Chief Strategic Finance and Operations Officer

St. Anne’s School of Annapolis seeks a creative and strategic visionary with a passion for dreaming big as a thought partner with the Head of School as the School’s Chief Strategic Finance and Operations Officer. This is a full-time, 12-month position with an expected start date of May or June 2025.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced business management professional with excellent organization and communication skills. As a strategic partner to the Head of School, the CSFOO will be accountable for the Finance and Operations functions of the school and oversee the school’s $6 million annual budget, ensuring it aligns with best accounting and financial practices in accordance with GAAP. The CSFOO will also lead the school’s operational function: facilities management, compliance, transportation, risk assessment practices, and management, procurement, student information systems, IT, safety, and wellness, ensuring all systems perform with thoughtfulness and excellence with an eye on organizational efficiencies. As a key strategic leader at the school, you will be a go-to resource for data-driven decision-making. You will partner with the Head of School and the Board of Trustees to develop metrics, dashboards, and future-facing scenario plans, to support long-term viability and vitality for the school.

CFOO Objectives

The Chief Strategic Finance and Operating Officer is responsible for overseeing the financial management and operations of the school. The role provides the school with a sound financial structure by establishing financial policies, procedures, programs, and practices following generally accepted accounting practices and industry standards. The Chief Financial and Operating Officer oversees finance, audit, enrollment, budgeting and planning, purchasing, endowment, risk management, and related interactions with parents, faculty, and employees, while also providing leadership and oversight to the operations of the school.

Essential Functions

• Serve as a strategic sounding board and partner to the Head of School and provide data to support strategic decision-making.
• Manage staff supporting the Operations and Finance functions and ensure efficient day-to-day operations of both teams.
• Build dashboards and scenario plans based on operational and financial considerations to support strategic conversations of the Board of Trustees and the Head of School.
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of accurate financial records, prepare periodic financial statements, and report on the financial affairs of the school to the Head of School and the Board of Trustees.
• Prepare financial records for annual independent audit and assist the audit team in preparation of the annual Form 990.
• Prepare, in conjunction with the Head of School, annual budgets and financial forecasts.
• Make recommendations and justify setting annual tuition and fees to the Board of Trustees.
• Administer and maintain all property, casualty, liability, and all other forms of insurance.
• Review all monthly bank reconciliations.
• Oversee annual enrollment contracts and tuition management for 300-plus students
• Supervise all incoming cash receipts and deposits.
• Communicate accounting policies to employees and ensure compliance with such policies.
• Ensure all Financial Aid documents are complete and ready for review with the Head of School to determine awards, monitor budget, award amounts, and manage appeals.
• Support Head of School with the administration of tuition scholarships, Tailored Tuition program, and the remission program and rates applied for qualifying staff for discounted tuition.
• Oversee the daily operations of the school and any activities that pertain to the building usage including security, safety, facility, and compliance.

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit the following materials as PDF documents to Merf Dunsmore, Executive Assistant to the Head of School: mdunsmore@st.annesschool.org

• A cover letter expressing interest in the CFOO position
• A current resume
• A list of at least three professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email of each (references will not be contacted without candidate’s permission)

Application materials should be submitted by January 15, 2025.

St. Anne's School of Annapolis does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or national origin in admissions, employment or educational policies. We value diversity and embrace the fundamental Episcopal belief in the dignity of each human being. We are committed to helping our school community understand and appreciate human differences and similarities.

Qualifying Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations, accounting, or finance.
• 5-7 years of operations, accounting, and management experience in a leadership position.
• Experience collecting, managing, and generating data-driven reports and metrics.
• Proficiency in MS Office/Excel
• Strong analytical skills, with foundational financial acumen.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Ability to present complicated information in a clear and concise format.
• Ability to work well with faculty, staff, parents, and the community.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Experience in the not-for-profit environment
• Experience in an independent school environment
• Experience with Blackbaud Financial Edge, Blackbaud Enrollment Management, Blackbaud Tuition Management, Virtual Key Pad, Digital Watch Dog, Tracer, Magnus, Navigate 360

Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

• Natural rapport with students
• Demonstrated knowledge of management principles and practices
• Ability to use salient data for planning
• Experience as a relentless problem-solver who takes initiative and contributes as a results-oriented, analytic, strategic thinker
• Outstanding attention to detail and accuracy
• Patience
• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written
• Ability to manage, evaluate, and motivate staff
• Ability to innovate
• Ability to work with diverse constituencies fairly, respectfully, consistently, and with integrity
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively while maintaining high professional standards and at times confidentiality
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to establish and manage multiple priorities
• A belief in independent school education, and particularly the mission of St. Anne’s School of Annapolis – a mission that shapes all decisions: financial, operational, legal, educational, and ethical
• Commitment to leadership as a team-based endeavor and the collegial, frank, and civil communication and collaboration that team processes entail

Mission

St. Anne’s School of Annapolis invests in the intellectual and spiritual promise of each student in a community that celebrates diversity and upholds the dignity of every human being. We challenge students to think critically and creatively, to know themselves as learners, and to govern their lives with confidence, compassion, and integrity.

St. Anne's School draws from its Episcopal tradition as an independent, co-educational day school, serving students in Twos through 8th Grade.