably in an educational, not-for-profit, or mission-aligned organization
• High proficiency using technology for financial analysis, operations management, modeling, and reporting; experience with Blackbaud’s Financial Edge desired but not required
• A comprehensive skill set for oversight of financial reporting, budgets, investments, accounting, facilities, HR, food service, contracts, risk management, and security

Personal and Leadership Qualities

• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to work with board members and school leaders to contribute positively to organizational morale
• Broad-based analytical, problem-solving and leadership capabilities, and an ability to contribute strategically in areas beyond finance and operations
• The ability to establish, implement, and maintain operational policies, procedures, controls and standards in a complex environment with multiple demands and on time and attention
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and an understanding of diverse cultures and experiences and an awareness of implicit bias
• A smart and confident decision maker who operates with exceptional integrity and authentic empathy, warmth, and collegiality
• An ability to create and maintain positive, supportive, and trusting relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• A listener who analyzes complex situations and helps build consensus to solve problems
• An analytical, detail-oriented, organized, and passionate approach toward process improvement and financial and operational project management
• An ability to work under pressure, plan personal workload and delegate effectively
• A willingness to fully participate in the life of the school, which may include attending occasional after-hours or weekend events

TO APPLY

For more information please visit the following link, which contains the job opportunity statement and complete application instructions.

https://www.12mrecruiting.com/jobs/LWHS/CFOO

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