Chief Financial Officer
: Job Details :

MISSION

From our campus to the wilderness, we inspire students to think critically, engage confidently, embrace challenges, and lead impactful, purposeful lives.

ABOUT SUN VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Our philosophy? Build community. Take risks. Grow your curiosities. Pursue your passions. Aim for personal bests. We are a PreK-12 day and boarding college prep school of 450 students set in the iconic mountain resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. Our faculty and staff are passionate about the outdoors, the arts, innovation, athletics, adventure, service, and the work they do with students. They are engaged and encouraging, and they believe in our student-centered approach.

Our students are open to new experiences, take advantage of the natural environment, thrive in a small-town community but have a solid sense of the broader world. A Sun Valley Community School experience balances intellectual inquiry with adventure. We ask students and faculty alike to push comfort zones and seek understanding. We value inclusivity, authenticity, and critical thinking.

Surrounded by mountains, SVCS embraces all that mountain living entails. We believe that getting outside is an important part of the healthy body/healthy mind equation. Our motto is “Not all classrooms have walls.” We're also a school that believes fiercely in our product and our process. Our commitment to community extends well beyond our name. We take care of our team—benefits like tuition remission and housing assistance are an essential part of our DNA.

POSITION

The Chief Financial Officer is a year-round, full-time position with full benefits and housing if needed/desired. The CFO reports to and works closely with the Head of School as well as with fellow members of the school's leadership team and the Finance Committee of the Board to support the mission of the school. This partnership is essential to the vitality and sustainability of the school; therefore, the CFO is one of the school's most important leadership positions.

In collaboration with the Head of School, the CFO provides strategic planning and implementation in matters relating to finance and accounting, school operations, human resources, risk management, construction financing, and other duties as assigned by the Head of School. The CFO supervises the work of the Business Office and Facilities and Maintenance staff, while working closely and collaboratively with the Director of Enrollment Management and the Director of Development.

Responsibilities

• Ensures the safekeeping of the school's assets and the integrity of the accounting records.
• Provides timely and meaningful financial information to the Head of School, division and program directors, and the Board of Trustees.
• Implements financial modeling and projections that address key financial variables and helps shape the long-range, strategic financial plan of the school.
• Assures up-to-date and equitable policies and procedures for salaries, wages, benefits and conditions of employment including oversight of the School's HR processes (e.g., competition of evaluation processes, maintenance of personnel files).
• Oversees the development and administration of the operating budget, including timely and accurate reporting to the Board of directors, auditors–annual, and government agencies.
• Oversees all school purchasing, financial investments, banking activities, payroll and benefits, and contracts/leases with external entities.
• Works with the Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid to support enrollment management, financial aid processes, pricing decisions, and accuracy of records and reporting.
• Provides direct supervision of the Facilities Manager and Business Office personnel.
• Coordinates all gift receipts and pledges with the Director of Development.
• Coordinates with Faculty Housing Coordinator to ensure equitable distribution of housing assistance.
• Oversees the school's risk management, legal obligations, and insurance programs.
• Manages and directs activities to ensure a satisfactory annual audit.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to think strategically, plan systematically, and initiate and implement change.
• Strong analytical skills combined with the ability to communicate effectively with a range of internal and external constituencies and to facilitate data-driven decisions.
• Effective problem-solver and mediator, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to function effectively in the face of deadlines, unexpected events, and a demanding environment.
• Significant experience in or knowledge of nonprofit accounting, including sophisticated fund accounting.
• Excited to be an engaged part of the community including being a presence at co-curricular events and other school activities.
• Proficiency in all relevant software.
• Familiarity with “best practices” in independent schools or a willingness to learn quickly and adapt to an independent school environment.
• Appropriate degree(s) and training commensurate with the requirements of the position, CPA and/or MBA preferred.