Chief Finance and Operations Officer

Oakland, California, Overview Founded in 1887, Head-Royce is an independent, all gender, college-preparatory K-12 school in Oakland, California. The third oldest independent school in California, Head-Royce is steeped in tradition but progressive in its approach to teaching and learning, and it is in a period of exciting momentum. The opening of South Campus in the fall of 2025 marked a landmark moment for Head-Royce. The result of years of planning and effort by the entire community, the eight-acre campus features beautifully renovated and restored facilities with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay. The Lee Family STEM Center offers 25,000 square feet of classroom space, including the Collaboratory, a digital fabrication maker lab, tool room, and robotics zone. Josiah Royce Hall provides space for vocal performance, community gatherings, and collaboration; Dewey Hall houses classrooms and administrative offices; and Anna Head Hall will become the school's Welcome Center. Together, these spaces expand what is possible for Head-Royce students and position the school for its next chapter of growth. Head-Royce stands on strong footing. The school has enjoyed years of very strong enrollment and is guided by its Pathways to Purpose strategic direction. The community is grounded, invested, and optimistic about the opportunities ahead. Now, the School seeks an experienced, mission-aligned professional to serve as Head- Royce's next Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO). They will succeed Jerry Mullaney, who will retire at the end of this school year, having built a highly capable business office and a deep culture of trust. Reporting to the Interim Head of School Ricky Lapidus and serving on the senior leadership team, the CFOO will oversee finance, operations, facilities, security, risk management, human resources, and auxiliary programs, and will partner closely with the Board of Trustees on the school's long-term financial health. This is a role for a strategic enterprise leader who sees finance and operations as essential to the school's educational mission. Mission: Our mission is to develop students of character, intellect, and creativity. Opportunities and Challenges Lead finance as strategy Head-Royce has a tradition of excellent financial stewardship, including a ten-year financial model and a strong partnership with the Board's Finance Committee. The next CFOO will build on that foundation, bringing a long-range view of institutional resources, capital, and growth. Trustees and colleagues alike are looking for a leader who presents complex information with precision and clarity, offers a clear point of view, and helps the community understand the reasoning behind key decisions. Integrate finance and operations across a growing campus The opening of South Campus expanded the school's footprint, bringing new opportunities along with new demands in facilities, security, campus utilization, and capital planning. This is not a traditional CFO role. The successful candidate will move fluidly between financial discipline and operational responsiveness, knowing when to wear the finance hat and when to wear the operations hat. Thoughtful stewardship of contracted service partners and strong, positive relationships with the school's neighbors will be essential. Partner with the Board and senior leadership on long-term sustainability Key priorities include debt management and banking relationships, cash-flow planning, endowment growth, sustainable tuition assistance, planning for a future capital campaign, and strategic resource allocation in a period of rising costs. The CFOO will be a trusted thought partner to the Interim Head of School, the Deputy Head, and trustees as the school weighs investments in its campus and program. Advance a competitive compensation and workforce strategy Recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and staff in the Bay Area requires creativity and commitment, particularly given regional salary competition and housing costs. The CFOO will bring expertise in compensation planning, benchmarking, and benefits, with special attention to retaining mid-career educators and to sustaining a diverse professional community. Human resources is a growing need, and the CFOO will help strengthen talent strategy, employee relations, and HR practices. Strengthen systems, policies, and accountability Head-Royce is widely viewed as well run, with strong structures already in place. The next CFOO will build greater consistency across policies and practices, support the business office in ensuring compliance across departments, partner with division leaders as they take on greater budget autonomy, and work with enrollment management to make tuition assistance increasingly proactive, clear, and holistic. Strengthen risk management The school is ready to bring greater coordination to how institutional risk is managed. The CFOO will lead a thoughtful, schoolwide approach to risk management, compliance, and organizational planning, bringing clarity to how risks are identified, owned, and addressed. Explore new sources of revenue and resilience The school is eager for a leader with an entrepreneurial instinct who can grow auxiliary and summer programs, maximize use of the expanded campus, evaluate endowment strategy, and think creatively about revenue beyond tuition. Curiosity about emerging tools, including the thoughtful integration of AI, is welcome. Lead and empower an exceptional team The CFOO will inherit a seasoned, collegial business office with long tenures, deep loyalty, and a great deal of joy and laughter in its work. The next leader will trust the team's expertise, complement its strengths, and continue a culture in which colleagues are supported to do their best work. Responsibilities In addition to embracing