Chief Finance/Operations Officer

Who We Are

District of Columbia International School (DCI) is a public charter school serving over 1600 racially and economically diverse students in grades 6-12 from across the District of Columbia. We aim to provide our students with a world-class education that empowers them to follow their passions and change the world. DCI’s education centers on an International Baccalaureate curriculum, advanced language learning in Chinese, Spanish, and French, and a culture focused on student agency supported by 1:1 technology.

Position Summary

The Chief Finance/Operations Officer (CFOO) plays a critical role in ensuring that DC International School (DCI) has the structures and processes in place to ensure operational and financial efficiency in service of its students.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the CFOO serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, setting the school’s financial vision, managing a budget of over $50M, and providing key strategic operational direction to DCI in service of students and families. The CFOO is both a visionary, setting a bold vision for excellence, and a “do-er”, willing to roll up their sleeves and work alongside their colleagues to ensure results. The CFOO manages a multilayered team of over 30 professionals across general operations, finance/budget, facilities, and technology, ensuring that DCI’s finances and operations are seamlessly executed so that teaching and learning are maximized.

The CFOO is globally minded, values, elevates and celebrates the diversity of DCI staff and students, and actively works to disrupt systemic racism and inequity in service of the DCI mission.

DC International School

Opened in 2014, DCI’s mission is to foster inquiring, engaged, knowledgeable, and caring secondary students who are multilingual, culturally competent, and committed to proactively creating a socially just and sustainable world. The school seeks to do this by providing a rigorous IB (International Baccalaureate) and language immersion program (Chinese, French, Spanish) to a community of students who represent the diversity of Washington, DC. Our vision is to provide this kind of opportunity to a broad group of students, proving the value of a rigorous, inquiry-based, internationally-minded language and cultural education in closing equity gaps based on race, socioeconomic status, and other factors and cultivating world citizens who can effectively promote social justice and cross-cultural understanding.

DCI has set out to do something that few, if any, schools have attempted before. The school community works tirelessly to achieve this ambitious and important mission, and DCI is on the path to establishing a groundbreaking model for other schools to follow, striving for educational equity and closing opportunity gaps for the students it serves.

DCI was created as a middle and high school option for students attending language immersion elementary charter schools throughout the District. DCI accepts additional DC resident students through an open lottery process as well in grades six through nine. Grades six through twelve are housed at the school’s state-of-the-art campus located in the redevelopment complex in the Parks at Walter Reed. Unique to DCI, all students participate in either the IB Career Program or Diploma Program and take IB classes. DCI students pursue a rigorous junior and senior year with students taking at least six IB college prep classes. DCI has a one-to-one technology model supporting the implementation of the program.

Now, with over 1,600 students schoolwide, DCI has just graduated its fifth class. DCI’s graduates have continued on to impressive universities locally, nationally, and internationally. Each year, over 90% of students have graduated and been accepted into Universities, and over half receive the biliteracy seal along with their IB Diploma or Career Program certificate.

For more information, please visit www.dcinternationalschool.org.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Organizational Vision, Strategy, and Commitment to DEI

• As part of the senior leadership team, engages in organizational goal setting, development of strategies and innovation, and manages results in a manner that focuses on students and schools.
• Works to ensure DCI fulfills its mission through the execution of the strategic plan and implementation of annual planning and progress monitoring cycles.
• Serves as an operational functional expert and thought partner to the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team to ensure strong decision-making.
• Works cross-functionally with the instructional teams to remove obstacles and build operational systems that maximize teaching and learning.
• Analyzes operational data to ensure continuous improvement as DCI grows and scales.
• Skillfully communicates and executes change management efforts.
• Reviews systems, policies, and practices to ensure that they effectively reflect the voices of our diverse community, increase transparency, center diverse perspectives in the decision process, and advance equity.
  
