Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
Chief Financial Officer
DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES is conducting a national search on behalf of Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, located in Newton, Massachusetts, for a Chief Financial Officer.
Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, located in Newton, Massachusetts, is seeking an experienced, energetic, strategically oriented collaborative professional with exceptional financial and analytical skills and deep-rooted experience in business and finance matters for the position of Chief Financial Officer. The CFO monitors and is responsible for leadership of both day-to-day business operations and enabling Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart to achieve long-term strategic goals.
Founded in 1880, Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, Independent, preparatory day school for girls in grades 5 – 12. Newton Country Day is dedicated to innovation, continually revitalizing our academic and co-curricular programs to empower young women to act with integrity, think critically, analyze deeply, communicate clearly, and foster their intellectual curiosity and creativity.
The School has a current enrollment of 370 students matriculating from 50+ communities, 32% of whom receive financial aid, 29% who identify as students of color, 63% who identify as Catholic, 57 seniors, 100% of whom enroll in college, 90% of the faculty hold advanced degrees with an average class size at NCDS of 11. The annual operating budget for NCDS is $24,486,000 with a current endowment (endowed funds and quasi-endowed funds included) of approximately $74 million.
The position requires interaction and teamwork with the Head of School, senior administrators, local community members, faculty members, staff, vendors and the Board of Trustees. The successful candidate will manage a team of three professionals and work closely with the Head of School and Board of Trustees. The new hire will have the opportunity to structure the office as they determine necessary over time. This opportunity is available in July of 2026, and will be filled following a comprehensive national search and the candidate of choice identified.
Scope and Summary
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is the Head of the School’s strategic business partner, providing fiscal and operational analysis and support. The CFO works closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure the School’s finance and operations functions support its mission, core values, and strategic plans. The CFO leads the finance function at Newton Country Day School. Reporting to the Head of School, the CFO collaborates with the Board of Trustees, Finance, Investment, and Facilities committees to allocate resources in alignment with strategic and financial goals. Ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local financial regulations, the CFO educates and manages staff to adhere to GAAP, internal controls, and best practices to maintain the integrity and accuracy of financial processes and records.
Responsibilities and Authority of the CFO
The CFO supervises and manages all aspects of the school’s financial operation, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. Serving the Head of the School and the Board of Trustees, the CFO helps meet fiduciary responsibilities to achieve the school’s goals and support its mission.
Responsibilities include:
- Supervising employee payroll/benefits, accounts receivable, accounts payable, vendor selection, general ledger, annual budget, annual external audit processes, endowment administration, and rental properties.
- Overseeing the physical operation of the school, collaborating with COO/Director of Facilities, including building and grounds maintenance, housekeeping, and capital expenditures.
- Managing auxiliary programs, including food service.
- Overseeing the risk management program and ensuring compliance with all government regulations.
- Serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and as Treasurer of the Boston Academy of the Sacred Heart Corporation.
Essential Duties
Accounting and Audit
- Establishes overall accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting systems, policies, and procedures.
- Analyzes reports and project trends, and interprets operational results to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and committees.
- Evaluates and develops appropriate accounting software programs to ensure clarity, accuracy of reports and efficiency.
- Oversees the accurate and consistent recording and reporting of financial and accounting data processed by the Controller and the AP/AR Manager.
Budget and Financial Reports
- Overseeing annual budgeting, including:
- Preparing the yearly budget and meeting with the Executive & Senior Leadership Teams.
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Assisting instructional and administrative departments with forms, assumptions, projections, and consultations,
- Generating projections for income and expense accounts;
- Coordinating capital expenditures;
- Developing recommendations for tuition and fee scales and salary and benefits ranges.
- Presenting the annual budget to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and committees with observations and recommendations.
- Directing the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for departments, the Head of the School, the Board of Trustees, and committees.
Human Resources & Financial Aid
- Support the Head of School in the strategic development of an employee benefit package that attracts and retains employees while managing expenses.
- Streamline and standardize human resource practices to negotiate benefits that provide a competitive benefits package for employees.
- Ensure that human resource policies and practices are clearly articulated, consistently applied, and in compliance with legal requirements.
- Manage and address employee matters as necessary
- Collaborate with the Director of Enrollment Management in overseeing tuition assistance.
Compliance and Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with all financial regulations and standards.
- Oversee internal controls and audit processes to safeguard school assets and minimize institutional risks.
- Identify, assess, and prioritize risks, applying resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of adverse events.
Building Relationships
- Collaborate with the Executive & Senior Leadership Teams to set viable enrollment goals at the beginning of each fiscal year.
- Implement sound financial practices to ensure the sustainability and growth of Catholic education in the community.
- Serve as a member of our school’s leadership team, managing accounting functions, budget preparation, financial reporting, fiscal compliance, cash flow, and overseeing the Finance staff.
