Chief Financial Officer - Claremont, United States - The Webb Schools

Description

The Webb Schools
Chief Financial Officer
Claremont, CA
Background

A 150-acre campus in the foothills of Claremont, California—on the front porch of Los Angeles and part of the Pacific Rim.

A boarding and day high school with a 100-year legacy of putting honor and moral courage above all else. A fully accredited museum of paleontology.

A college placement record that includes 90% of each graduating class attending colleges and universities in the top 10% nationwide.

Students on campus hailing from 10 states and 15 countries. A commitment to team sports, outdoor adventure, and participation in the arts. These attributes only begin to describe what makes Webb, Webb.

While the school was founded in 1922 in the great tradition of the best boarding schools of the eastern United States, Webb embraces the adventurous spirit of California where it thrives.

Webb is a vibrant community of unbounded thinkers pushing to solve problems and growing as leaders.

Webb has a rich history of shepherding young people many who are far from home and providing a second family, shaping their foundation, instilling their values, and sending them off to all corners of the earth to positively impact the world.

The Webb network of students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and board members unite around their love for the school and the way in which their experiences at Webb changed them for the better.

The Webb Schools at a Glance
Mission

The mission of The Webb Schools is centered around four pillars, inspiring and nurturing students to: think boldly, mindfully, and creatively; act with honor and moral courage; lead with distinction; and serve with a generous spirit.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Webb Schools are committed to fostering an inclusive school community characterized by openness, acceptance, and empathy where all members are valued, respected, and supported.

The community is strengthened by the diverse views, beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Embracing diversity in all its many forms is essential to our mission:

in particular, we value our call to provide an exemplary learning community that nurtures future leaders who will act with honor and moral courage and serve with a generous spirit.

Facts and Figures

Founded: 1922

schoolwide enrollment: 405

Students self-identifying as students of color: 84%
Total number of school employees: 250

Number of full-time faculty: 66

Percent of faculty with advanced degrees: 93%
Average tenure of faculty: 7 years

Acreage: 150 acres


tuition:

Boarding:
$76,985


Day:
$54,750

Financial Aid:
$6.4M to 34% of students

Total Funds Raised, :
$11.7M

Parent Participation in Giving: 70%


On the Web:
Opportunities and Challenges

Webb's next CFO will join a financially sound and well-run institution with healthy admissions, strong donor support, a beautiful campus, and a warm and connected family feel that is unique to boarding schools.

The leadership team is highly collaborative, productive, and open to learning and growth in pursuit of excellence.

Just wrapping up a $200 million centennial campaign and a recent Head of School transition, Webb is looking for a forward-thinking, visionary, and strategic Chief Financial Officer to partner with Head of School Theresa Smith.

Leaning into innovation and thought leadership around educational creativity, Webb is excited to imagine a new model of impact for Webb students, families, and the greater high school ecosystem and is looking for an experienced and entrepreneurial CFO to join the team.

Given the rising costs of offering a premium educational program and maintaining a historic campus, the next CFO will need to focus attention on the challenge of access and affordability for families to send their students to Webb.

Additionally, as a boarding school campus that includes the Alf Museum—a fully functional and renowned paleontology museum—managing Webb's finances mimics the complexity of a small city; it will be imperative for the new CFO to establish strong relationships with all stakeholders in order to understand the complete picture and bring a strategic lens to envisioning Webb's future.

Webb operates from a fiscally conservative mindset, and the next CFO will need to be similarly diligent about finances and resource allocation.

Since the school has grown in complexity and in its assets, the new CFO will need to find the appropriate balance between being incredibly hands-on and delegating and growing the capacity of other team members.

Thankfully, Webb's longtime Chief Financial and Operations Officer will be transitioning to focus solely on operations in the school year and will be an incredible resource to the incoming CFO in whatever way the new leader wants and needs.

The Position:
Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer serves as a member of the senior leadership team and reports to the Head of School.

The CFO provides leadership for the business office, including direct oversight of the Director of Human Resources, the Controller, the Senior Staff Accountant, and the Accounts Payable Analyst.

This position interacts with board members, administrators, faculty, staff, parents, vendors, outside agencies, and auditors.

The CFO is an integral member of the team, working on important strategic initiatives that include financial forecasting and modeling, debt and investment policy formulation, capital campaigns, gift acceptance protocols, and capital projects.

The CFO serves as staff liaison on numerous committees to the Board of Trustees, including the Finance, Investment, and Audit Committees.

One of the complexities of Webb's business office is managing both the larger corporate entity that is Webb as well as its subsidiary, the Alf Museum.

The CFO will work closely with the Head of School to oversee the financial systems of the school and ensure Webb's mission and excellent student programs remain at the center.

Part of a collaborative leadership team, the CFO will work closely with admissions, advancement, communications and marketing, educational programs, and the Alf Museum as well as the Board of Trustees.

