Chief Financial Officer​/Chief Operating Officer - Interim

Overview

Please apply online . Click on the blue menu in the upper right corner then scroll down to careers on the left side. Scroll down to the list of open positions then search for CFO/COO. All applications will be considered.

The due date to apply for the position is November 14, 2025.

The anticipated decision date is December 15, 2025.

The tentative start date is January 5, 2026.

Applicants should submit a current résumé, letter of interest, personal statement/statement of philosophy and a list of 5 references

Chadwick School seeks an Interim Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer to assume duties as soon as possible.

This is an interim position

The School

Chadwick School is a K-12 coeducational, independent day school located on a beautiful 45-acre hilltop in Palos Verdes, California. Founded in 1935 by Margaret Chadwick, the school was from the very beginning committed to serving a diverse group of students from a broad geographical reach in greater Los Angeles. Today, Chadwick enrolls 865 students from more than 50 different neighborhoods. The school allocates more than $7 million in financial aid, serving 22% of the student body.

Chadwick is fully accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and holds institutional memberships in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

Essential Responsibilities

The Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer (CFO/COO) works directly under the supervision of the Head of School and is a member of the senior Leadership Team. Specific areas of responsibility include finance, facilities and operations, risk management, IT, and human resources. The CFO/COO works closely with Board committees such as the Finance and Investment Committee. The Head of School may assign other duties.

Finance

• Oversee all aspects of financial transactions, financial reporting and external auditing
• Enhance and drive financial controls for the organization including Delegation of Authority, Contract and Vendor Management and Asset Tracking.
• Create and maintain a long-range financial plan supporting the strategic plan
• Develop a financial reporting regime which effectively informs the Leadership Team and Board of the organization’s financial health and operational performance.
• Working in conjunction with the Board’s Fulfillment Committee, establish KPI’s to drive financial and operational excellence
• Attend Board meetings and serve on the Finance, Investment, Development, Audit, and Facilities Committees of the Board, and other ad hoc committees as required by the Head of School
• Provide supervision and direction to the Controller and members of the Business Office team
• Lead the annual budget preparation and approval process
• Reconcile and track investment activity, to include contribution income, capital gains/losses, and changes in market value.
• Develop and implement a Cash Management Program given guidelines established by Head of School
• Ensure that quarterly budget vs. actual reports are accurate and available for review
• Coordinate compliance reporting relating to school operations and debt management
• Work with Head of School to determine school tuition, annual faculty and staff compensation, and financial aid.
• Coordinate with Director of Advancement on all matters related to fundraising and stewardship of donors including gift accounting, compliance, management of restricted investments and preparation of an annual report.
• Serve as directed by the Head of School on any other project related committees related to short-term and long-range financial and operational planning
• Review accounts receivable against and collect past due balances
• Update all relevant Benchmark Reports as they relate to strategic goals.
• Provide oversight and guidance for Parent organizations on financial matters.

Risk Management

• Provide supervision and guidance to the Director of Risk Management

Facilities/Operations

• Provide supervision and guidance to Director of Facilities to plan and budget facility maintenance and minor repairs and update long-term repair schedule
• Ensure code compliance, proper permitting, and neighborhood…