Chief Financial Officer

Description

Position:       Chief Financial Officer (title commensurate with experience)

Reports to:  Head of School

Serves on:    Senior Administrative Team

Status:          Full-time, exempt, on site

Start date:   October 15, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter

Priority deadline: September 18, 2026; open until filled

St. Matthew's Parish School seeks an experienced, mission-driven Chief Financial Officer to lead the School's financial strategy at a defining moment in its history. Reporting to the Head of School and serving on the Senior Administrative Team, the CFO is the School's senior financial leader, a trusted partner to the Board of Trustees and its Finance and Investment Committees, and a key collaborator with the Parish of St. Matthew.

In January 2025, the Palisades Fire destroyed the School's Lower School campus, library, administration building, portions of the Early Childhood campus, and rectories. The School evacuated every student and staff member within 50 minutes and reestablished classes at temporary locations within 21 days. On September 9, 2026, St. Matthew's will welcome more than 220 students back to its Bienveneda Campus in temporary classrooms while planning a full campus rebuild. The next CFO will help lead that rebuild: serving as a strategic partner alongside Church and School leadership on potential FEMA recovery, building the financial model for the new campus, partnering with the capital campaign, and strengthening the business office for the School's next chapter.

St. Matthew's Parish School is a co-educational Episcopal day school serving students from age 2 through eighth grade and an integral part of the Parish of St. Matthew, serving children and families throughout Pacific Palisades and the surrounding community. The School provides a challenging, caring, and balanced educational program designed to foster academic excellence while nurturing students' intellectual, creative, spiritual, and ethical development. Grounded in community and faith, St. Matthew's celebrates childhood, empowering every student to challenge their mind, grow in character, and lead with courage.

As the educational outreach of the Parish of St. Matthew, the School is united with the Parish in spirit and purpose. Within the broad context of the values, traditions, and tenets of Christianity, St. Matthew's nurtures an appreciation of the dignity and worth of every member of the community and encourages parents to work in partnership with the School. The School is affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Throughout the recovery, St. Matthew's has linked arms with families of the past, present, and future to build the next chapter of its campus, and it remains committed to its students, families, faculty, staff, and community as Pacific Palisades rebuilds.

The next CFO will join a leadership team and Board that have navigated extraordinary disruption with resilience and clarity. Over the coming years, the CFO will:

• Rebuild finance. Lead the financial dimension of the campus rebuild, including construction cash flow, project budgeting, financing options, and coordination with the School's Campus Development Partner, architects, construction partners, and the Church.

• Continued recovery. Serve as a strategic partner alongside Church and School leadership on the potential FEMA Public Assistance process, including documentation, reimbursement tracking, and any appeal or arbitration work.

• Long-range financial modeling. Build and maintain a multi-year financial model that integrates enrollment, tuition, financial aid, philanthropy, and campus costs, and use it to guide Board decision-making.

• Capital campaign partnership. Partner with the Head of School, Chief Advancement Officer, Campaign Consultant, the Parish, and Campaign Leadership on the capital campaign, including pledge accounting, cash flow forecasting, and donor reporting.

• Business office excellence. Modernize business office systems, policies, and internal controls so that the School's financial infrastructure is as strong as its community.

• Serve as the primary financial advisor to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, and senior administrators on the financial implications of all institutional decisions.

• Lead the annual budget process and tuition recommendation, and develop and maintain the School's long-range financial model, including enrollment and financial aid scenarios.

• Collaborate with the Board and Head of School to translate the School’s Strategic Plan into multi-year resource plans.

• Prepare and present clear, timely budget-to-actual analyses, forecasts, and dashboards for the Senior Administrative Team and the Board, explaining complex financial information in plain terms for non-financial leaders.

• Collaborate on long-range campus plans with the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and Church as they relate to the financial standing of the School.

• Serve as staff liaison to the Finance Committee and Investment Committee, and attend Board of Trustees meetings.

• Oversee all aspects of the Business Office, including accounts payable/receivable, payroll, procurement, tuition billing and collections, student re-enrollment contracts, and capital asset lifecycles, including capitalization and depreciation policies; direct all monthly/annual closes, journal entries, and general ledger reconciliations.

• Oversee the annual financial audit and the retirement plan audit, serve as primary liaison to external auditors, and ensure timely completion and resolution of findings.

• Ensure the timely preparation and submission of all regulatory filings, including California Form 571-L property statements, in strict adherence to GAAP and nonprofit compliance requirements.

• Implement and continually improve a robust set of Business Office policies, procedures, and internal control systems.

