OVERVIEW

Sacramento Country Day School, the leading independent school in Sacramento and throughout the region, seeks a Chief Financial and Operations Officer, beginning July 2026.  Serving a consistent enrollment of 600 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, Country Day’s mission is to “inspire intellectual discovery and engage a diverse community to think critically, live creatively, and act compassionately”. 

Located in the capital of California, and roughly equidistant between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, Sacramento is often cited as one of the country’s most diverse and inclusive cities.  Country Day proudly reflects our city, with over 50% of our student body identifying as people of color. Country Day embraces the ideals of a liberal arts education. We encourage our students to develop the full range of their capabilities - intellectual, physical, creative, social, and moral, and we cultivate in them the habits and skills that will enable them to lead fulfilling lives.

The school has annual revenues of approximately $22M and allocates $4M in financial aid to help support our parents and students. Country Day maintains a 9 to 1 student to teacher ratio and 100% of our graduates are accepted to four year colleges.

This is an exciting opportunity to fulfill a role on the leadership team at an important and exciting time in the school’s history. Country Day is in the midst of a capital campaign with plans to open a new $18M Middle School and Performing Arts Center in the Fall of 2028. The CFOO will work collaboratively with the Head of School, who has been with the school for 10 years, the leadership team, Finance Committee, and Board of Trustees to ensure fiscal responsibility and operational excellence, thereby allowing the school to maintain its high expectations for the future. The CFOO builds strong relationships, anticipates needs, and drives decision-making across the organization.

This position manages and engages in the school’s essential activities and manages a well-versed team of individuals in support of the school. These duties include, but are not limited to, financial and operational functions such as finance/business office, facilities, human resources, risk management, information technology, campus safety, financial aid, and auxiliary programs.

Successful candidates will take a comprehensive and collaborative approach to their work combining positive relationships and maintaining best practices in the various systems that support efficient school operations. This position requires strong leadership, management and organizational skills while embracing other team leaders and their dedicated staff. It is vital the candidate embodies the school’s core beliefs and focuses on delivering an exceptional education and student and family experience. The CFOO will demonstrate personal accountability and operate with integrity and humility.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure the timely and accurate submission of all required financial reports and compliance filing including those to lenders.  Work closely with the Controller in the business office on financial matters, such as analyzing data and tuition assistance tracking.
• Provide strategic leadership, analysis, and management of finances and operations.
• Provide thoughtful insight and decision making involving legal matters in conjunction with the Head of School.
• Collaborate effectively with other departments such as Advancement and Enrollment Management.
• Supervise Human Resources to ensure the school’s personnel policies and the school’s actions regarding hiring, compensation, payroll processing, training, and separation conform with federal and state requirements and strategic goals.
• Ensure the school’s benefit programs are brokered, designed, and funded in conjunction with financial priorities and employee needs.  Provide salary comparability information as needed and coordinate the annual issuance of employment agreements.
• Review and maintain the school’s insurance coverage, workers’ compensation insurance, and risk related policies and controls.  Work with insurance advisors and brokers to ensure adequate and cost effective insurance is in place.
• Serve as chief staff liaison to the Finance and Buildings and Grounds Committee and support the Head of School in relevant Board of Trustees matters.
• Serve on the Head of School Senior Leadership Team and lead, co-lead, or participate in several other teams and committees.
• Build and/or maintain the school’s short- and long-term strategic financial goals.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive budgets and utilize related tools to enhance financial reporting to management and the Board.
• Engage and work closely with lenders on securing and servicing the school’s debt.
• Manage investments to provide for adequate cash flow and enhance reserves while maximizing rate of return in an appropriate risk tolerance manner.
• Manage accounts receivable to keep past due accounts minimal.
• Oversee the Director of Physical Plant to verify proper maintenance, capital projects, vendor contracts and bids, campus safety, facility audits, transportation, and regulatory compliance are in place and operating effectively.
• Oversee the Director of Technology to verify technology equipment is current and satisfactory to users, proper expenditures and budgetary control is in place, proper safeguards exist for school information of software and hardware, cyber insurance is maintained, and user needs through the help desk are handled effectively and efficiently.
• Manage the lunch program in conjunction with the Lunch Coordinator. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required; CPA or MBA preferred.
• 10-15 years of senior level experience creating and executing financial planning and management strategies.
• Experience in an independent school is preferred but not required.
• Prior experience working across technology platforms, and a strong working knowledge of business accounting policies, procedures, practice, and financial software programs.  Prior Blackbaud experience a plus.
• Demonstrated effectiveness working with Trustees, senior leadership teams, employees, and external constituents, including the negotiation of contracts and management of vendors, suppliers, and project managers.  This also includes external auditors and other regulatory officials.
• Experience managing a team, setting clear goals and responsibilities with a successful track record working with diverse teams.
• Superb communication skills; excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience in the development of analysis for strategic decision-making, such as key cost drivers, competitive and market analysis, and organizational strengths and weaknesses.
• Ability to think and plan strategically and creatively.
• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and work effectively under pressure.
• Aptitude for a high level of customer service.
• Track record of strong integrity and ethics.

SALARY RANGE:  $210,000 to $250,000

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Sacramento Country Day School believes that each individual is entitled to equal employment opportunity without regard to sex, color, race, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal or state anti-discrimination laws (“Protected Status”).  SCDS’s equal employment practices extend to recruitment, hiring, selection, compensation, benefits, transfer, promotion, training, discipline, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

APPLICATION

To apply, please send a single .pdf file that includes a letter of interest, resume, and a list of at least three (3) references to Lee Thomsen, Head of School, at resume@saccds.org.