Chief Financial Office (CFO)/Chief School Business Officer (CSBO)

Position Type:
Administration 12 Months/Chief Financial Office (CFO)/Chief School Business Official (CSBO)

Date Posted:
7/23/2024

Location:
Administration Center

Date Available:
ASAP

Closing Date:
Open Until Filled
Rock Island-Milan School District 41
Egan Colbrese
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources

JOB DESCRIPTION
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
POSITION INFORMATION:
POSITION TITLE

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

DATE CREATED

March 10, 2021/May 16, 2024

DEPARTMENT

Business

LOCATION

Administration Center

FULL-TIME/PART-TIME

Full-Time

APPOINTMENT TERM

260/Days

FLSA: EXEMPT or NON-EXEMPT

Exempt

REPORTS TO: TITLE of POSITION SUPERVISOR

Superintendent

OTHER INFORMATION

Administrative Level 1-$144,332-166,288

POSITION SUMMARY INFORMATION: Essential Duties and Requirement Details
To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The requirements below represent the required knowledge, skill, and ability. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Position Summary:

As the CFO, you will be an essential part of our team, working closely with the District Superintendent and the School Board. Under the direction of the Superintendent, you will provide leadership and strategic vision to our financial management program. As a member of the Superintendent's Cabinet will be responsible for ensuring the board's fiduciary duties and managing the finances by federal, state, and local laws and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Will oversee the District's finance activities, including accounting, business planning, budgeting, forecasting, grants management, payroll, purchasing, risk management, negotiations, transportation, and building operations. Provides financial advice to the Superintendent and the School Board on all matters related to the District's budget. You will also collaborate on special projects and provide analyses to support decision-making. The vision and collaborative spirit will guide the District in transforming existing systems, resource strategies, financial plans, and investments to drive our mission forward.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Financial Management and Leadership:

• Introduces the best practices in financial management to stakeholders
• Directs the preparation of the Annual Budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report while maintaining current knowledge of State and Federal laws and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Manages banking relationships and directs the receipt and management of investments of District funds to ensure proper and maximum returns
• Provides effective management of the District's assets by promoting internal controls and ensuring proper insurance coverage
• In conjunction with human resources, administers the employee fringe benefit programs.
• Directs the District's budget and grant accounting records, including expenditure reporting and auditing of expenditures
• Manages capital budget projects for the District and participates in contract/bid negotiations.
• Upholds legal and compliant use of resources - Maintains the general ledger and chart of accounts, prepares financial statements, oversees audits, and establishes internal controls.
• Delivers efficient and effective financial services - Ensures processes run smoothly, from coordinating payroll and accounts payables to streamlining school and central-level procurement
• Ensures financial stability and sustainability - Foresees the leaders' choices to achieve their vision and maximizes future revenue available for the District.
• Cooperatively with the Director of Technology, monitors and facilitates the District's Management Information System (MIS)
• With the support of the District, attend training to ensure the skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in the current position

Program Direction and Staff Supervision:

• Hires and manages a strong team with relevant technical expertise

• Supervises, coaches, develops, directs, and evaluates the work activities of employees performing business/financial functions as well as: financial reporting; accounting; billing; payroll; budgeting; Building Operations; Nutrition Services, and other administrative duties.
• Ensures that the functions in all assigned areas are effectively structured and that work coordination and procedures are in place
• Sets broad objectives and is accountable for overall results in respective areas of responsibility
• Develops leadership in subordinates

Operations Oversight:
The CFO will have oversight of building operations by ensuring the following:

• The school building premises/ external and internal properties are maintained satisfactorily
• Recommends new building improvements and structural repairs are made
• Ensures the department have the proper tools and resources to run efficiently and effectively
• In collaboration with the director of operations and contractors, ensures project plans, scope of work, and timelines are monitored
• Ensures the proper bidding process is followed
• Provides support and direction to the director of operations

Nutrition Services Oversight:

• Ensures that nutrition services have the proper tools, resources, and equipment to run the department efficiently

