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. Serving as the lead financial executive for Distinctive Schools, 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.

This executive role safeguards the fiscal health of the enterprise, manages complex multi-entity reporting, ensures strict charter authorizer and non-profit compliance, and aligns resources to the strategic plan, positioning the network for long-term sustainability.

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

Multi-Entity Strategic Leadership & Enterprise Governance

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Education

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required; master’s degree (MBA or MAcc) preferred

Qualifications

• 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

• Technology demands

  • 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

• Travel as needed for meetings and professional development

• Required in person 3-4 days a week

• Chicago-area residency, or willingness to relocate

Physical Demands:

Work is typically performed in an office setting with occasional extended periods of time at computer terminals. Occasional visits to off-site or campus locations is required. Generally, the job requires 60% sitting, 20% walking, and 20% standing.