Chief Financial Officer
The Opportunity
Albany Academy seeks a strategic and entrepreneurial Chief Financial Officer to provide leadership for the school’s financial enterprise and to help shape its next chapter.
Reporting to the Head of School and serving as a key member of the senior leadership team, the CFO will be a trusted thought partner to the Head of School and Board of Trustees on the institution’s most consequential financial and strategic decisions. The CFO will bring rigorous financial judgment to questions of long-term strategic vision for the school while also bringing the curiosity and business acumen to ask a different question when appropriate: Is there a better, more creative way to accomplish this?
The successful candidate will oversee a strong existing finance and business operation while focusing significant attention on strategic planning, capital strategy, business development, institutional partnerships, resource allocation, and long-term financial sustainability. This is an opportunity for a financial leader who understands that the CFO’s role extends beyond stewardship of the existing financial model to helping the institution consider how it can create new value, develop new revenue opportunities, deploy its assets effectively, and fund its future.
Essential Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor and thought partner to the Head of School, senior leadership team, and Board of Trustees.
- Develop and execute a long-term financial strategy aligned with Academy’s mission, strategic priorities, and institutional goals.
- Lead annual budgeting, multi-year forecasting, scenario planning, and long-range financial modeling.
- Provide clear, decision-oriented financial analysis and recommendations to the Head of School, leadership team, Finance Committee, and Board.
- Evaluate major institutional decisions through financial, operational, strategic, and mission-related lenses.
- Identify financial risks and opportunities and help the school make informed decisions about the deployment of its resources.
Business Strategy, Revenue Development & Strategic Partnerships
- Bring strong business acumen and an entrepreneurial mindset to the identification and development of new revenue opportunities, business models, strategic partnerships, and alternative uses of institutional assets.
- Work with the Head of School and Board to evaluate opportunities that may strengthen Academy’s financial position while advancing its mission and protecting its brand and program standards.
- Develop financial models and business cases for potential partnerships, investments, operating agreements, and other strategic initiatives.
- Evaluate opportunities involving athletics, transportation, facilities, programming, and other institutional assets.
- Structure and help negotiate partnerships and long-term agreements that appropriately balance financial return, risk, mission alignment, operational feasibility, brand protection, and community benefit.
- Help Academy explore creative approaches to generating sustainable value from its existing resources and relationships.
Capital Strategy & Investment
- Partner with the Head of School, Board, Advancement leadership, and facilities leadership to develop strategies for funding major capital needs and investments.
- Evaluate a range of potential approaches to capital-project funding, including philanthropy, financing, strategic partnerships, operating arrangements, and other creative mechanisms.
- Develop financial models and scenario analyses to inform the timing, scope, funding, and sequencing of major capital investments.
- Help the school evaluate the long-term financial implications of significant capital commitments and ensure that capital decisions are integrated into the institution’s broader financial strategy.
- Provide financial leadership as Academy prepares for and potentially undertakes significant capital fundraising and investment.
Financial Stewardship, Accounting & Risk Management
- Ensure the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of the school’s financial reporting and financial controls.
- Oversee budgeting, accounting, audit, treasury, cash management, compliance, and financial reporting through experienced Business Office leadership.
- Maintain appropriate financial policies, procedures, internal controls, and risk-management practices.
- Manage relationships with auditors, financial advisors, banking partners, insurers, and other professional service providers.
- Ensure that the Board and Finance Committee receive clear, timely, and meaningful financial information.
Enrollment, Tuition & Revenue Strategy
- Partner with the Head of School, Admissions, and senior leadership to understand the financial implications of enrollment strategy, tuition pricing, financial aid, and affordability.
- Develop financial models to assess enrollment scenarios, tuition strategies, financial aid policies, and other sources of institutional revenue.
- Help leadership understand the tradeoffs among enrollment, affordability, program quality, and long-term financial sustainability.
Compensation, Benefits & Workforce Investment
- Partner with the Head of School, Human Resources, and senior leadership on compensation strategy, benefits, salary structures, and other workforce investments.
- Provide financial analysis to inform compensation and benefits decisions and help ensure that workforce investments are both competitive and financially sustainable.
- Support long-term workforce planning and the development of compensation practices that enable Academy to attract and retain exceptional faculty and staff.
Capital, Facilities & Institutional Assets
- Provide leadership and oversight for the Director of Site and Support Services, who reports to the CFO, while partnering with the Director and other operational leaders on capital planning, major projects, asset management, and long-term campus strategy.
- Provide financial analysis and oversight for capital investments while empowering experienced functional leaders to manage day-to-day facilities operations.
- Evaluate the financial implications and potential opportunities associated with Academy’s physical assets, contracts, infrastructure, and other institutional resources.
- Support appropriate insurance, risk mitigation, emergency preparedness, and continuity planning.
Technology & Information Risk
- Provide oversight for the school’s technology function, which reports to the CFO.
- Ensure that technology investments, cybersecurity, data governance, systems, and technology-related risks are appropriately evaluated and aligned with institutional priorities.
- Empower technology leadership to manage day-to-day operations while providing appropriate financial, strategic, and risk oversight.
Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead and develop a strong finance, facilities, and business team, establishing clear accountability while empowering experienced functional leaders to manage day-to-day operations.
- Foster a culture of service, accountability, collaboration, sound judgment, and continuous improvement.
- Partner effectively with faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, families, vendors, and external organizations.
- Translate complex financial and business concepts into clear, accessible information and actionable choices for varied audiences.
