Chief Financial Officer

Rutherford County Schools; Forest City (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Rutherford County Schools in Forest City, North Carolina is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to oversee all fiscal activities for the district, including state, federal, local funds, enterprise operations, and capital projects.

The CFO will implement an integrated system to plan fiscal operations, ensure accountability and transparency, manage budgeting, payroll, procurement, audits, and the ACFR in coordination with the board and external auditors.

Responsibilities

• Provides district leadership, the local board of education, building-level administrators, and others with appropriate guidance, policies, and procedures related to financial matters.
• Prepares and maintains the school district annual budget; analyzes and costs the local boards and local Superintendent’s initiatives and ensures appropriate and allowable funding sources. Manages all activity for a balanced budget that is in compliance with the School Budget and Fiscal Control Act.
• Analyzes various financial, personnel, and student data and records for leadership decision-making. These analyses are used in preparation of reports as required for submission to local, state, federal oversight agencies and/or Superintendent and board.
• Maintains a payroll system in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Internal Revenue Service Code, as well as procedures related to salary and absence data required by the State Board of Education.
• Oversight of the school system purchasing and contract procedures to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal policies.
• Ensures compliance with the federal funding expenditures to ensure compliance of federal regulations including Uniform Grant Guidance and specific grant requirements.
• Maintains the general ledger system, including adjusting journal entries, budget adjustments, chart of account maintenance, and reconciliation of general ledger accounts to ensure accurate account balances and adherence to general accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Utilizes a complex chart of accounts and recognizes and researches appropriateness of accounts codes on payroll expenditures, payroll collections, and non-salary expenditures and determines required steps for resolution.
• Responsible for the year-end financial statements for the annual independent audit and the school system's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (“ACFR”). Provides auditors (independent, state and/or federal) all required reconciliations and other client prepared materials. Maintains all system-wide bank accounts and ensures timely and accurate reconciliation of all bank and balance sheet accounts.
• Ensures the quality of fiscal operations at the individual schools through periodic audit reviews of fiscal records and ensures corrective action is taken, as necessary.
• Completes other duties as assigned by the Superintendent.

Job description

Chief Financial Officer

Rutherford County Schools Central Office - Forest City, North Carolina Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in North Carolina School Jobs , and Rutherford County Schools

Job Details

Job ID: 5971416

Application Deadline: Posted until filled

Posted: Oct 26, 2026 4:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Immediately

Job Description

OVERVIEW

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for all fiscal affairs of the school system, including the state, federal, and local funds, the enterprise funds, and capital operations. The Chief Financial Officer shall install and maintain an integrated system to plan fiscal operations to ensure sound decisions, accountability, and transparency.

This legislatively required position, per G.S.115C-435, must be able to interpret and follow fiscal regulations prescribed by the North Carolina General Statutes, State Board of Education, federal agencies, the Local Government Commission, and other funding entities. This position is the financial leader of the school district and is required to have comprehensive accounting knowledge including the ability to interpret and implement new accounting standards, per the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (“GASB”). This position is a critical component of the school district's leadership team.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides district leadership, the local board of education, building-level administrators, and others with appropriate guidance, policies, and procedures related to financial matters.
• Prepares and maintains the school district annual budget; analyzes and costs the local boards and local Superintendent’s initiatives and ensures appropriate and allowable funding sources. Manages all activity for a balanced budget that is in compliance with the School Budget and Fiscal Control Act.
• Analyzes various financial, personnel, and student data and records for leadership decision-making. These analyses are used in preparation of reports as required for submission to local, state, federal oversight agencies and/or Superintendent and board.
• Maintains a payroll system in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Internal Revenue Service Code, as well as procedures related to salary and absence data required by the State Board of Education.
• Oversight of the school system purchasing and contract procedures to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal policies.
• Ensures compliance with the federal funding expenditures to ensure compliance of federal regulations including Uniform Grant Guidance and specific grant requirements.
• Maintains the general ledger system, including adjusting journal entries, budget adjustments, chart of account maintenance, and reconciliation of general ledger accounts to ensure accurate account balances and adherence to general accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Utilizes a complex chart of accounts and recognizes and researches appropriateness of accounts codes on payroll expenditures, payroll collections, and non-salary expenditures and determines required steps for resolution.
• Responsible for the year-end financial statements for the annual independent audit and the school system's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (“ACFR”). Provides auditors (independent, state and/or federal) all required reconciliations and other client prepared materials. Maintains all system-wide bank accounts and ensures timely and accurate reconciliation of all bank and balance sheet accounts.
• Ensures the quality of fiscal operations at the individual schools through periodic audit reviews of fiscal records and ensures corrective action is taken, as necessary.
• Completes other duties as assigned by the Superintendent.

In compliance with federal law, Rutherford County Schools does not discriminate on the