ESF Camps & Experiences (ESF), one of the nation’s premier youth development organizations and camp companies, invites applications and nominations for the role of Chief Financial Officer.
Founded in 1982 on the mission of Education, Sport, and Fun, ESF operates a portfolio of more than 50 nationally recognized programs across seven states. ESF is widely known for its exceptional quality standards, innovative programming, and commitment to developing young people as leaders.
Acting Without Boundaries, providing performing arts programming for individuals with physical disabilities
Today, ESF is poised for its next phase of accelerated growth: expanding pre-college programming, launching new profit centers (including opportunities such as a swim academy), developing consulting and institutional services, exploring P3 partnerships, and scaling through strategic capital relationships.
This is a pivotal moment to bring in a Chief Financial Officer who is not simply a financial steward, but a true builder and strategic partner.
The Opportunity The CFO at ESF is not a traditional school or nonprofit finance role. It is a founder-partner position designed for a financially sophisticated, operationally strong, and entrepreneurial leader who wants to help build the next chapter of a high-growth organization. This role exists because ESF is moving faster, building more, and operating at greater scale.
The Chief Financial Officer serves as ESF’s senior financial and operational architect. Approximately 30% of the role is strategic and 70% tactical, requiring a highly hands-on leader who thrives in complexity and fast-paced execution.
Reporting to the CEO, the CFO is a core member of the leadership team and is on-site in Bryn Mawr, PA, embedded in daily execution. The CFO oversees finance; HR and payroll; financial systems and technology; warehousing, procurement, and ordering; staffing economics and seasonal workforce modeling; and admissions operations with a focus on enrollment forecasting. The CFO leads a Finance team of three (Controller, Payroll/HR, AP Specialist), with the Controller positioned as a strong #2.
The role manages one of ESF’s largest cost centers: a seasonal workforce of approximately 1,500 employees, alongside 43 year-round staff. It requires mastery of zero-based budgeting, deep operational fluency, and the ability to translate financial insight into business momentum.
Qualifications The right candidate has built or scaled businesses, is exceptional at zero-based budgeting, thrives in entrepreneurial environments, enjoys debate and intellectual rigor, and is passionate about making a lasting impact. In addition, candidates will demonstrate:
10+ years of progressive finance/operations leadership
Budget management of $10M+
Zero-based budgeting mastery
HRIS experience (UKG strongly preferred)
NetSuite or comparable ERP experience
Multi-site operations exposure
Seasonal workforce economics experience
Compensation Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $175,000 – $250,000.
DSG Storbeck l Diversified Search Group has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Ruth Shoemaker Wood. Screening will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
DSG | Storbeck DSG | Storbeck is the Education Practice of DSG Global, bringing together top-tier search professionals with decades of experience in the education sector. Formed through the merger of the education teams from Storbeck Search, Koya Partners, and Diversified Search, DSG | Storbeck provides unparalleled expertise in executive search for colleges, universities, K-12 institutions, and education-focused organizations.
Our “91” Net Promoter Score – measuring the quality of our search methodology and client satisfaction – is considered exceptional in the industry. Take a more in-depth look into our Education practice online at https://www.dsgco.com/industry/education/