Head-Royce School's mission, supporting the Head of School and senior leadership, and representing the school at professional and public forums, the new CFOO has a number of primary responsibilities: Provide strategic leadership, analysis, and management of the school's finances and operations, including finance, facilities, security, risk management, human resources, and auxiliary programs. Develop financial and capital strategies aligned with the Pathways to Purpose strategic direction and the school's long-term priorities, including planning for a future capital campaign. Serve on the senior leadership team and partner closely with the Deputy Head of School on budgeting, staffing, and presentations to the Board of Trustees. Oversee all business office functions, including financial reporting to the Head of School, the Board of Trustees, and its committees. Serve as chief staff liaison to the Finance, Audit and Investment, and Facilities Committees. Maintain and refine the school's ten-year financial model and annual operating budget, supporting division leaders as they take on greater budget autonomy. Oversee administration of the endowment, including the tracking and reporting of endowed funds, in partnership with the Director of Finance and the Advancement team. Maintain strong relationships with banks and lenders, managing debt, financing, and cash flow to meet the school's needs and ensure compliance with loan terms. Lead compensation and benefits strategy, including salary benchmarking, the salary scale, and administration of health, retirement, workers' compensation, life insurance, and related plans, with attention to competitiveness in the Bay Area market. Oversee human resources in partnership with the Director of Human Resources, ensuring compliance with California employment law and strengthening HR practices and employee relations. Further develop an integrated approach to institutional risk and manage insurance programs, including property, casualty, medical, and workers' compensation. Oversee campus operations, including the physical plant, grounds, construction, security, and contracted services such as food service, in close coordination with the Director of Facilities and the Director of Operations. Cultivate positive, proactive relationships with the school's neighbors. Support and augment auxiliary and summer programs and other non-tuition revenue sources. Collaborate with Enrollment Management on tuition assistance modeling and policy, and with Advancement and Marketing and Communications on fundraising priorities and institutional planning. Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal reporting requirements, and support consistent adherence to school policies across departments. Participate in equity and community professional development and help sustain a diverse and inclusive professional community. Qualifications and Personal Attributes The ideal candidate will be a seasoned financial and operational leader who understands how both functions advance a school's educational mission. Head-Royce strives to hire people committed to the school's mission and values. The following qualifications are sought in the ideal candidate: Qualifications Bachelor's degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred. CPA is appreciated but is not required. Minimum of [ten] years of progressive senior leadership in finance and operations, ideally including CFO or CFOO responsibility in an independent school or complex mission-driven organization. Expertise in long-range financial planning and modeling, debt and financing, cash management, and endowment. Experience overseeing capital projects, facilities, security, and contracted service partners. Strong knowledge of human resources, including compensation and benefits strategy and employee relations; working knowledge of California employment law strongly preferred. Demonstrated success partnering with boards and board committees, with the ability to present complex information precisely and succinctly. Experience building risk management and compliance practices. Experience developing auxiliary or other non-tuition revenue. Understanding of tuition assistance and enrollment economics. Comfort with financial and HR systems and openness to new technologies, including AI. Commitment to detail-oriented fostering an equitable and inclusive community. A commitment to confidentiality and good judgment on sensitive matters. Personal Attributes Approachable, accessible, and visible, with warmth, humor, and genuine interest in people and their work. A warm demander who holds high standards with care and humility. An educator at heart who explains the why behind decisions, including a no, with transparency and respect. Strategic and curious, bringing fresh eyes, thoughtful questions, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. Decisive and detail oriented, able to see both the big picture and the bottom line. Comfortable working in gray areas and finding practical solutions. A community connector who builds relationships well beyond the business office. Emotionally intelligent and flexible, genuinely invested in Head-Royce and not simply the position. Someone who loves the energy of a school and enjoys being part of student life. To Apply Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents: A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position; A current résumé; A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to: Sara Shulman Practice Leader – Development and Finance/Senior Consultant sara.shulman@carneysandoe.com Cathy Shelburne Consultant and Executive Coach cathy.shelburne@carneysandoe.com The full-time equivalent salary range for this position is $330,000-$370,000. The starting salary is based upon, but not limited to, several factors that include years of experience, education level, and expertise.