Description

NOLA Public Schools Vision
The vision of the NOLA Public Schools is that every student receives a high-quality education that fosters their individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive and are prepared for civic, social, and economic success.  

Position Summary 
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO), reports to the Superintendent of Schools and is a member of the Superintendent’s senior core leadership team. The CFO has the primary responsibility of monitoring the financial well-being of the organization by directing and managing the operation of all financial and business affairs of the Orleans Parish School Board including accounting, school finance, procurement, payroll, budget, risk management, tax collection and charter school financial accountability. 

The CFO will serve as the chief financial adviser to the superintendent and locally elected School Board members. The leader will assume supervisory responsibilities over all financial operations. The CFO will define the processes and implement the infrastructure and systems needed to support continuous growth for NOLA Public Schools. 

Requirements

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Develops finance organizational strategies by contributing financial and accounting information, analysis, and recommendations to aid the Superintendent and Board on financial matters, budgetary issues, and policy decisions;
• Serves as Ex Officio member of the Orleans School Facilities Foundation, a public benefit corporation of the Orleans Parish School Board whose purpose is to assist in facilitating tax credit financing for the construction and renovation of school buildings;
• Oversees the management and coordination of all fiscal reporting activities for the organization including but not limited to the annual audit, the annual financial report (AFR), EMMA reporting, Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN) compliance, IRS, Louisiana Legislative Auditor, funding agencies and others;
• Monitors and reports on financial status by measuring and analyzing results and providing transparency and accountability.;
• Oversees and supports charter and district schools’ compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations;
  Analyzes local tax collections and projects multi-year fiscal impact on district funding models and passthrough funding through the District Level Funding Allocation (DLFA);
• Oversees all treasury and investment decisions of NOLA-PS in order to maintain healthy fund balance and cash utilization strategies to maximize investment returns;
• Creates and tracks the adopted annual budget for the general fund, special revenue fund, passthrough fund, enterprise fund, and proprietary fund and prepare periodic budget reviews for submission to the Superintendent, Cabinet members and the Orleans Parish School Board;
• Ensures the compliant management of the School Facilities Preservation Program (SFPP) created in legislation to maintain the capital needs of New Orleans Public School facilities and produce annual reporting for schools and auditors;
• Develops and provides oversight for the Annual Consolidated Financial Report (CAFR);
• Provides monthly financial and operational updates to the Superintendent, Orleans Parish School Board members, and Finance committee;
  Conducts comprehensive financial analysis, forecasting, and modeling to support strategic decision-making and long-term planning.  Evaluates financial performance against benchmarks and make strategic adjustments as necessary;
• Develops and implements risk management strategies to safeguard district assets and ensure financial integrity;
• Directs, reviews, and participates in the analysis of laws, rules, regulations, opinions and decisions that affect the financial activities of the district.;
• Provides substantial oversight and direction over year-end audits and works with external auditors to ensure clean financial audits with unqualified opinions;
• Develops and improves upon MUNIS ERP system implementation across the organization in order to streamline financial processes and systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the district;Directs, supervisors, and manages a large accounting staff ensuring all individuals are provided with the tools and guidance necessary to accomplish the objectives of his/her job;
• Serves as a member of the Superintendent's Cabinet and any other committees assigned by the Superintendent; and
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Superintendent.

Educational Background

• Master’s degree strongly preferred, minimum of a bachelor’s degree in accounting, financial management, or education finance.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive relevant experience in accounting and financial management.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) strongly preferred. 

Other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Required

• This role requires strong organizational leadership skills in order to align work processes, establish and maintain fiscal responsibility, facilitate collaboration and planning, and maintain a cohesive team.
• Extensive experience with an emphasis in financial management, budget, accounting, and statistical analysis is required.
• State-Federal government finance experience and /or financial administration of large programs particularly for K-12 education or higher education is desirable.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to communicate publicly and interact with a diverse group of colleagues, stakeholders and customers;
• Expert financial acumen and the ability to communicate complex financial concepts to a variety of audiences;
• Exceptional customer service and organizational skills;
• Ability to effectively present complex information to internal and external groups and audiences;
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret regulations and documents, financial and business reports, and technical journals; and
• Capacity to think strategically and support the district’s overall goals. 

Direct Reports
Comptroller, Executive Director of Risk Management, Executive Director of Procurement, Senior School Finance Officer and Director of Financial Accountability. 

Work Environment

• Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and the work environment of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.  
• Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation, etc.) part of the work day;
• Required to exert physical effort in handling objects more than 30 pounds rarely;
• Required to be exposed to physical occupational risks (such as cuts, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals) rarely;
• Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements rarely;
• Normal setting for this job is an office/school setting.  

EEOC Statement

The Orleans Parish School Board is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, genetic information, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful alien status, national origin, age, marital status, and non-job related physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.

Performance Evaluation

The employee will be evaluated based on the above position using either two methods: via COMPASS or an OPSB evaluating instrument. If the employee holds an Educational Leadership certification, he/she will be evaluated via COMPASS to ensure renewal of certification.