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Chief Financial Officer

Employer
Achievement First
Location
Connecticut, United States
Salary
Salary Commensurate with experience
Closing date
Jun 10, 2021

View more

Position Type
Executive, Administrative, Accounting and Finance
Fields
Education
Employment Type
Full Time

Achievement First (AF) exists to address the legacy of racism in education in America. They know that all children—regardless of race, zip code, or economic status—need and deserve access to a great education. At the core of AF’s approach is the shared journey by students and staff to fulfill its incredible potential. As the organization continues to grow, it is consistently rated one of the top charter school networks in the country. AF is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that currently supports 41 public charter schools in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The mission of AF is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunities for all children.

Achievement First is seeking a highly skilled, energetic, and experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to manage its finance team and broader financial strategy. The CFO will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team at Achievement First while overseeing a staff of 20 in the areas of accounting, budgeting, payroll, purchasing, and grant management. The new CFO will play a significant role in the overall strategic vision for the organization by providing specific strategic financial leadership that will contend with shifting trends in school revenue models, effective utilization of new and emerging funding, and strengthening school and network partnerships, while continuing to improve upon AF’s highly respected model for financial operations among charter schools and traditional districts. A natural change agent, the CFO will also have the opportunity to innovate and improve services toward greater integration, optimization, and efficiencies.

As Achievement First begins an exciting new phase under new leadership, the CFO will manage financials across AF’s multiple different entities and its entire network of schools, along with partnering with multiple board of director bodies. Reporting to AF’s new Chief Executive Officer, the CFO will be strategic and results-driven with strong leadership skills and a proven track record of success in similarly broad and complex roles of progressively greater responsibility. The ideal candidate will have a robust financial, management and business background, excellent relationship-building capabilities, and strong verbal and written communication skills. The CFO will have good business judgment, an analytical mindset, capacity for flexibility and adaptability to shifting priorities, and sound, thoughtful decision-making abilities. They will be nimble, strategic, and collaborative, incorporating internal perspectives while informing decisions based on industry best practices. Last, but certainly not least, the candidate will feel a strong connection to AF’s mission and have an interest in working in and transforming education.

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

  • A passion and commitment to AF’s mission to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunities for all of America’s children.
  • Deep experience running a high-performing and strategic finance department with proven experience in budgeting, strategic forecasting, and planning, and in overseeing financial, accounting, compliance, and risk management of a complex organization, preferably in large, multi-state or multi-entity non-profits, government organizations and/or school systems.
  • Successful track record of leading and developing high-performing teams committed to the mission and goals of the organization, with the ability to foster trust and collaboration among team members and manage through change with flexibility and poise.
  • Demonstrated success developing, managing, cultivating, and leveraging strong interpersonal relationships and partnerships across all levels of an organization towards shared goals and outcomes.
  • Ability to lead by example and demonstrate humility, a strong drive for excellence and strong emotional intelligence.
  • High level of intellectual rigor with a collaborative, creative and service-oriented mindset.
  • Inspirational and empathetic individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values, treating others with respect, and have a demonstrated record of supporting and driving initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Highly articulate and a deft communicator with the ability to easily convey the organization’s successes and opportunities with passion in written and verbal formats in both formal and informal situations.
  • Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or related field required; advanced degree in a related field, MBA and/or CPA strongly preferred.

For the full position description and to apply, please visit: https://npag.com/current-searches-all/af-cfo

More information about Achievement First may be found at: www.achievementfirst.org

This search is being led by Whitney Herrington and Sarah Hecklau of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website.

Achievement First is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to maintaining a diverse workplace where differing perspectives are a source of strength.

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