Summary of the Position
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a full-time, year‑round administrative position at The Montgomery Academy reporting directly to the Head of School. Primary responsibilities of the position include ensuring the financial integrity of the school, strategically aligning the budget process with the school’s mission, analyzing cash flow, preparing for annual financial and retirement plan audits, overseeing risk management, managing banking activities, and providing support for human resources. Additionally, the CFO oversees food service, facilities management, security, and technology purchases.
Along with the Head of School, the CFO works closely with the chair of the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees as well as the Chair of the Investment Committee of the school’s Foundation Board on strategic matters as they pertain to the advancement of The Montgomery Academy.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Financial Planning and Financial Management: The CFO will take responsibility for ensuring the short‑term and long‑term financial sustainability of the school. This includes:
- Working closely with the Head of School, Leadership Team, Business Office, and the Finance Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Investment Chair of the school’s Foundation Board to assess the School’s financial needs in the context of strategic priorities of the school.
- Preparing the annual budget, monthly internal financial reports, preparing records for the annual financial and retirement plan audits, and completing minor tax forms.
- Working closely with business office personnel, ensuring that proper internal transaction processes and controls are in place and meet the standards as set forth by our independent auditor.
- Supervising the Business Office’s core responsibilities of student billing, accounts payable, and payroll.
- Working closely with our financial institutions to ensure the proper maintenance of accounts, the school’s debt, and endowment investments.
Facilities Management: The CFO will take responsibility for the overall maintenance of the school plant and future capital projects. This includes:
- Working closely with the Facilities Director and the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees on developing annual and long‑range plant renewal plans.
- Working closely with the Technology Team on annual and long‑range plans as they pertain to maintaining a robust technology infrastructure on campus.
- Working closely with the Head of School, Chair, Board Committees, and School constituencies on the overall development of the school plant. In particular, playing a key strategic role in the evolution of major capital projects under the master facilities plan.
Risk Management, Safety, and Security: The CFO will take the primary lead in our overall strategic approach to risk management, putting the School in the best possible position to support our students, parents, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees. This includes:
- Working closely with our Insurance Broker and Insurance Companies to ensure oversight on policies and procedures.
- Working with administrators and other constituencies to maintain and advance our safety and security initiatives and to ensure the School is in compliance with all regulations and best practices in this area.
Human Resources: The CFO will work closely with the Head of School in fully supporting our employees. This includes:
- Working with the Head of School on annual salary and benefit budgets to ensure we are offering accurate, comprehensive employment packages to our employees.
- Working with the Head of School on the annual renewal of benefits packages in consultation with our benefits brokers.
- Working with the Head of School on our Employee Handbook to ensure that the school is in compliance with all laws, regulations, and best practices.
Additional duties include: Managing the school’s contract with the school’s foodservice company, Coordinating the school’s off‑duty law enforcement officer schedules.
Supervisory Responsibilities: The CFO will lead and manage the Business Office including a Business Office Associate. Additionally, the Director of Facilities and the School Nurse report directly to the CFO.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting and CPA certification required, Master’s degree in Business Administration preferred
- Minimum five years of experience in financial accounting and auditing; experience with a non‑profit and/or independent school experience preferred.
- Minimum two years of supervisory/management experience.
- Strong written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal skills as this is both an inward and outward facing position.
- Proficient in the use of financial accounting software (Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT preferred) and other software platforms (MS Office, Google Workspace).
- Attention to detail/accuracy, timely implementation, and quality performance
- Consistently exercises discretion and good judgment.
- Candidates must be able to manage multiple and changing deadlines. The ability to prioritize competing demands is required.
- Candidates must be able to make difficult decisions.
- Candidates must recognize that the accounting function is primarily a customer service system whose product is information. Constituents including the Head of School, Board of Trustees, fellow employees, parents, and students all need accurate and timely information.