Position Summary:
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a key member of the Superintendent of Schools’ executive leadership team and is responsible for establishing and leading the district’s financial vision, strategy and long-range fiscal sustainability. The CFO reports to the Superintendent and provides strategic leadership and oversight of all financial operations, ensuring alignment between financial planning and the district’s strategic plan and academic and operational priorities. The incumbent of this position is directly responsible for fiscal accountability, actively monitoring and managing financial services to include all fiscal operations and long-range planning for the district, including coordinating with divisions to ensure efficient fiscal monitoring and accountability with grants.
The CFO serves as the principal advisor to the Board of Education, Superintendent and executive leadership team in all matters related to fiscal management and planning activities, including providing financial data and periodic reports to the Board of Education, Superintendent and agencies, as needed. The incumbent of this position ensures fiscal integrity, transparency and accountability across the organization while leading complex financial systems. The CFO has direct oversight of cash management, cost, general accounting, accounts receivable/collection, restricted funds management, accounting and financial reporting and accounts payable. In addition, the CFO provides oversight for payroll services, benefits administration, risk management, treasury services, grants financial management, Medicaid billing, procurement and annual budget preparation and monitoring.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Serves as the district’s chief financial strategist, developing and executing a long-range financial vision aligned to district priorities and student outcomes;
- Leads multi-year financial planning, forecasting and scenario modeling to ensure sustainability and adaptability;
- Advises the Superintendent and Board of Education on financial strategy, risks, opportunities and trade-offs to support informed decision making;
- Designs and leads the budget development process and strategy to align spending to student achievement, the district’s strategic plan, and state and local initiatives;
- Aligns financial resources to strategic priorities, ensuring investments drive impact and organization coherence;
- Provides strategic financial leadership to ensure full implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, aligning fiscal planning, resource allocation and reporting structures to support the district’s Blueprint priorities, including student achievement, educator pipelines and expanded services;
- Partners with academics, operations, human resources and school leadership to ensure financial resources are equitably distributed and strategically invested and allocated to enhance systemic decision making for financial stewardship;
- Ensures compliance with all state reporting, auditing and accountability requirements related to Blueprint funding and Community Schools, serving as the district’s primary financial liaison with state agencies and oversight bodies;
- Ensures effective planning, accountability and management of all financial and related resources;
- Provides leadership and oversight for the operations of the division;
- Ensures financial compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations;
- Interprets and applies Board policies and procedures for staff and recommends to the Superintendent procedures pertinent to the operation of the division within the system;
- Directs and analyzes studies of operational, business and financial conditions and their impact on the organization’s procedures and operations;
- Analyzes operational issues impacting functional groups and the district to determine impact and design strategic solutions;
- Evaluates and recommends business partnership opportunities; and
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Considerable knowledge of school district and governmental budgeting methods and the operational relationships between the budgeting, accounting and data processing functions;
- Considerable knowledge of current best practices and innovations in the field of governmental budgeting;
- Considerable knowledge of federal, state and local governmental and other agency relationships and budgetary requirements affecting public school operations;
- Considerable knowledge of public administration principles and practices;
- Demonstrated knowledge and skills in the area of information technology particularly as it relates to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems;
- Demonstrated knowledge of the budget and accounting structure required under the laws of the state of Maryland and Prince George's County;
- Demonstrated knowledge of payroll, leave management, worker’s compensation, employee benefits, risk management and procurement functions;
- Demonstrated experience in budget/cost analysis and trend development;
- Demonstrated strategic financial leadership and stewardship, as well as administrative competency; and
- Demonstrated written and oral communication, as well as presentation, skills.
Education and/or Experience Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in finance, accounting, economics, business and public administration or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred. A minimum of twelve (12) years of progressively responsible recent related work experience and experience with financial leadership and management required; senior level executive experience in a complex organization, such as a K-12 school district, local government, and/or large non-profit or business preferred.
Certification:
Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or equivalent professional certification preferred.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Oversees
and provides guidance to division personnel.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.
Working Environment:
The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.
Additional Information:
Work schedules may include evenings and weekends. Incumbent may be required to work beyond normal hours with little or no advanced notice.
