Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a key strategic partner to the CEO, the LEAP Board of Directors, and the executive leadership team. The CFO provides total fiscal oversight, strategic direction, and financial leadership for the network, including the accounting and financial services it provides to affiliated organizations.

What You Will Do

The CFO will lead the creation, implementation, and frequent monitoring of annual operating budgets across network departments and school campuses, and build a multi-year financial model with enrollment-driven scenarios. The CFO will also lead the finance team in delivering monthly and quarterly cash-flow forecasts and scenario planning to the CEO and Board.

Why It Might Be a Fit

The CFO will be a leader who delivers timely, accurate information, explains complex tradeoffs in plain language, and builds a finance team grounded in service to schools.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required; master’s degree (MBA or MAcc) preferred
• Ten or more years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including at least five years in a senior leadership role such as CFO, VP of Finance, or Controller
• CPA or CMA strongly preferred
• A record of leading annual audits to clean opinions, ideally including federal single audits
• Deep knowledge of nonprofit fund accounting, GAAP, restricted funds, and public funding compliance
• Hands-on experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, procurement, payroll and accounting operations
• Experience reporting to a board or finance committee and leading a finance team through change
• Finance leadership in a charter network, school district, or education nonprofit (preferred)
• Familiarity with Illinois public education funding and CPS charter finance (preferred)
• Experience with multi-entity organizations or shared-services models (preferred)
• Strong ethics, with an ability to manage confidential data
• Proficient in Excel, Google Suite and new and existing Accounting software (Intacct, QuickBooks, and ADP)
• Exceptional/Advanced Excel Budget Modeling experience
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills

Benefits

• 20+ paid holidays
• 12 weeks family paid leave
• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• 403b match
• Fully match up to 3%
• 50% match up to 5%
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement
• Gym and wellness discounts