- Maintain and secure banking vendor and credit relationships.
Four qualities are seen as essential:
- The CFO must have extremely strong finance, accounting and business skills and a proven track record of success;
- The CFO must have the interpersonal skills and leadership style which will allow them to manage a team, articulate a cogent philosophy, and inspire co-workers;
- The CFO understands and shows the ability to embrace and support the unique culture of a nationally recognized private all-girls Catholic day school;
- The CFO must have excellent judgment and the ability to approach issues from all perspectives and with an understanding of the interests of all stakeholders.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or greater experience in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration required. Master’s degree in a related field preferred but not required.
- 10+ years in a senior financial leadership role within an educational institution or equivalent not-for-profit environment.
- Organizational and managerial skills and the ability to ensure systems and procedures are effective, efficient, principled, and equitable.
- High cultural competency and emotional intelligence, passionate about girls’ education and leadership.
- Progressive, intrinsically motivated, planful yet action-oriented, knowledgeable about best practices as they relate to finance and operations, strategic, and highly relational.
- The ability to serve as a critical business thinker, capable of providing positive and proactive solutions to business issues.
Letter from the Head of School
Dear Newton Country Day Community,
Reflecting on my first year serving as Head of School, so many images of joy are stirred by my heart. Each week brought a new delight and moment of appreciation for the transformative power of a Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart education. Blue/Silver Induction, Senior Christmas, Congé, The Festival of the Arts, Homecoming, athletic events, and class trips all surface in the exercise. And, while those certainly point to the highlights, what I have come to appreciate fully is the joy that fills the hallways each and every day at Newton Country Day.
Newton Country Day students are known, loved, and cherished beyond measure. They foster relationships with caring adults who believe in their capacity. They form friendships so deep with their peers that the word “sisterhood” feels like the only term that can fully capture the bond. It is not only through relationships with others that joy is cultivated. Our students also come to discover what matters most to them. They grow in recognition of their gifts, embrace their purpose, and find joy in the discovery of who they are and who they are called to be.
Committed to monitoring and meeting the needs of our students, this past year we participated in Stanford University’s Challenge Success study to better understand our students’ experiences compared to their peers in other all-girls institutions. The study helped us identify both areas for growth and opportunities to strengthen the support we provide. Perhaps most significantly, it affirmed the many ways Newton Country Day leads the way in fostering the success and well-being of young women in their educational pursuits.
Our students practice Courage as the path to Confidence. This issue of Très Bien tells that story. Courage is evident each time an athlete takes the field, an artist steps on stage, or a student raises her hand to contribute thoughtfully in class.
This year will mark a centennial milestone with Bold Vision, Bright Future, an event that honors the Religious of the Sacred Heart, trustees, and school leaders whose choices have shaped Newton Country Day and advanced the educational experience of our students. As we celebrate the past, we also look to the future with excitement, launching a strategic planning process that will invite our community to dream boldly, imagine freely, and articulate a shared vision for what lies ahead.
Curiosity has always been at the heart of Sacred Heart education. It is the spark that drives Courage and the companion that shapes Confidence. As we celebrate the bold choices of the past and chart the course for our bright future, may we lean into curiosity: asking big questions, embracing new possibilities, and opening ourselves to the joy of discovery.
In Courage & Confidence,
Jessica Hooper P ’28
Head of School
This letter above from Jessica Hooper appeared in Très Bien, the school alumna magazine.
Sacred Heart Goals & Criteria
School of the Sacred Heart commit themselves to educate to:
Goal I: a personal and active faith in God
Goal II: a deep respect for intellectual values
Goal III: a social awareness which impels to action
Goal IV: the building of community as a Christian value
Goal V: personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom
Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Benefits
The CFO position at Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart offers an exciting and supportive work environment, a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical and dental plans, a pension plan, tuition remission, and paid vacation. The position includes 20 days of vacation annually, 16 paid holidays, 9 Summer Friday’s, and 10 sick days. Benefits PDF
Target Hiring Salary Range
The target hiring salary range for this position is $250k – $275k, with the final salary determined based on the candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or genetics, and any other characteristic or status protected by law. For the candidate of choice, a thorough background check including a criminal background check is required as a condition of employment.
Contact Information
Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart has retained the search firm of Deerfield Associates to assist with this search. To explore this career opportunity on a confidential basis, please send your resume, a letter of interest articulating your interest, skill sets and work experiences for this opportunity, and a list of five (5) references (which will only be contacted if mutual interest is determined) to:
Doug Cooney
Executive Search Consultant
DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES Executive Search, Inc.
572 Washington Street, Suite 15
Wellesley, MA 02482
Telephone: 781-237-2800
Email: jobs@deerfieldassociates.com
