Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Position Overview

Uncommon Schools (Uncommon) is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to set the financial strategy for Uncommon’s ~$450M operating budget, while also designing and delivering effective financial systems across the organization. Additionally, the CFO will oversee the team responsible for Uncommon’s ~$400M real estate portfolio. The CFO will serve as a true strategic partner to organizational leaders, providing strong and accurate financial guidance to guide decisions, as well as leading long-term financial forecasting, budgeting and strategy-setting. The CFO manages the Senior Director of Finance, Controller, and Senior Director of Grants Compliance. The CFO serves as a member of the Executive Team and reports to co-CEO Brett Peiser. This is an ideal opportunity for a proven financial leader accustomed to managing a complex portfolio to apply their expertise towards Uncommon’s mission of providing an excellent education for all students. A strong candidate will also be passionate about improving K-12 education, is an influential team and culture leader, is skilled at building effective relationships across diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders, and is actively committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Problem Solving

• Set financial strategy and lead long-term financial forecasting and budgeting for Uncommon’s $450M operating budget
• Oversee and lead annual budgeting and planning process in conjunction with the co-CEOs; review and administer all financial plans and budgets; monitor progress and changes and keep senior leadership team abreast of the organization’s financial status
• Recognize and anticipate opportunities and challenges as they relate to financial systems and operations; generate ideas, strategies, and solutions to drive impact
• Drive debt management strategy across a large, multi-tiered structure of various short- and long-term financing instruments 

Systems and Process Design

• Review financial systems and processes and recommend enhancements that will enable instruction, operations, development, and talent teams to more easily understand the benefits and costs of potential strategic and operational decisions
• Develop systems to guarantee accuracy and compliance of accounting and reporting, as well as leading the financial affairs of Uncommon in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and City, State and Federal government regulations

Financial Management and Oversight

• Oversee all fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities for the organization, in conjunction with the Board of Trustees and the Finance and Audit Committees of the Board
• Manage teams responsible for all operational finance activities, including: accounting; forecasting; treasury; grants management; lender relationships; securing, structuring and managing borrowing activities; financial-related strategic planning and legal work
• Partner with the Real Estate and Facilities Team to plan for capital needs across the organization and structure financing for real estate acquisition and development as needed
• Oversee the annual audit process; liaise with external auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees
• Provide leadership and direction to a federal grants compliance team, managing approximately $25 million in multiple distinct federal grants
• Manage and mitigate financial and compliance risk across Uncommon entities, including various reporting and operating requirements in multiple states

Organizational Leadership

• Drive organizational strategy and accomplishment of goals as part of the Executive Team, including leading organization-wide or cross-functional challenges, questions and issues to resolution
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with the Executive Team and other senior leaders to identify and support their needs and ensure collaboration and coordination
• Effectively communicate and present critical financial matters to the co-CEOs and the Executive Team, the Senior Schools Leadership Team and other functional leaders, the Finance Committee and the full Board of Trustees as well as to key external stakeholders (e.g., funders, lenders, ratings agencies, authorizers)
• Manage and develop a team of ~35, including the Senior Director of Finance, Controller, and Senior Director of Grants Compliance to ensure each team is coached, developed, and well positioned to achieve their goals
• Serve as an organizational ambassador internally and externally; model Uncommon’s values and focus on building a healthy and feedback-driven organizational culture
• Embrace and operationalize Uncommon’s commitment to DEI, helping to drive success of a multi-year plan to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion 

• Minimum of 10+ years of financial and operations management with a major company or division of a large corporation or not-for-profit. 
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive senior responsibility in developing and building out financial reporting structures 
• Experience as a trusted member of an organization's senior leadership team 
• Knowledge of Workday and/or Adaptive planning systems, federal grant funding regulations, structured finance or tax-credit finance (i.e., New Markets Tax Credits) a plus but not required
• Track record of building and leading effective teams; evidence of building an outcomes/data-driven team culture and coaching/developing others to maximize their potential 
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Personal qualities of honesty, integrity, credibility, commitment to quality, and dedication to the mission of Uncommon
• MBA, CPA, MS in Accounting or Finance is preferred, but not required

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent.  Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position: The compensation for this role based in New York starts at $250,000, and the actual starting pay will depend on various factors that may include but are not limited to professional experience, education, training, certifications, tenure with Uncommon Schools, and work location. Because we value staff staying in their roles over time, we do not currently cap salary ranges.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students.  As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.