About Terra Schools

Terra Schools is a nature-based, trilingual school where children learn in English, Spanish and Mandarin. We have campuses in San Francisco and Mill Valley, California. Our program draws on the Reggio Emilia philosophy and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

[Add one or two sentences on grades served, enrollment and staff size.]

Learn. Grow. Belong. More at terraschools.org.

The role

The CFO / Operations Manager owns the school's finances and the business side of running two campuses. This person is the Head of School's partner on budget, tuition, staffing costs, facilities and risk, so that educators can stay focused on children and families.

The role has a clear first mandate: streamline how the school runs. Today, key information lives in separate tools and spreadsheets. The person we hire will choose the right CRM and school-management software, put it in place, and give the school one reliable picture of its families, enrollment and money.

This is a hands-on job in a small office. The right person is as comfortable closing the books and fixing a billing error as presenting a five-year financial model.

Key responsibilities

Financial leadership and planning

• Build the annual operating budget with the Head of School and report actuals against it every month.
• Maintain a multi-year financial model that links enrollment, tuition, financial aid and staffing to net tuition revenue.
• Advise on tuition setting, the financial aid budget and compensation planning.
• Manage cash flow, banking relationships and reserves.
• Prepare clear financial reports for the Head of School and the [Board / Finance Committee].
• Lead the annual [audit / financial review] and tax filings with outside accountants.

Business office

• Run tuition billing, payment plans and collections across both campuses.
• Own accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations and the month-end close.
• Administer the financial aid process and track awards against budget.
• Set and enforce internal controls sized for a small office.
• Budget and report on auxiliary programs such as summer camp and after-school care.
• Handle financial reporting for any public funding the school receives, [such as San Francisco's Early Learning For All program].

Systems, CRM and technology

• Audit every system and spreadsheet used for admissions, enrollment, student records, tuition billing, accounting, payroll, family communication and fundraising. Map where data is entered twice or reconciled by hand.
• Gather requirements from admissions, teaching staff and the front office, then identify, evaluate and recommend the right CRM and school-management vendors.
• Run a disciplined selection: live demos, reference calls with schools our size, and total cost over the full contract term, including any fees passed on to families.
• Aim for one source of truth for family and student data, from first inquiry through re-enrollment and billing, with tools that share data instead of needing re-entry.
• Negotiate contracts, covering price, term length, data ownership and exit terms. Vet each vendor's privacy and security practices and put data protection agreements in place.
• Lead implementation: data migration, staff training and the rollout to families, timed around the admissions and re-enrollment calendar.
• Replace spreadsheet tracking with dashboards for enrollment, tuition, financial aid and budget against actuals.
• Keep a register of every vendor, with its purpose, the data it holds, its cost and its renewal date. Review it each year and retire tools the school no longer needs.

Operations, facilities and risk

• Oversee facilities at both campuses: leases, maintenance, vendors, safety and capital planning.
• Manage insurance and risk, and support emergency preparedness with the Head of School.
• Keep the school current on licensing, health and safety, and other regulatory requirements.
• Manage purchasing and service contracts, including food, transportation and IT support where applicable.

Human resources, payroll and compliance

• Run payroll and administer benefits, the retirement plan and workers' compensation.
• Manage hiring paperwork, onboarding, personnel files and the employee handbook.
• Keep employment practices compliant with California and federal law, working with outside counsel as needed.
• Benchmark salaries and benefits against comparable schools.

Leadership and collaboration

• Serve on the leadership team as a strategic partner to the Head of School.
• Supervise [business office and operations staff, to be listed].
• Explain financial matters plainly to teachers, families and the [Board].
• Take part in the life of the school, in keeping with its values and its multilingual community.

First-year priorities

• First 90 days. Learn the school, close the books cleanly, and complete the systems audit. Present a written recommendation on which tools to keep, replace or add.
• By month 6. Select vendors, sign contracts and begin implementation. Deliver the next year's budget and a first multi-year financial model.
• By month 12. Run admissions, re-enrollment and tuition billing on the new systems. Give the Head of School a monthly dashboard that needs no manual assembly.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible finance and operations experience, including at least three leading a finance function.
• Hands-on skill in full-cycle accounting, budgeting, forecasting and audit preparation.
• A track record of selecting and implementing business software. Candidates should be able to describe at least one project they led from requirements through go-live.
• Working knowledge of payroll, benefits and California employment requirements.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills and ease with data and reporting tools.
• The ability to explain finances clearly to people who are not finance specialists.
• Sound judgment, discretion with confidential information, and a willingness to do the detailed work a small office requires.

Preferred

• CPA license or MBA.
• Experience in an independent school, early childhood program or nonprofit.
• Familiarity with school platforms for admissions, student information and tuition management.
• Experience managing more than one site.
• Proficiency in Spanish or Mandarin.

Conditions of employment

• Background check and tuberculosis clearance as required for California school employees.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

How to apply

Send a cover letter and resume to [email address] with the subject line "CFO / Operations Manager."

Terra Schools is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by law. We welcome candidates who reflect the diversity of the families we serve.