Chief Financial Officer

Overview

Chief Financial Officer

The Madeira School

June 10, 2024

McLean, VA

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Madeira School is an all girls’ boarding and day school serving grades 9-12 located on 376 acres along the picturesque Potomac River in McLean, VA, just minutes from Washington, DC. Established in 1906, Madeira is ranked as the #1 Best Boarding School in Virginia and among the top 25 of all boarding schools in the US.

Under the dynamic leadership of new Head of School, Christina Kyong, and that of long-time and dedicated administrative team members, the school seeks a seasoned Chief Financial Officer to help Madeira realize its greatest ambitions.

Madeira boasts a $27 million annual operating budget and an endowment valued at $80 million. Madeira does not have any debt and holds nearly $10 million in cash and capital maintenance reserves. Tuition currently ranges from $69,500 for boarding to $54,200 for day students, and comprises 67% of revenues. Approximately 37% of students receive financial aid.

Key Responsibilities

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is an integral member of the senior administrative team and liaison to the Board of Trustees. Reporting to the Head of School, the CFO is responsible for advancing the mission of the school by serving as a strategic thought leader and a visible and active member of the Madeira community.

The CFO oversees the following roles within the Business Office : Comptroller; HR Director; Staff Accountant; Accounts Payable Administrator; Student Billing / Accounts Receivable; and a part-time HR Associate. Others that the CFO supervises include directors of Facilities, Security, IT, Summer Programs, and Dining Services.

Madeira seeks to employ candidates with a high degree of cultural competency and emotional intelligence, who are passionate about girls’ education and leadership, and who have a desire to fully engage in the life of the school. Ideal candidates will be progressive, intrinsically-motivated, planful yet action-oriented, knowledgeable about best practices as they relate to finance and operations, strategic, and highly relational.

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics

A minimum of 10 years of broad-based, senior financial leadership experience in a complex educational institution or equivalent not-for-profit environment.

Extensive experience leading all functional aspects of finance and accounting including financial planning and analysis, reporting, accounting, cash management, tax compliance, risk management, financial systems, budgeting, and billing and collections.

Exceptional business acumen, strategic, commercial, and analytical skills; the ability to synthesize financial and operational data, decipher financial and operational trends, and extrapolate to broader institutional goals, results, and activities.

A broad knowledge of operations and facilities management, human resources, safety and security, food services, transportation, health services, and event management.

Superior presentation, writing, and verbal communication skills; the ability to interact credibly and diplomatically in a multicultural setting, within and outside the school community – tailoring communications effectively for different groups and stakeholders.

Outstanding interpersonal skills : the ability to lead through influence rather than control, to champion new ideas and approaches, and to build consensus-based support for strategies and decisions.

Dynamic energy level, and clear passion for one’s work; tenacity, integrity, and unquestioned work ethic.

Commitment to, and understanding of, the principles of girls education.

Talent for identifying, selecting, retaining, and inspiring outstanding staff – supporting, guiding, and championing their growth - and for building and leading high-performance teams.

Organizational and managerial skill, and the ability to ensure systems and procedures are effective, efficient, principled, and equitable.

An undergraduate degree is required; MBA, CPA, and / or other advanced degrees / certifications preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience, and the position must be performed on site, in Virginia. Madeira anticipates a salary range of approximately $250,000 to $280,000 and offers a generous benefits package as well, including tuition remission.

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