Posted: 05-Nov-25
Location: North Andover, Massachusetts
Type: Full Time
Salary: $325000 - $350000
Categories:
Salary Details:
Preferred Education:
Brooks seeks an experienced and mission-aligned financial leader to serve as the school’s next
Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO). The appointee will succeed a long serving and respected leader. Reporting to the Head of School, the CFOO will serve as a strategic partner and steward, ensuring that Brooks’ financial and operational systems continue to support its mission and position the school for its next century. The Chief Finance and Operations Officer serves as a key member of the senior leadership team, partnering with the Head of School and Board of Trustees to advance Brooks’ mission through thoughtful planning and resource management. The CFOO oversees all financial and operational functions, including finance, facilities, campus safety, information technology, and auxiliary services. Compelling candidates will show the critical skills needed for financial leadership at an independent school. While this position does not require candidates to live on campus or execute any duties related to the day-to-day supervision of the boarding students, successful applicants will appreciate the boarding school environment and serve as active participants in the life of the school.
Opportunities and Challenges
This is an exciting and pivotal moment to join Brooks. The Centennial offers both reflection and
renewal—a chance to honor a rich history while setting the stage for the school’s second century. The next CFOO will help shape that vision, ensuring that Brooks remains financially sound, operationally strong, and true to its values of balance, joy, and integrity (school values - empathy, engagement, integrity, creativity, passion, and confidence). The priorities, challenges, and opportunities ahead include:
Strategic Financial Leadership
Brooks has been guided by a long tradition of prudent financial stewardship and disciplined investment. The CFOO will build upon this legacy, strengthening long-term financial modeling, exploring new revenue opportunities, and ensuring transparency in decision-making. With a healthy endowment and an ambitious ongoing campaign, the school is well positioned to think boldly about its future—working with the traditional levers of independent school revenue while thinking creatively about how to maximize impact and sustainability. Student enrollment at Brooks is intentionally sized to ensure that the experience remains intimate and positive, which means revenue growth should not rely on expanding the student body. Creative energy and partnership will therefore be critical to identifying sustainable revenue growth opportunities.
Operational Integration and Excellence
The CFOO will oversee a broad and capable operations team supporting the functions that sustain daily life at Brooks. With recent capital projects completed and new facilities on the horizon, there is an opportunity to align systems, strengthen communication, and enhance efficiency across departments. A clear, collaborative, and service-oriented approach will be essential to continued success.
Campus Stewardship and Sustainability
Brooks has thoughtfully transformed its campus through sustainable and strategic growth, investing in beautiful spaces that advance its program. Looking ahead, the CFOO will play a key role in continuing this progress, with a focus on long-term maintenance, energy efficiency, and environmental responsibility. A top priority will be the development of a comprehensive deferred maintenance plan to preserve the beauty and integrity of the historic campus. In addition, the CFOO will be instrumental in all new construction projects, partnering closely with colleagues and trustees.
Partnership and Communication
At its heart, Brooks is a relational community where faculty and staff take genuine interest in one
another and in the students they serve. The next CFOO will bring an open, accessible leadership style and a talent for making financial information clear and meaningful. The ability to listen well, explain decisions thoughtfully, and build trust across constituencies will be central to success in this role.
Centennial Vision and Institutional Durability
As Brooks celebrates 100 years of educating students, the school is entering a period of both continuity and possibility. The CFOO will join a deeply experienced senior team that values collaboration and balance. This role will be instrumental in aligning financial strategy with the school’s mission, ensuring that the values that have sustained Brooks for a century continue to define its future.
Responsibilities
In addition to embracing Brooks School’s mission, supporting its Head and 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 finances and operations.
• Establish financial and capital strategies that are consistent with strategic priorities.
• Serve on the Head of School’s Senior Leadership Team and lead, co-lead, or participate in several other teams and committees.
• Oversee all business office functions including all financial reporting to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and various committees.
• Serve as chief staff liaison to the Audit & Risk Committee, Budget & Finance Committee, Operations/Buildings & Grounds Committee, and Investment Committee.
• Build and/or maintain the school’s short- and long-term strategic financial models.
• The CFOO works with the Investment Committee to oversee the administration of the school’s
endowment.
• Oversee school operations including personnel, maintenance, and vendors.
• Maintain strong relationships with banks and lenders to ensure that funding is secured for the needs of the school and compliance with loan terms.
• Administer and manage all employee benefit programs including health insurance, retirement,
worker’s compensation, life insurance, and other related plans.
• Manage insurance programs including property, casualty, medical, and workers’ compensation.
• Ensure compliance with all local and state reporting requirements.
• Collaborate effectively with Advancement, Enrollment Management, and other departments.
• Participate in professional development.
• Coordinate closely with the Director of Facilities and Planning on oversight of the physical plant, grounds, and construction functions.
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:
Greg Britton
Chief Operating Officer, Search & Consulting Group
ggb@carneysandoe.com
Sara Shulman
Practice Leader – Development and Finance/Senior Search Consultant
sara.shulman@carneysandoe.com
Qualifications and Personal Attributes
• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA or CPA preferred;
• 10-15 years of senior-level experience creating and executing financial planning and management strategies;
• Experience in an independent school preferred, though individuals with strong financial and
leadership skills are welcome;
• Experience managing a team, setting clear goals, responsibilities, expectations, and clear methods of accountability with a successful track record working with diverse teams;
• Proven record of accomplishment designing, implementing, and managing organizational change;
• Superb communication skills; excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills;
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex subjects, distill them, and then communicate them to varied audiences;
• Experience on senior administrative teams and working with non-profit Boards;
• Demonstrated experience in measuring and improving organization-wide productivity;
• Demonstrated experience in the development of analysis for strategic decision-making, such as key cost drivers, competitive analysis, market analysis, organizational strengths, and weaknesses, etc.;
• Experience in human resource management, employee benefits (including pension plans), and
payroll procedures;
• Knowledge of business and not-for-profit accounting policies, procedures, practices, facilities, and software programs. Blackbaud experience a plus;
• Ability to think and plan strategically and creatively;
• Ability to supervise, manage, and delegate multiple functions and activities;
• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and work effectively under pressure;
• Skilled at negotiating and initiating contracts with external vendors;
• Aptitude for high customer-service standards;
• Consistent demonstration of an entrepreneurial mindset;
• Demonstrated commitment to equitable and inclusive practices;
• A track record of strong integrity and unquestionable ethics.