Position: Chief Finance Officer

Office of the Superintendent

Reports To: Superintendent of Schools

Work Year: 225 Days

Key Responsibilities:

The Chief Finance Officer assists the Superintendent in establishing, articulating and supporting the district vision. Serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, cooperating and collaborating with other senior leaders to develop and facilitate forward the key strategies and educational goals of the organization. The Chief Finance Officer is committed to fostering equity, inclusion and belonging and acts as a team member in leading the district in becoming an anti-racist school community through a shared vision, aligned goals and courageous conversations. The Chief Finance Officer manages all aspects of fiscal services including budget development and review, research and planning, accounting, payroll, cash management, inventory control, financial reporting, purchasing, bookkeeping, procurement and contracts. The Chief Finance Officer establishes and maintains internal accounting controls, integrity of all financial records and ensures financial compliance with local, state and federal requirements. The Chief Finance Officer provides interdepartmental support and expertise, serving as an information resource on financial matters. Assists the Superintendent in the development of strategic planning, policy development, and implementation of objectives that impacts and relates to the financial health and management of the district.

Technical and Professional Knowledge:

• Recommends, plans and programs for effective budget control and systems-wide initiatives.
• Reviews quarterly reports to the Executive Leadership Team on financial status of the district and department expenditures.
• Directs, consolidates and analyzes all cost accounting procedures together with statistical and routine reports.
• Prepares financial reports required by local, state, and federal agencies having jurisdiction over public funds.
• Directs and analyzes studies of general economic, business and financial conditions and their impact on Cambridge Public School System policies and operations.

Responsibilities/Expectations:

• Provides strong and innovative finance and organizational leadership, and brings a service orientation to the work.
• Provides professional financial leadership, as required, to the Superintendent and Executive Leadership Team members.
• Provides onboarding and training on the school budget, process and protocols for all school and district leaders.
• Assists the Superintendent in the preparation of the budget and the presentation of the budget to the School Committee.
• Articulates a strong vision for budget and finance aligned to the vision and mission of the district.
• Engages stakeholders in budget planning and development.
• Supervises a program of accounting and reporting of financial affairs for the district.
• Supervises a system for the distribution of district financial resources.
• Supervises the accounts payable process and procedures for the district.
• Supervises the record keeping system for payroll services and accounting services.
• Arranges the internal, independent auditing of the district and school accounts.
• Makes timely and appropriate recommendations/updates to the Superintendent regarding budget protocol compliance and departmental distribution of fiscal resources.
• Serves as a member of the collective bargaining team for employee contract negotiations.
• Attends as approved by the Superintendent, professional meetings, conferences and institutes to stay abreast of current trends, and practices in the financial and budgetary arenas.
• Evaluates the performance of direct reports and ensures ongoing feedback and evaluation of all departmental staff.

Perform all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field required. MBA, MPA, or Master’s in School Business Administration, preferred;
• A minimum of five (5) years of successful experience in school finance and administration, ten (10) years preferred;
• Successful track record of working in an urban setting with staff, students and families from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Strong ability to oversee, monitor, and manage budgets and plan complex financial planning, service programs, and activities;
• A strong understanding of complex state and federal law and an ability to effectively interpret and communicate those laws;
• Experience developing and supporting the growth and development of direct reports
• Experience analyzing processes, problems, opportunities and developing fiscal policies, audit procedures, public and fund accounting systems;
• Experience with thorough data analysis, developing strategy, and long-term fiscal planning;
• Strong public presentation and communication skills to represent the District in both oral and written reports;
• Strong and proven political acumen
• A level-headed attitude under pressure and ability to acclimate to changing work environments.

Cambridge Public Schools is committed to slowing and/or stopping the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as a condition of employment with Cambridge Public Schools, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than their first day of work. Written requests for either a religious exemption from this requirement based on sincerely held religious beliefs, or for a medical exemption based upon clear documentation from a medical provider should be submitted to the attention of the Chief Talent Officer.

Salary: $195,789.77- $232,536.33, commensurate with qualifications and experience, along with a generous benefits package.

The Cambridge Public Schools is committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.