Mary Law Executive Search

Village School

Chief Financial and Operating Officer Opportunity

Pacific Palisades, California

Tucked between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Village School is a vibrant and thriving learning community where teachers work hard to expand the minds of their students while partnering with parents to raise children who actively engage in our dynamic world. Founded in 1977, Village has truly become a neighborhood school and an active participant in the community. Village operates with 290 students, 70 employees, approximately 70 faculty and staff members, $33M in assets, a $12M budget, and $8M+ endowment/reserves.

Reporting directly to the Head of School and working closely with the Board of Trustees, the CFOO oversees all aspects of the school’s short term and long term financial planning and forecasting, accounting, banking, cash flow management, auditing and tax reporting, financial aid, facilities, master planning, project management, emergency preparedness, Human Resources, legal, risk management and insurance, campus security, and relationships with local public and private entities.  The CFOO is a key liaison to the Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, Facilities Committee and Legal Committee, and regularly reports to these groups on key operational issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Accounting

• Ensure adherence to all appropriate FASB and GAAP accounting standards, and all relevant state and federal tax reporting requirements.\Communicates the true financial picture of Village School with appropriate projections to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, and the Village School administration.
• Supervise and support the Senior Accountant in all operational accounting issues, financial reporting, cash management and internal controls.
• Supervise compilation of financial data to provide audit trails and supporting material in preparation for the annual audit, tax returns, and required reporting.
• Lead relationship with the Audit Committee in reviewing and accepting annual financial audit and tax returns.
• Review and ensure all disbursements made to vendors, contractors, employees, parents, community partners, and others by the school are supported with appropriate documentation and that approvals are made in accordance with school procedures and Board of Trustees directives.
• Management of the tuition assistance program.
• Work closely with the Development Department in proper recording and reporting of donations.
• Maintain direct communication with parents regarding past-due accounts.

Financial Planning, Analysis, and Budgeting

• Responsible for planning and maintaining the financial well-being of Village School including maintenance of cash reserves, maintaining necessary cash/debt ratios, and ensuring financial compliance with lending institutions.
• Prepare and present the school’s annual operating budget in collaboration with the Head of School and Finance Committee.
• Develop monthly year-to-date actual-to-budget financial reports, including cash flow, bank balances and covenanted cash-to-debt ratios to all departments, the Head of School, and the Village School Board of Trustees.
• Develop regularly updated 5-year fiscal forecasts.
• Assist the executive team in making business decisions by providing timely analysis and effective decision-making.
• Provide oversight in consultation with the Head of School and Finance Committee of all Village School’s endowment and cash reserves in compliance with Village School’s investment policies.
• Implement leading edge financial tools allowing all management team members to manage their departmental budgets.
• Develop and monitor the capital improvements budget, ensuring appropriate level of funding is maintained in light of facilities improvement needs.  
• Develop and maintain relationships with banks and other financial institutions.
• Present and explain the school’s budget and financial process in an understandable format to the Board and to different audiences with varying levels of financial expertise.

Legal/Contracts/Insurance

• Engage and work with legal counsel, financial advisors, auditors, brokers, and other professional service firms as needed.
• Review contracts terms with key contractors, vendors, service providers, consulting with legal counsel as necessary, and secure changes and approvals as needed.
• Support Admissions in the issuance of enrollment agreements.
• Work with the school's insurance broker with input from the Finance Committee to arrange a suite of appropriate levels for property, liability, umbrella, workers compensation, directors and officers, cyber, fiduciary liability, international travel, and other coverages.

Human Resources

• Supervise and support the Human Resources function in the development and administration of payroll, recruitment, benefits, employee relations, safety and other personnel policies and programs for the School.
• Review and recommend competitive and affordable benefit plans which will provide benefits tailored to the needs of faculty and staff.
• Conduct annual review of wages and salaries based on benchmarking and other measurements and make recommendations to Head of School on cost of living and other adjustments for faculty and staff in line with board approved budgets.  
• Serve as plan administrator for the School’s 403(b) retirement plan. 
• Stay informed of workplace safety, employment law, government regulations and compliance issues.

IT

• Supervise and support the IT function in the management and administration of all ongoing software and hardware needs for the school.
• Collaborate with the IT team to budget for strategic IT initiatives, as well as the prudent and timely replacement of existing IT infrastructure.
• Collaborate closely with IT team on facilities and new construction projects that have a technology component or impact. 

Facilities

• Supervise and support the Director of Facilities in the management of the maintenance, custodial and security for the school campus and other school properties.
• Partner with Director of Facilities to advise and support the Head of School and Board of Trustees in developing, updating, and budgeting for capital improvements.
• Assist the Director of Facilities with the planning, request for proposal generation and contract review for major repairs beyond the scope of School’s routine maintenance, as well as construction of new or renovated facilities.
• Partner with the Director of Facilities in developing and reviewing fire, earthquake and security plans and drills for the school.
• Work closely with Head of School and Board of Trustees in new construction projects.

Personal and Professional Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years experience in senior finance and broad administrative positions within private schools or nonprofit organizations highly preferred.
• Foster creativity and implement innovative ideas to maintain a collegial administrative style, involving a collaborative team-building model among the senior executive team, Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff.
• Expertise in US GAAP and operational accounting.
• Expertise in the use of financial models for budgeting, short-term and long-term forecasting, and strategic planning and analysis.
• A track record of advising at the highest level and participating in major strategic decisions that have profound long-term implications for an organization.
• Demonstrated success in establishing and maintaining financial policies, procedures, and internal controls within the context of a complex institution.
• Possess outstanding supervisory skills.
• Excellent cultural competency, with the ability to work with multiple groups of people from diverse backgrounds, ages and working styles, and to communicate well with faculty, administration, and school parents.
• Excellent public relations skills which will promote Village School as a leading independent school with local public and private entities.
• Strong ability to work as a team player, who responds well to leadership.
• Experienced in building relationships with bankers to facilitate debt instruments, investment vehicles, and capital raising.
• Knowledge of Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT software preferred but not required.
• Undergraduate degree with a preferred emphasis in finance and/or accounting. MBA and/or CPA a plus.

Salary Range

This position offers a salary range from $245,000 to $250,000, excellent benefits, 403b match up to 8%, and 7 weeks vacation/PTO from first year of employment.

Contact

This retained search is managed by Mary Law of Mary Law Executive Search, the California leader in placing nonprofit and private school Finance and HR professionals.Mary Law

Mary Law Executive Search

mary@marylawexecutivesearch.com 

925-785-6991 direct