Job Description
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE OPPORTUNITY Phillips Brooks School Menlo Park, California
Our Phillips Brooks School community inspires students to love learning, to develop a spiritual nature, to communicate effectively, to be kind to others, and to respect the uniqueness of each person. By passionately pursuing core teaching beliefs that set us apart, we create the extraordinary every day at Phillips Brooks School. We guide children to cultivate their individual talents, explore and dig deep while working and reflecting together. Our school operates with strong enrollment and rock-solid financials, with ~300 students, $15M in revenue, $27M in endowment/reserves, and $84M in assets.
SUMMARY Reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Finance at Phillips Brooks School is responsible for the overall financial integrity, health, and sustainability of the school. The Director of Finance oversees all aspects of the school’s short-term and long-term financial planning, forecasting, risk management, and accounting operations, ensuring strong financial reporting and accounting. This role is a key liaison to the Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, and Retirement Investment Committee, and regularly reports to the Board on budget planning, strategic financial modeling, and key finance operational issues. This role manages the Controller, Accounting Associate, and the outsourced HR team.
FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP
● Maintains strong financial sustainability and the long-term financial health and viability of PBS.
● Manages the annual budget planning, tracking, and forecasting, as well as longer term (3-to-5 year) strategic financial planning.
● Maintains strong attention to detail so there is high fidelity and confidence in financial reporting to the Board of Trustees, Head of School, and Leadership Team.
● Translates the PBS Strategic Plan into actionable financial milestones and achievable goals, then successfully implements the financial deliverables of the Strategic Plan.
● Effectively communicates with diverse audiences, with great customer service orientation in responding to inquiries from faculty, staff, families, and donors.
● Drives new revenue initiatives while also finding ways to control expenses to strengthen financial performance.
● Partners with internal stakeholders on zero-based budget planning so that there is a clear understanding of need and trade-offs: Curriculum, faculty and staff compensation, campus improvements, instructional technology, financial aid program, and more.
● Fundraising: Manages financial aspects of current Major Gifts Program, actively supports advancement, champions the financing of the new endowment to support faculty-staff salaries and benefits, and ensures donation accounting is accurate and audit-proof.
● Supervises the effective performance of all general accounting functions, annual audit, internal controls, and the Veracross accounting system.
● Sets targets for and supervises the accounting team and outsourced Human Resources team.
● Oversees the Controller in the preparation of timely and detailed reports on financial performance on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis, annual government filings, Form 990, welfare tax exemption forms, etc. Mary Law Executive Search
● Oversees the Controller in preparing all recurring surveys and reports for the school’s trade organizations, e.g., NAIS, NBOA, and Cal-Isboa.
● Ensures adherence to financial laws and guidelines.
● Serves on the Retirement Investment Committee
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
● Motivated to drive PBS’s mission and core values as a direct correlation to financial leadership and budget planning.
● Visible presence on campus and highly engaged in the daily life of the school.
● Fully committed to participating actively and supporting the school’s goals and initiatives for DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging).
● Involved in the community in an authentic and joyful way, with a demonstrated passion for finance as well as educating students: We want our Director of Finance to be all-in as part of the community. NECESSARY SKILLS
● Proven experience as Director of Finance, Controller, or similar role.
● In-depth knowledge of finance and accounting principles, laws, and best practices.
● Strong knowledge of financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting methodologies.
● An analytical mind with the ability to strategize.
● Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
● Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.
● Undergraduate and/or graduate degree in accounting, finance, or relevant field
● CPA or other relevant qualification a plus.
● Independent school and/or similar nonprofit environment a plus.
● Work experience within a community that expects collegiality and open communication.
● Proficient within the Mac and Google Suite environment, and use of databases.
CRITICAL BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES
● Self-Aware: Able to articulate past mistakes and learnings from them so that there is a clear professional growth orientation.
● Thought Leader and Business Partner: Drives financial insights, not just facts:
❖ With the Head of School: While clearly reporting to the Head, the Director of Finance also has demonstrated ability to proactively bring and drive their own insights and opinions, as well as constructively challenge the thinking of the Head as it relates to finance-related areas.
❖ With the Leadership Team: Proactively sharing data and information they need to do their jobs, for example: actual performance vs. budget, context and advice on cost management, and more.
❖ With teachers and staff: Helps articulate the context and rationale for certain financial decisions and trade-offs so there is proactive communication to help employees understand the financial realities and increase their knowledge of these financial realities.
❖ With the Board of Trustees: Presents potential solutions as well as problems and challenges.
● Proactive: Seeks and surfaces issues to the Head of School and Board, not waiting for questions; actively seeks feedback on what stakeholders need from a finance and budget perspective.
● Issue-Spotting: Anticipates financial concerns from stakeholders and addresses them before they become greater problems or bigger issues.
● Positive Mindset: PBS is an intimate community where people value relationships and collaboration. The Director of Finance needs to have constructive discussions about budget trade-offs while working creatively to present solutions, rather than always just saying no to the needs identified by the community.
● Rigorous work ethic balanced with a warm spirit.
● Decisive and confident leader, embracing the school’s mission-driven culture.
● Highly professional team player with a strong sense of integrity and desire to work effectively with colleagues, volunteers, and Board members. Mary Law Executive Search
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
● Convert school’s vision in the Strategic Plan into realities supported by effective financial planning.
● Re-envision approach to socio-economic diversity through PBS’s financial aid program and including comprehensive support services.
● Support high teacher retention and a strong workplace through continued success of PBS’s competitive compensation program, data-informed approaches, and new initiatives.
● Participate in enrollment strategy planning to bolster PBS’s continued growth and sustainability for years to come.
INFORMATION ABOUT PBS
● Year established: 1978
● Budget: $15 million
● Fiscal year: July 1 to June 30
● Endowment/reserves: $27 million
● Compensation: Faculty and staff salaries are in the top quartile relative to PBS’s peer group of 22 independent schools in the Bay Area
● Grades Served: Preschool to 5th Grade
● Enrollment: ~300
● Tuition: $39,072 (Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten) and $46,492 (Kindergarten to 5th Grade)
● Financial Aid: $1.37 million
● Racial diversity: 72% students of color
● Average faculty tenure: 16 years
● Total employees: 63
COMPENSATION RANGE $200,000 to $225,000 depending on background and experience
BENEFITS
PBS offers a generous benefits package including medical, vision, and dental covered at 100% for employees, 403b contribution up to 7%, 4 weeks vacation, and additional time off during the winter holiday.
CONTACT This retained search is managed by Mary Law Executive Search, the Bay Area leader in placing nonprofit and private school Finance and HR professionals. Mary Law Mary Law Executive Search
[email protected] 925-785-6991
Phillips Brooks School maintains a strict policy of nondiscrimination in regard to employment. All aspects of employment at PBS are governed on the basis of competence, merit, and qualifications, and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran’s status, disability, or any other classes referred in applicable state and federal laws.
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