• Maintain an accurate, integrated suite of financial and administrative systems, and lead the evaluation and adoption of new tools where they add value.

• Keep current with accounting standards, tax law, and legal requirements affecting independent schools and religious nonprofits, and maintain knowledge of the policies governing financial relationships with parents, faculty, and the community.

• Assume primary oversight of the School's investment funds, and work with the Finance and Investment Committees to evaluate investment policy and ensure compliance among investment managers.

• Own the financial management of the campus rebuild, including project budgets, construction cash flow, draw schedules, financing, and reporting to the Board.

• Serve as a strategic partner alongside Church and School leadership on the potential FEMA Public Assistance process, in coordination with counsel and consultants.

• In collaboration with the COO, solicit and evaluate competitive bids for capital improvements and work with the Manager and/or Director of Facilities on school projects.

• Partner with the Head of School, Chief Advancement Officer, the Parish, and Capital Campaign leadership on campaign finance, pledge accounting, and cash flow forecasting.

• Supervise, develop, and evaluate Business Office staff, and foster a culture of accuracy, service, and continuous improvement.

• Collaborate with the COO on all aspects relating to financial operations.

• Collaborate with the Director of Human Resources on salary benchmarking and a competitive, comprehensive compensation and benefits package for school employees.

• Serve as plan fiduciary for the School's 403(b) retirement plan, working with TIAA and CAPTRUST.

• In collaboration with the COO and the Church, develop and monitor the framework for allocating common area expenses between the Church and the School.

• Support the Parents' Council President, Treasurer, and committees with the accounting and financial controls for parent-led events and fundraising.

• Participate actively in NBOA, CAIS, Cal-ISBOA, and NAIS, and represent the School in professional and community settings as assigned by the Head of School.

• Identify financial and operational risks early and develop contingency plans that protect the School's budget and mission.

• Evaluate and recommend changes to property, liability, cyber, and other insurance policies and coverage levels, in conjunction with the Church.

• Review contracts, leases, and vendor agreements for financial and legal implications, in coordination with counsel as needed.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local requirements applicable to the School as an employer and a nonprofit organization.

The successful candidate understands the School's identity, embraces its mission, and actively seeks to contribute as an important member of the Senior Administrative Team. The CFO ensures that the financial resources of the School are directed where they will bring the greatest benefit to students.

Reflecting the utmost professionalism in the boardroom and in daily School life, the position requires an individual of unquestionable integrity and a diverse array of skills beyond what the title implies. The CFO should be comfortable applying those skills to all facets of School life and offering help wherever it is needed.

• Listens well, builds trust, and handles difficult conversations with empathy and discretion.

• Sets a high standard for honesty and transparency across all financial operations.

• Mentors emerging leaders and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

• Communicates financial information clearly to trustees, colleagues, and families who are not finance professionals.

• Brings calm, sound judgment, and resilience to a community that has experienced significant loss and is actively rebuilding.

• Fosters a culture of trust, supports work-life integration, and maintains an adaptable management style.

• Works hands-on alongside the Business Office team as a leader and mentor, valuing team input, championing an environment of open learning, and developing staff to reach their full potential.

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field.

• At least eight years of progressively responsible financial leadership experience, including a minimum of three years in a senior role such as CFO, Director of Finance, Controller, or Business Manager.

• Expertise in nonprofit accounting, GAAP, financial reporting, audit, and financial compliance.

• Demonstrated success supervising staff and working collaboratively with senior leadership and a governing board.

• Strong analytical and modeling skills, with advanced proficiency in Excel and financial systems.

• CPA, MBA, or master's degree in a related field.

• Experience in an independent school, or in a comparable mission-driven nonprofit or faith-based organization.

• Experience with capital projects, construction finance, or disaster-related public assistance programs.

• Experience with Veracross or comparable school information and accounting systems, and a track record of quickly learning and leveraging new tools.

This is a full-time, exempt position. Anticipated base compensation is $170,000 to $250,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. St. Matthew's offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, disability, and life insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with TIAA, including a Roth option; tuition remission; 24 days of paid vacation; and support for professional development and membership in professional associations such as NBOA, Cal-ISBOA, and CAIS.

The work environment characteristics described here 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 the essential functions.

St. Matthew's Parish School is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by September 18, 2026. Finalists will meet with the Head of School, members of the Senior Administrative Team, and members of the Board of Trustees. The desired start date is October 15, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

To apply, please send a resume and a cover letter describing your interest in St. Matthew's and this moment in its history to Alexandra Michaelson, Head of School, at [email protected]. All inquiries will be held in confidence.