The CFO manages relationships with outside financial institutions, agencies, and auditors and is involved in the financial planning of capital projects and strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities
Finance, Strategy, Planning
Serve as a thought partner for the Head of School, providing data and models to support institutional analysis and planning
Direct and coordinate budget programs
Analyze studies of general economic, business, and financial conditions and their impact on the Schools' policies and operations and conduct subsequent research and forecasts as needed
Appraise the Schools' financial position and issue periodic financial and operating reports
Oversee accounting systems and protocols, ensuring best-practice procedures
Ensure that all activities and operations comply with local, state, and federal regulations and laws governing business operations.
Oversee all audit and internal control operations
As a member of the Capital Project Team, perform all compliance, budget management, and accounting functions for capital projects
Develop and install systems and controls for management information systems
Investment and Board Support
Oversee and direct treasury, investment, budgeting, audit, tax, accounting, purchasing, real estate, and insurance activities, as well as contract administration, for the Schools
Direct activities as custodian of funds, securities, and assets of the Schools
Perform bond accounting, ensuring that all covenants are fulfilled in a timely manner, including annual debt management reports to the Finance Committee
Prepare detailed reports on financial performance on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis; create systems so that snapshots of performance are available in real-time
Perform cash management, endowment, and investment accounting, including planned gifts and split-interest agreements
Serve as the staff liaison for relevant Board Committees and prepare and present materials for Board work
Human Resources
Maintain appropriate professional memberships and associated survey expectations
Help implement and administer all employee benefit programs, including health insurance, retirement, worker's compensation, life insurance, and other related plans
Collaborate with the Head of School and other senior administrators on providing leadership for employee hiring, termination, compensation, and management
Manage decisions regarding the school's insurance programs: property, casualty, medical, workers' compensation, and D&O
Provide appropriate and consistent employment policies, staffing levels, compensation, and benefits programs for all facets of school operations
Community Participation
Serve as a member of the senior leadership team, working collaboratively to ensure the success of the Schools' annual operating plans and progress in achieving its strategic vision
Attend and support major school events and activities
Engage in ongoing education and professional development; participate in industry association events (e.g., Cal-ISBOA, NBOA, NAIS, TABS)
Provide collaborative support for advancement, admissions, and other departments
Publicly represent the school in a positive and proactive way, collaborating with other local institutions, neighbors, and public officials
Communicate effectively with diverse populations; demonstrate an interest in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work and participate in professional development as related to DEI work
Desired Qualifications and Qualities
Education, Experience, and skills
Bachelor's degree plus at least ten years of progressive financial leadership experience, with significant experience in nonprofits and/or independent schools preferred
MBA, CPA, or other advanced degree or certification preferred
Expertise in financial accounting, cash management, budgeting, and financial projections and modeling
Experience in human resources, including payroll, benefits, and labor laws
Experience managing complex banking relationships

Strong strategic thinking skills:
able to design effective plans and approaches and to serve as a thought partner to the Head of School
Knowledgeable of accounting standards and audit and internal control protocols, as well as applicable federal and state statutes
Demonstrated success in creating efficiencies and improving processes
Strong technology skills; demonstrated excellence in Microsoft Suite (especially Excel) and experience with Blackbaud products (BBTM, BBEM, Financial Edge NXT, Raiser's Edge NXT), ADP, and Shopify products a plus
Excellent verbal and written communication, as well as strong mathematical and analytical skills
Experience with capital projects accounting, planned giving, and endowment management highly preferred
Proven success at working collaboratively and efficiently on a creative, diverse, and goal-oriented team
Personal Characteristics
Self-motivated multitasker with excellent work habits, including a willingness to work all necessary hours —especially when important deadlines cause greater-than-normal departmental pressures
Demonstrate integrity and competence in thought, words, and action
Effective leadership and interpersonal skills to manage personnel and constituents, solve problems, and represent The Webb Schools in the community
Demonstrate principled leadership, business, and management ethics
Develop strong working relationships with employees at all levels of the institution
Foster teamwork, delegates, coaches, gives feedback, and involves and inspires others
Serve as an advocate for the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by modeling cultural competence and supporting new and existing education programs
Project a winning attitude, a can-do approach to problems, and persistence in the face of adversity.
Have a customer-service mindset, providing excellent service to internal and external stakeholders
Strive for continuous improvement and solicit feedback to improve service
Have a keen sense of humor
Key Competencies
Benefits and Compensation
The salary range for this position is $225,000–$275,000.

Webb offers:
Generous low-cost medical for employees and eligible family members 90% covered by Webb
Flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care
Tuition remission for children enrolled at Webb
Life and long-term disability
6–10% school contribution to TIAA 403(b) based on tenure
Generous professional development support
Application Requirements and Search Process
DRG is conducting this search on behalf of Webb.

Interested candidates should submit, as soon as possible, materials including the following:

A cover letter indicating why they are particularly interested in and qualified for the position.
A current resume.
The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of five references, to include the relationship with the references. (We will obtain permission from candidates, at the finalist stage, before contacting references.)

Application Status:
Accepting Applications??


Start Date:
Summer/Fall 2024

This position description is based upon material provided by The Webb Schools, an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities and who does not discriminate based on perceived or actual race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, pregnancy (or any related conditions), age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, gender/identity/expression, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

To apply for this position, please click


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Jennifer Fleischer, Senior Talent Consultant,

Dave Yi, Associate,

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