Chief Operating Officer

VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS•Chandler, AZ

43d

About The Position

Valley Christian Schools is seeking a dynamic and mission-driven Chief Operating Officer dedicated to shaping future culture changers for Christ through operational excellence. The COO will be responsible for overseeing the business and day-to-day (non-classroom) operations of Valley Christian Schools under the guidance of the Head of School (HOS). This includes, but is not limited to, financial operations, project management, customer service, organizational culture, quality management, systems and processes, information technology, human resources, capital projects, data analysis, and more. The COO ensures a world-class experience for our three key demographics: staff, students, and parents. The COO optimizes our company's operating capabilities, employs strategies to maximize customer satisfaction, and manages new process initiatives. The COO teams up with management at all levels to implement operational strategies. The COO is an exemplary leader, possesses superb business acumen, and has a sound understanding of business strategies. The COO provides direct leadership to operational support departments, including accounting, business services, security, IT, HR, and all facility improvements, as well as mission-critical projects and programs, as assigned by the HOS.

Requirements

Demonstrates a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is a consistent testimony to others.
Agree to uphold Valley Christian’s Mission & Beliefs which can be found at http://valleychristianaz.org/about/philosophy
Faithfully attend and financially support a local church whose beliefs are in agreement with our school’s Mission & Beliefs.
Ability to think creatively about a business solution, exhibiting an exceptional degree of ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness in decision making and problem solving.
Strong analytical, managerial, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
Leadership acumen, ability to influence and negotiate with disparate parties.
High EQ with track record of successful consensus building and managing up and down organizations.
Effective listening and relationship-building skills with the public, staff, students, media, and school guests.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written. Diplomatic, tactful, and effective consulting, facilitation, and presentation skills.
Strong project management skills and ability to influence others and lead cross-functional teams.
Understanding of analytics and performance metrics.
Knowledge of employment law.
Must have and maintain a valid level one IVP fingerprint card.
Must be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software, with emphasis in Excel.
Ability to exercise initiative and sound judgment and to react with discretion.
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting, economics, educational leadership, or a related field.
5+ years of experience in operational leadership roles.
Familiarity with GAAP.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other relevant graduate degree.
5+ years of non-profit or for-profit leadership experience.
5+ years of financial leadership with some experience in a school setting.
CPA or CMA designation.

Responsibilities

Drives the company’s operating capabilities to surpass customer satisfaction (staff, parents, students), retention (staff and students), and overall company goals.
Works alongside the CEO and Controller to develop the operations plan and to properly resource departments for staffing, capital, and resource needs.
Plans and executes new business initiatives.
Implements new processes and evaluates and modifies existing processes.
Drives collaboration across all departments to facilitate a consistent and thorough approach.
Works with the CEO to ensure that all operational elements of the strategic plan are implemented, and targets, benchmarks, and ultimate outcomes are achieved.
Oversees the design and implementation of staff training programs (Emerging Leaders, Leadership Development, etc) for team members to enhance skills and drive continuous improvements.
Develops project plans and leads cross-functional teams through planning, execution, and completion phases.
Works collaboratively alongside the CEO and Controller to manage the school’s finances by developing the school’s annual operating budget, ensure financial stability and discipline, report financials to the board and shareholders, and manage the school’s investment portfolio.
Works collaboratively alongside the Campus Principals to ensure the VCS campus is clean, well maintained, and compliant with any safety and sanitation regulations.
Manages all CapEx projects, including relationships with vendors, financial tracking and reporting (working with the Controller), public communication, and more.
Directly oversees the following departments: Accounting Business Services Human Resources Information Technology (IT) Security
Acts as the primary point of contact between VCS and stakeholders for legal matters, mitigating operational risks.
Leads missional and organization alignment committee, an initiative of the school’s strategic plan.
Serves on the VCS executive leadership team (ELT) and attends staff, departmental, leadership, and other meetings as required.
Adheres to Valley Christian policies, procedures/processes, statement of faith, and the Valley Way.
Performs other related duties, as assigned.