Chief Finance And Resource Officer

Woodlands Academy is seeking a Chief Finance and Resource Officer. The Chief Finance and Resource Officer reports to and works closely with the Head of School, is a member of the Leadership Team, and serves as an administrative liaison to several committees of the Board of Trustees.
 
The Chief Finance and Resource Officer is responsible for all financial functions of the School, ensuring compliance with accounting and reporting standards. This vital senior leadership team member handles payroll processing, manages the physical plant and operations, oversees multiple operations and administration functions, and stewards the School's assets. Through thoughtful and strategic leadership, implements best practices associated with accounting, finance, and administration by maintaining up-to-date knowledge of relevant business, educational, and technology trends while effectively supervising, guiding, and developing staff.
 
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is one of 25 Sacred Heart schools in the United States and Canada. Sacred Heart education at Woodlands Academy is distinctive and emphasizes best practices for the education of girls and innovative practices for academic excellence. Established in 1858, the school forms global citizens and transforms young women through a dynamic of relationships that responds to the dignity of each member of the school community.
 
Attributes and Qualifications (who you are and what you will do):
 

• A financial controller who oversees all accounting functions, provides direction and supervision to staff, develops and maintains a robust system of internal controls while ensuring that the accounting office complies with relevant standards and Trustee directives.
• An insightful administrator who develops the annual operating and capital expenditure budgets, presents and interprets these budgets to the Executive Team, the Board of Trustees, and to appropriate staff, and provides regular updates regarding performance against budget.
• A diligent accountant who monitors the ongoing status of the School's finances, analyzing the financial status and producing cash flow projections in order to alert the Head of School to any financial or budgetary concerns.
• A fastidious collaborator who leads the annual external audit.
• A practical producer who ensures timely and accurate financial reporting for board and committee meetings, in a clear and concise format to assure board and management comprehension.
• A detail-oriented manager who develops and implements a balance sheet reconciliation system that is timely, thorough, accurate, auditable, and supported by appropriate documentation, with particular attention to fundraising and tuition activities.
• A key point person who is responsible for vendor contracts, leases, and all bank relations and tracks contracts to monitor financial liability, termination clauses, and expiration dates with, handling 1099 reporting as needed.
• A punctual preparer who ensures timely reporting of all financial data, including, but not limited to, any applicable tax reporting, grant reporting, and required financial reporting to funders.
• An intentional auditor who oversees property and fixed assets and maintains a physical inventory of fixtures and equipment.
• A prudent leader who guides, develops, and implements accounting and finance related strategic initiatives and action plans that are in line with the School's strategic plan.
• A deliberate generater who ensures timely and accurate completion of all payroll processing.
• A conscientious overseer who manages School payables activity, ensuring compliance with the system or internal controls.
• A careful monitor who tracks donations received, providing appropriate reconciliation of and reporting of these assets as needed.
• An astute visionary who continually strives to improve the departmental functions, create efficiencies, find solutions, and recognize the future of not-for-profit accounting technologies and trends.

 
Requirements:
 

• A bachelor's degree required, master's degree preferred
• CPA designation required
• Minimum 5 years of financial management experience; cash flow modeling and systems implementation experience preferred
• Strong knowledge of Blackbaud accounting and fundraising systems, or similar accounting programs
• Highly skilled in the use of all Microsoft Office programs
• Knowledgeable of non-profit activities, particularly in education
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the capacity to compose professional written correspondence
• Complete command of all steps in the accounting cycle
• Capable of thinking on an analytical level and to interpret financial reporting, drawing on strong mathematical skills
• Extensive experience working with, supporting, and reporting to Boards and Committees
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills and capacity to motivate and inspire staff at all levels of the organization
• Reflects appreciation for the cultural background, heritage, and identity of all persons involved with the School
• Ability to exercise good judgement, courtesy, and tact in dealing with the public, in giving and obtaining information, and in dealing with problems as they arise
• Organizational and time management skills
• Ability and desire to support, implement, and model the Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart Schools
• High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information
• Available to work nights, weekends and extended days as needed

 
Why you should join our community:
 

• Make an impact on the lives of young women as a member of an enthusiastic and encouraging community of educators
• Thrive in a creative domain while pursuing professional passions in an environment committed to lifelong learning
• Engage in meaningful work in a secure workforce with colleagues who lift each other up
• Experience work-life balance in a compassionate workplace strengthened by generous time-off
• Woodlands Academy offers generous health/dental/vision plans, group life and long-term disability, voluntary life, and voluntary short-term disability plans, 403(b) with 5% contribution of annual salary, and flexible spending accounts (benefits for full-time employees working 30+ hours per week only), tuition remission
• Special holiday breaks, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Spring Break
• Opportunities to volunteer

 
How to apply:
 
Please complete the application materials on our Employment page here. All applicants must apply with a cover letter, resume, and Personal Reflection on the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria. We also strongly suggest applicants submit three written references.
 
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is an all-girls, Catholic, college preparatory day and boarding school in Lake Forest, IL. Visit the school's website at www.woodlandsacademy.org and the website of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools at www.sacredheartusc.education to learn more.
 
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Woodlands does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, religion*, marital status, color, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, veteran status, or being a member of the Reserves or National Guard, genetic information, physical or mental disability, or other characteristics or statues in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
 
*The School reserves the right to use religion as a hiring criterion for selected positions and nature of a school as a faith-based institution as permitted by law.