  

Budget/Financial Management

• In alignment with the Executive Director, oversees both the annual and long-range budget planning processes; ensures transparency into the process for stakeholders.
• Provides clear budgets and guidelines to support other leaders in managing resources appropriately.
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, manages the budget within Board-approved financial parameters.
• Leads the financial vision and strategy, including reviewing monthly financial reports prepared by outside vendors to ensure DCI meets financial targets and adjusts when mid-year variances are detected.
• Develops and executes DCI’s investment strategy and portfolio including managing the bond rating and various compliance requirements.
• Manages grant writing and reporting, ensuring compliance with funding requirements.
• Manages all financial processes, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general accounting functions.
• Designs and maintains effective internal financial controls, policies, and procedures that comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulatory laws.
• Ensures successful and timely completion of annual audits, IRS filings, and other mandated financial and regulatory reports including compliance filings for debt covenants and other lender requirements.
• Supports the Board and contracted specialists in loan strategy and oversees asset management, including inventories of fixed assets.
• In partnership with the Chief Talent Officer, manages compensation strategy and payroll implementation.
• Provides training to staff on organizational financial procedures.
  
  

Operations and Compliance

• Leads the school’s business operations (e.g. business/liability insurance) and contract review and negotiation process with all vendors, including procurement of resources and supplies, and manages the school’s relationship with the Community Purchasing Alliance.
• Works closely with other senior leaders to draft and update DCI policies and procedures to reflect updates to practices, laws, and regulations; supports effective implementation of DCI policy.
• Ensures school-wide compliance with health and safety laws, school immunization, charter contracts, state education mandates, ESEA requirements, and all federal and state workplace regulations.
• In coordination with members of the Senior Leadership Team, manages the relationship with the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) and staff and other regulatory agencies such as the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), including the timely compliance and performance monitoring reporting.
  
  

Safety

• Ensures the maintenance of an updated, comprehensive campus safety plan, including emergency planning; ensures annual training on plan.
• Ensures implementation of annual critical response procedures, including fire drills and evacuations.
• Ensures DCI facilities meet appropriate safety standards.
  
  

Facilities, Technology, and Meals

• Drives the school’s vision for facility use and enhancements to support the instructional program.
• Oversees the planning, contracting, and administration of all capital projects and major repairs as approved by the Board and in compliance with all procurement requirements in line with PCSB policies, state, and federal law; supports daily cleaning and work order maintenance.
• Oversees all facility vendors, contracts, and sublessees to ensure the building meets cleanliness standards and is in compliance with all local and federal requirements, and related terms and conditions.
• Ensures the ongoing maintenance and updating of information systems and infrastructure, including hardware, software, and applications; leads the annual Erate application, solicitation, and implementation of funded projects.
• Supports the maintenance of student technology to support student learning.
• Supervises the implementation of the National School Lunch Program; works to ensure student/family satisfaction with meals.
  
  

Student Enrollment

• Oversees execution and management of DCI’s application and enrollment processes, including review of related policies.
• Ensures DCI’s enrollment projections meet the school’s financial obligations, maximize the campus student capacity, and provide opportunities to maintain the diversity of the school.
• In collaboration with the instructional team, develops student schedules that maximize facility and staff capacity and student learning.
  
  

Finance/Operations Team Leadership

• Models high expectations and a customer service mindset with team members.
• Sets direction for the development of team priorities and goals, defining metrics and systems, and leading teams to deliver against goals and expectations, in service of teaching and learning.
• Manages a multilayered team, supporting hiring, providing coaching, and fully implementing the performance management cycle for staff members.
• Promotes an inclusive culture that supports high retention and satisfaction of staff of all backgrounds and identity markers.
• Regularly reviews the team structure, in partnership with the Executive Director, to drive organizational strategy.
• Manages contractors responsible for operational and financial services.
  
  

Other

• Represents and advocates for the DCI community within and outside DCI.
• Participates in Board meetings for financial and operational updates.
• Performs other related duties and special projects as required or assigned.
  
  

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the CFOO will have/demonstrate the following experiences and competencies:

Experiences

• At least 15 years of related professional experiences.
• At least 5 years in a senior leadership role in a similarly sized organization.
• Experience managing large, multilayered, diverse teams.
• Experience managing multi-million dollar budgets.
• School-based (K12) or educational non-profit/mission-driven work experience (preferred); charter school experience (preferred).
• Knowledge of the Washington, DC educational/charter context, especially educational finance (preferred).
• Experience with facility renovation, expansion, and/or new construction (preferred).
• Bilingual (preferred).
• Bachelor's degree required, MBA or MPA (preferred).
  
