Chief Financial Officer

Lake Washington School District; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Lake Washington School District in Redmond, WA seeks a Chief Financial Officer to lead the Financial Services division, drive financial strategy, and ensure compliant, transparent operations. The CFO reports to the Superintendent and serves on the Executive Cabinet to align resources with educational priorities.

The role requires a strategic leader who can build capacity, strengthen public trust, and advance sustainability while guiding district-wide financial decisions and risk management.

Qualifications

• Experience in executive financial leadership and strategic advising.
• Strong ability to translate district priorities into financial plans and resources.
• Ability to lead a large finance organization with emphasis on accuracy, accountability, and transparency.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of long-range financial strategies aligned with the District’s mission and priorities.
• Advise Superintendent, Executive Cabinet, and Board on financial policy and resource allocation.
• Provide independent, candid analysis and recommend actions with implementation support.
• Monitor legislative, economic, demographic, and funding developments and translate into actionable guidance.

Job description

Position Summary
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is the District’s senior executive responsible for financial strategy, stewardship, operations, and assurance. Reporting directly to the Superintendent and serving as a key member of the Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet, the CFO advises the Superintendent and Board of Directors on the District’s financial condition, long-range outlook, risks, opportunities, and the financial implications of strategic and operational decisions.

The CFO leads the Financial Services division and is accountable for accurate, timely, transparent, and compliant financial operations. The role aligns resources with the District’s Strategic Framework and educational priorities; builds organizational financial capacity; develops a high-performing, service-oriented team; and advances systems and practices that strengthen fiscal sustainability, operational excellence, and public trust.

Lake Washington School District is committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment for all students and staff. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and life experiences who share our commitment to educational excellence and equity. We especially encourage applications from individuals who have been historically

Executive Leadership Expectations
The CFO is expected to bring both technical depth and executive judgment. The successful leader will:

• Exercise exceptional attention to detail while maintaining a districtwide, long-term perspective.
• Develop a deep understanding of District operations, instructional priorities, labor commitments, enrollment dynamics, funding structures, and community expectations.
• Approach unfamiliar issues with curiosity, humility, and a disposition to learn, asking insightful questions before reaching conclusions.
• Provide the Superintendent with candid, evidence-based counsel; respectfully challenge assumptions and surface risks, alternatives, and unintended consequences.
• Engage in vigorous dialogue and principled disagreement when appropriate, then support and faithfully execute final decisions once they are made.
• Communicate complex financial matters with clarity, context, and transparency for audiences with differing levels of financial knowledge.
• Model integrity, reliability, discretion, accountability, collaboration, and measured leadership, particularly in high-stakes or ambiguous situations.
• Act as an enterprise leader whose responsibility extends beyond the Financial Services division to the success of the entire District.

Strategic Framework Alignment

The CFO will translate the District’s values and strategic commitments into financial leadership and daily practice:

Equitable & Just Systems
Use accurate fiscal analysis and transparent resource-allocation processes to identify barriers, support equitable and consistent access and opportunity, and clearly explain the impacts of significant decisions. Bring integrity, curiosity, and inclusive engagement to the evaluation of needs, options, and outcomes.

Inclusive & Rigorous Learning
Connect financial plans and investments to student learning, whole-student development, future readiness, and the capacity of schools and staff to provide inclusive, rigorous experiences. Engage instructional and operational partners in understanding priorities, tradeoffs, and results.

Integrated Sustainability
Balance immediate needs with long-term financial health, responsible stewardship of public resources, workforce and organizational capacity, lifecycle costs, and the sustainability of District programs, facilities, systems, and commitments. Advance resource conservation management and environmental sustainability by evaluating proposed updates and modifications for environmental benefit, cost-effectiveness, lifecycle performance, and a responsible return on investment.

Operational Excellence
Establish reliable and responsive financial services through clear expectations, strong internal controls, accurate and accessible reporting, effective technology, collaborative problem-solving, and continuous improvement. Model accountability, innovation, learning, and follow-through.

Leadership Characteristics
Strategic and Systems-Minded
Connects financial decisions to teaching, learning, operations, workforce, facilities, technology, and long-term organizational health.

Curious and Learning-Oriented
Seeks context, studies unfamiliar issues, asks insightful questions, and updates thinking when evidence changes.

Courageous and Constructive
Raises concerns directly and respectfully, offers alternatives, and does not allow avoidable risks or weak assumptions to go unexamined.

Aligned and Dependable
Understands the distinction between debate and decision; once a decision is final, communicates and implements it consistently and effectively.

Precise and Thorough
Maintains high standards for accuracy, documentation, controls, analysis, and follow-through.

Transparent and Accessible
Makes complex matters understandable, distinguishes known facts from assumptions, and communicates uncertainty honestly.

Collaborative and Inclusive
Listens to understand, honors differing expertise and perspectives, and builds shared ownership across the organization.

Accountable and Ethical
Acts with integrity, safeguards public resources, protects confidentiality, owns outcomes, and models responsible stewardship.

Composed and Adaptive
Maintains perspective and sound judgment under pressure, adjusts to changing conditions, and helps others navigate ambiguity.

Service-Oriented
Designs Financial Services to be responsive, consistent, solution-focused, and supportive of schools and departments.

Strategic Financial Leadership and Executive Advising

• Lead the development and execution of long-range financial strategies aligned with the District’s mission, Strategic Framework, educational priorities, enrollment outlook, workforce plans, and operational needs.
• Advise the Superintendent, Executive Cabinet, and Board of Directors on financial policy, resource allocation, budget priorities, material risks, and long-term implications of proposed decisions.
• Provide independent, candid, and timely analysis; identify options, opportunities, and tradeoffs; recommend a course of action; and support implementation of final decisions.
• Serve as a key contributor to districtwide strategy, organizational planning, labor strategy, major initiatives, change management, and response to emerging conditions.
• Monitor legislative, economic, demographic, and funding developments affecting Washington public schools and translate them into actionable guidance.
• Analyze proposed state and federal legislation, assess its financial and operational implications, and support the Superintendent and Board in developing informed legislative priorities and communications. Represent the District with legislators, agencies, and professional associations on financial matters as assigned.
• Lead the development, review, and continuous improvement of financial policies, administrative procedures, standards, and practices to strengthen clarity, compliance, efficiency, consistency, and accountability.

Budgeting, Forecasting, and Resource Allocation

• Lead preparation, presentation, implementation, and monitoring of the District’s annual budget (both state required F-195 and Meritorious Budget Award criteria) and multi-year financial forecast.
• Establish clear assumptions, baseline and comparative data, forecasts, scenarios, controls, timelines, and communication processes that support evaluation of needs, alternatives, tradeoffs, and long-term financial implications.
• Analyze revenues, expenditures, staffing, enrollment, commitments, variances, and emerging conditions; recommend timely adjustments and mitigation strategies.
• Integrate enrollment projections, staffing models, position control, compensation assumptions, program commitments, and other expenditure drivers into short- and long-range financial