Associate Head for Finance and Operations

Park School of Baltimore

Associate Head for Finance and Operations

The Park School of Baltimore, Maryland, is an independent, gender inclusive, non-sectarian and progressive PreK through Grade 12 day school, located on a 100-acre wooded campus just minutes from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  Park invites applicants, nominations, and inquiries as it embarks upon a search for its next Associate Head for Finance and Operations. The successful candidate will demonstrate financial acumen and leadership experience, as well as a deep commitment to contributing to a student-centered, mission-driven, highly collaborative independent school and a genuine desire to engage actively in Park’s vibrant campus and community life.

The Associate Head will be an instrumental partner in addressing a number of key opportunities and challenges:

• Enrollment and Costs - Park operates in a highly competitive independent school market. Given shrinking demographics of Park’s target families in Baltimore, enrollment has been declining. In addition, an increasing portion of gross tuition is being discounted, resulting in budgetary pressure. Working with the Head of School, School leadership, and the Board, the Associate Head will help to identify ways to “broaden the funnel” of families considering Park and further distinguish Park’s special program within the crowded Baltimore market. The Associate Head will present options and implement strategies to identify additional sources of revenue, manage tuition rates, and control costs.
• Commitment to DEI and Anti-Racist Action Plan – Park is firm in its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and in actualizing it with the Anti-Racist Action Plan on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The new Associate Head must embrace Park’s anti-racist agenda and the funding required for its implementation.
• Strategic Financial Planning and Implementation – Park benefits from a history of efficiently managed expenses, conservative draws from the endowment (~4.5% annually), proactively managed vendor relationships, and in-house execution of many services in an effort to optimize cost savings. The Associate Head will work closely with four Board subcommittees to examine revenue streams, endowment management, tuition structures, compensation and benefits, class size and teacher load, debt refinancing options, and auxiliary and facilities revenues, among other areas, with the goal of identifying ways to increase revenue and decrease costs, and increase the endowment to debt ratio.

• Facilities Planning and Construction Management – The Associate Head will be an integral leader in the completion and implementation of a master facilities planning and implementation process. The Associate Head will negotiate and manage vendor contracts and relationships, oversee future campus construction projects, and serve as a chief strategist around the new building campaign that aims to endow any operating expenses that new construction on campus requires for maintenance.
• Risk management – The Associate Head will ensure that processes are well coordinated across the institution, aligned with priorities, safeguard its assets, minimize institutional risks and costs, and are communicated openly.  The CFO will also serve as the chief liaison with Park’s outside investment and legal counsel.

Requirements:

Ten or more years directly related experience in a progressively responsible financial and operational administrative management position.  Proven ability to affect and influence change through a collaborative and inclusive style.  Excellent analytical, communication, and presentation skills. Demonstrated experience and openness with technology that supports current best practices. 

For best consideration, please send all nominations and applications to:

Storbeck Search

Ruth Shoemaker Wood, Partner

Nancy Helfman, Vice President and Senior Associate

ParkAssociateHead@storbecksearch.com

The Park School of Baltimore, Inc. seeks to have a diverse workforce and has a non-discriminatory policy as to employees and applicants for employment. All employment decisions, from hiring through termination, will be based on an impartial judgment of the individual's capabilities and professional qualifications. The school does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee's duties.