Duties
Position Summary:
As the CFO, you will be an essential part of our team, working closely with the District Superintendent and the School Board. Under the direction of the Superintendent, you will provide leadership and strategic vision to our financial management program. As a member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet will be responsible for ensuring the board's fiduciary duties and managing the finances by federal, state, and local laws and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Will oversee the District's finance activities, including accounting, business planning, budgeting, forecasting, grants management, payroll, purchasing, risk management, negotiations, transportation, and building operations. Provides financial advice to the Superintendent and the School Board on all matters related to the District's budget. You will also collaborate on special projects and provide analyses to support decision-making. The vision and collaborative spirit will guide the District in transforming existing systems, resource strategies, financial plans, and investments to drive our mission forward.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Financial Management and Leadership:
- Introduces the best practices in financial management to stakeholders
- Directs the preparation of the Annual Budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report while maintaining current knowledge of State and Federal laws and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Manages banking relationships and directs the receipt and management of investments of District funds to ensure proper and maximum returns
- Provides effective management of the District's assets by promoting internal controls and ensuring proper insurance coverage
- In conjunction with human resources, administers the employee fringe benefit programs.
- Directs the District's budget and grant accounting records, including expenditure reporting and auditing of expenditures
- Manages capital budget projects for the District and participates in contract/bid negotiations.
- Upholds legal and compliant use of resources – Maintains the general ledger and chart of accounts, prepares financial statements, oversees audits, and establishes internal controls.
- Delivers efficient and effective financial services – Ensures processes run smoothly, from coordinating payroll and accounts payables to streamlining school and central-level procurement
- Ensures financial stability and sustainability – Foresees the leaders' choices to achieve their vision and maximizes future revenue available for the District.
- Cooperatively with the Director of Technology, monitors and facilitates the District's Management Information System (MIS)
- With the support of the District, attend training to ensure the skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in the current position
Program Direction and Staff Supervision:
- Hires and manages a strong team with relevant technical expertise
- Supervises, coaches, develops, directs, and evaluates the work activities of employees performing business/financial functions as well as: financial reporting; accounting; billing; payroll; budgeting; Building Operations; Nutrition Services, and other administrative duties.
- Ensures that the functions in all assigned areas are effectively structured and that work coordination and procedures are in place
- Sets broad objectives and is accountable for overall results in respective areas of responsibility
- Develops leadership in subordinates
Operations Oversight:
The CFO will have oversight of building operations by ensuring the following:
- The school building premises/ external and internal properties are maintained satisfactorily
- Recommends new building improvements and structural repairs are made
- Ensures the department have the proper tools and resources to run efficiently and effectively
- In collaboration with the director of operations and contractors, ensures project plans, scope of work, and timelines are monitored
- Ensures the proper bidding process is followed
- Provides support and direction to the director of operations
Nutrition Services Oversight:
- Ensures that nutrition services have the proper tools, resources, and equipment to run the department efficiently
- Confirms that the director of nutrition services has a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) based food safety program in place
- Makes certain that nutrition services are prepared to pass annual safety inspections
Financial Advisor/Financial Planning:
- Serves as a member of the Superintendent's Cabinet and advisor on short-term and long-term financial objectives, projects, and policies
- Serves as the Treasurer for the Board of Education
- Prepares various materials (e.g., annual financial report, proposed budget, financial statements, reports for the Board, Superintendent, department administrators, etc.) Keeps the primary stakeholders abreast of local tax initiatives, bond obligations, and refinancing
- Assesses the forecast and communicates pathways and potential tradeoffs to achieve goals
- Determines when to apply equitable resource allocations and the underlying cost structures about various priorities
- Prepares structured financial presentations to show effective program results
- Stay abreast of Illinois laws regarding cash reserve balances and operational funds expenditure reports
Strategic Planning, Development, and Implementation:
- Participates in the planning, developing, and implementing capital budgets, including debt management.
- Utilizes forecasting tools and strategies to forecast resource requirements, birth rate, and enrollment numbers to predict future needs.
- Develop strategies that respond effectively to the District's educational needs. Develops procedures for periodic reviews and determines when modifications are necessary. Establishes plans, periodic reporting, and accounting guidelines to mitigate potential financial risks.
- Works with the Human Resources department and other District leaders to align resources to strategies.
- Anticipates significant cost revenue shifts, proactively solves challenges, and ensures that the District can sustain investments in strategic priorities. Implements strategic plans and ensures they align with the District's goals.
Collective Bargaining Agents:
Will share the negotiation responsibility with the Chief Negotiator, ASHR, through the Bargaining agents:
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.
- Rock Island Education Association (RIEA) with ASHR
- Rock Island Educational Support Professionals Association (RIESPA), IEA-NEA.
Collective Bargaining and Negotiations:
- Studies legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess trends
- Establishes and maintains effective relationships with union members
- Participates in the collective bargaining and negotiations process to identify and research bargaining issues related to the collective bargaining agreements—assists in developing bargaining strategies and positions
- Understands and applies collective bargaining techniques and relationship-building to ensure meetings are run effectively and resolve disputes diplomatically
- Knows how to manage, negotiate, and evaluate fair trade-offs
Qualifications
Required Education:
Master's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration
Required Qualifications:
- 8-12 years of experience and a proven track record in education is highly desirable
- Managing financial forecasting processes and budgets
- Fund Accounting
- Managing people in multiple departments
- Ability to collaborate with the district leaders
- Demonstrated experience in strategic oversight and implementing financial systems
- Sustained experience in financial planning, budget preparation; fiscal monitoring, control, and administration of multi-million dollar budgets with multiple funding sources
- Experience in program and capital project budgeting
- Strong business and financial acumen
- Collective Bargaining experience with multiple union agents
- Experience communicating and negotiating with business/financial and community leaders
Certifications Licenses:
CSBO Endorsement Required
CPA Preferred
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Ability to identify problems/determine root causes, develop alternative approaches, and recommend solutions in matters related to financial management
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with Board members, staff, administrators, faculty, and the public concerning financial matters/issues within the District
- Analytical skills to assess financial information, practices, and procedures, recognize relationships among proposals, define problems, formulate logical conclusions, develop alternative solutions and implement recommendations
- Strategic-minded with the ability to understand all aspects of the District
- Applies skills that acknowledge the difference between equity vs. equal
- Demonstrates the ability to work with a diverse workforce and community
Salary/Benefits
Administrative Level 1-$144,332-166,288
Retirement Fund Eligibility:
Retirement fund choice will be determined by the following:
- Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF): No special licenses or certifications are required.
- Teacher’s Retirement System (TRS) of the State of Illinois: Must have certification(s) from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
How to Apply
Please complete the online application.