  

Competencies

Mission Aligned

Unwavering commitment to DCI’s mission (inspiring inquiring, engaged, knowledgeable, and caring secondary students who are multilingual, culturally competent, and committed to proactively creating a socially just and sustainable world).

Actively models the IB Learner Profile.

Has a strong and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and understands the effects of race, class, ethnicity, income, accessibility, gender identity, and other markers of difference in our society.

Has an awareness of their identity and how it shapes their perspective.

Collaborative and Relationship Driven

Builds and cultivates relationships through a commitment to common goals.

Prioritizes meaningful collaboration and engagement with diverse stakeholders; seeks out feedback.

Effective listener who seeks to understand the opinions and experiences of others, especially across lines of difference.

Communicates honestly and transparently.

Engages thoughtfully in productive conflict as needed; is able to ultimately align stakeholders in implementing shared solutions.

Experience as a Senior Leader

• Ability to outline a clear and inspiring vision as well as understand the day-to-day implementation needed to realize results.
• Advocates for the needs of their team and offers technical expertise, but ultimately elevates and supports the needs of the organization.
• Experience managing and communicating organizational change.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing leaders; has a clear standard for staff excellence.
• Demonstrates strong professional judgment and prioritization and operates with a high degree of independence.
• Operates effectively in ambiguous situations; demonstrates flexibility.
• Excels in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to step in and assist in service of the mission; displays a “do whatever it takes” attitude.
• Displays high levels of emotional awareness, cultural competence, integrity and perseverance in the face of challenges and coaches/supports the Operations team to do so as well.
• Models a learning orientation/growth mindset.
• Results Focused
• Track record of achieving results individually and through others; willingness to hold self and others accountable for results.
• Focused on both strong planning/project management as well as excellent execution; engages stakeholders in both.
• Ensures systems are in place to create scalable, consistent, high-quality outcomes.
• Ability to disaggregate and analyze issues and data and think strategically and creatively about how to solve complex, cross-functional challenges.
• Thoughtfully interrogates why things are done the way they are; proposes new, more efficient, and equitable ways of working when needed.
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail.
  

Compensation And Benefits

DCI offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. The salary range for the CFOO is between $145,000 - $175,000 (starting salary is determined by education and years of relevant experience). DCI offers robust benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement.

Physical Demands of the Position

These physical characteristics are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job safely. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Mobility sufficient to move about, stand, and/or sit for extended periods, and access all locations in the work environment.
• Manual skill to appropriately control and manipulate objects, tools, materials, and equipment used on the job, including a telephone and a computer.
• Flexibility and strength to reach with hands and arms, bend and stoop.
• Ability occasionally to lift and or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to hear and understand speech at normal room levels, and to hear and understand speech on the telephone.
• Ability to speak clearly in audible tones so that others may understand.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, and peripheral vision.
  
  

Position Information

• Exempt employee.
• This position requires occasional evening and/or weekend commitments outside of regular school hours.
• Works on a 12-month calendar.
  
  

Clearances

• Criminal background clearance including fingerprinting, national and local searches for employment for 20 years required.
  
  

To Apply

If you have a passion for leading operations in an IB For All, language immersion, and an intentionally diverse organization, and want to help propel DCI to become a national model, join us as DCI’s next Chief Finance/Operations Officer.

To apply, please complete the application, submit a resume and cover letter. The cover letter should be no longer than one page and include:

• Your connection to DCI’s mission
• Description of relevant budget/financial experience (including size of budget managed)
  
  

#ZR

Faculty and Staff Development/Benefits: DCI is committed to the principles of servant leadership and to providing faculty and staff with the resources and training they need to provide an excellent education experience for every student and family.

• We have a benefits package that includes health and disability insurance and paid leave.
• We offer teachers daily planning time, professional development, and reasonable class sizes.
• Teachers and staff have the appropriate technology and support to do their work.
  
  

DC International School is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural and multilingual environment.