• Confirms that the director of nutrition services has a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) based food safety program in place

• Makes certain that nutrition services are prepared to pass annual safety inspections

Financial Advisor/Financial Planning:

• Serves as a member of the Superintendent's Cabinet and advisor on short-term and long-term financial objectives, projects, and policies
• Serves as the Treasurer for the Board of Education
• Prepares various materials (e.g., annual financial report, proposed budget, financial statements, reports for the Board, Superintendent, department administrators, etc.) Keeps the primary stakeholders abreast of local tax initiatives, bond obligations, and refinancing
• Assesses the forecast and communicates pathways and potential tradeoffs to achieve goals
• Determines when to apply equitable resource allocations and the underlying cost structures about various priorities
• Prepares structured financial presentations to show effective program results
• Stay abreast of Illinois laws regarding cash reserve balances and operational funds expenditure reports

Strategic Planning, Development, and Implementation:

• Participates in the planning, developing, and implementing capital budgets, including debt management.
• Utilizes forecasting tools and strategies to forecast resource requirements, birth rate, and enrollment numbers to predict future needs.
• Develop strategies that respond effectively to the District's educational needs. Develops procedures for periodic reviews and determines when modifications are necessary. Establishes plans, periodic reporting, and accounting guidelines to mitigate potential financial risks.
• Works with the Human Resources department and other District leaders to align resources to strategies.
• Anticipates significant cost revenue shifts, proactively solves challenges, and ensures that the District can sustain investments in strategic priorities. Implements strategic plans and ensures they align with the District's goals.

Collective Bargaining Agents:
Will share the negotiation responsibility with the Chief Negotiator, ASHR, through the Bargaining agents:

• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.
• Rock Island Education Association (RIEA) with ASHR
• Rock Island Educational Support Professionals Association (RIESPA), IEA-NEA.

Collective Bargaining and Negotiations:

• Studies legislation, arbitration decisions, and collective bargaining contracts to assess trends

• Establishes and maintains effective relationships with union members
• Participates in the collective bargaining and negotiations process to identify and research bargaining issues related to the collective bargaining agreements-assists in developing bargaining strategies and positions

• Understands and applies collective bargaining techniques and relationship-building to ensure meetings are run effectively and resolve disputes diplomatically
• Knows how to manage, negotiate, and evaluate fair trade-offs

Required Education:
Master's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration
Required Qualifications:

• 8-12 years of experience and a proven track record in education is highly desirable
• Managing financial forecasting processes and budgets
• Fund Accounting
• Managing people in multiple departments
• Ability to collaborate with the district leaders
• Demonstrated experience in strategic oversight and implementing financial systems
• Sustained experience in financial planning, budget preparation; fiscal monitoring, control, and administration of multi-million dollar budgets with multiple funding sources
• Experience in program and capital project budgeting
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Collective Bargaining experience with multiple union agents
• Experience communicating and negotiating with business/financial and community leaders

Certifications Licenses:

CSBO Endorsement Required
CPA Preferred
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to identify problems/determine root causes, develop alternative approaches, and recommend solutions in matters related to financial management

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with Board members, staff, administrators, faculty, and the public concerning financial matters/issues within the District
• Analytical skills to assess financial information, practices, and procedures, recognize relationships among proposals, define problems, formulate logical conclusions, develop alternative solutions and implement recommendations
• Strategic-minded with the ability to understand all aspects of the District
• Applies skills that acknowledge the difference between equity vs. equal
• Demonstrates the ability to work with a diverse workforce and community
• Advanced technical skills

Retirement Fund Eligibility:
Retirement fund choice will be determined by the following:

• Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF): No special licenses or certifications are required.
• Teacher's Retirement System (TRS) of the State of Illinois: Must have certification(s) from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

Physical Demands:

The physical demands are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform basic functions.
Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform basic functions. The noise level for this position is usually quiet.

Acknowledgments:
The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Supervisor/Manager Signature Date

Employee Signature Date