Senior Director of Finance & Operations

ABOUT JPG

St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School is an independent, Catholic, co-educational classical liberal arts high school founded in 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Under the patronage of St. John Paul II, JPG forms disciples of Jesus Christ through a classical curriculum, a robust discipleship formation program, athletics, outdoor expeditions, and the Household System — a structured discipleship model at the heart of school life. JPG is now entering its fifth year of operation and growing toward full enrollment of 400 students.

Operative vision: JPG is a Catholic school that classically educates students through the formation of a Christ-centered worldview.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The Senior Director of Finance and Operations must be a Catholic in good standing with the Catholic Church, who assents to the Church's teachings on all matters, with particular care for those concerning the nature of the human person, sexual ethics, and sexual identity. The candidate shall be a missionary disciple who possesses a zeal for the Lord, living the faith in all aspects of life, and able to speak comfortably and compellingly about the JPG mission to students, families, faculty, and stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned generalist who has run many parts of an organization at once, often as a former small business owner. This role rewards someone who moves between budgets, people, buildings, systems and contracts in a single day without losing the thread on any of them. It demands a person who looks ahead at what could go wrong and puts safeguards in place before problems arise, who sees technology as the backbone of an efficient back office rather than a department someone else handles, and who builds managers up to own their areas rather than doing the work for them. Above all, this person must carry sensitive financial and personnel information with complete discretion and have the judgment to counsel the President candidly.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The role spans seven functions. In each one, managers own the day to day work and this role provides oversight, direction and accountability. The balance between functions will shift with the school's needs and is set with the President.

Finance and Accounting

This person owns the school's financial picture and is the President's primary partner on anything tied to a dollar sign.

● Budget. Lead the school's annual budget process and monitor performance against budget throughout the year, working with department leads so each owner understands their numbers.

● Accounting oversight. Oversee accounting in partnership with St. Joseph Financial Services, JPG's outsourced controller level accounting partner. This role directs that relationship rather than doing the bookkeeping.

● Reporting. Prepare and interpret financial statements and reports for the President and the Board, and staff the Finance and Accounting Subcommittee.

● Planning. Plan cash flow and support long range financial planning for enrollment and facility growth.

● Controls. Oversee payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and future audits.

Human Resources

HR reports here because it sits closer to finance than to facilities and because this role already carries the school's most sensitive information.

● Supervise the HR Manager. The HR Manager runs hiring, onboarding, benefits and HR documentation day to day. This role provides oversight and direction, not task ownership.

● Safeguard sensitive data. Protect payroll and personnel information, including audits such as workers' compensation.

● Policy and compensation. Ensure HR policies, compensation and benefits support JPG's mission and growth, and bring compensation questions to the President with a recommendation.

Facilities, Maintenance, Security and Transportation

The managers own the day to day; this role owns the structure, the contracts and the plan.

● Supervise the Maintenance and Security Manager. And, through that role, maintenance and janitorial staff.

● Supervise transportation. Through the Transportation Coordinator, including driver qualification and training, routes, and vehicle compliance.

● Plan for growth. Plan facility needs as the campus and student body grow.

● Campus safety. Ensure a safe and secure campus in partnership with the leadership team, including drills and emergency protocols.

Technology and Systems

Nearly every back office function runs on technology, and JPG is in the middle of rebuilding how it uses its systems. This role is the permanent home for IT.

● Own the back office systems. Finance, payroll, HR, admissions and development platforms, and the integrations between them.

● Supervise technology staff. Including the Technology Specialist, and manage technology vendors and service providers.

● Drive efficiency. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and data quality through better systems and sensible use of new tools.

● Transition the advisory relationship. A Strategic Advisor to the President currently supports JPG's technology work under a contract term through the end of the school year. This role takes permanent ownership of IT when that term concludes. Insurance, Contracts and Risk Management This role is where risk gets seen before it becomes a problem.

● Insurance. Manage the school's insurance portfolio, renewals and claims.

● Contracts. Negotiate, review and manage vendor and service contracts.

● Risk. Identify operational, financial and legal risks and put preventive measures in place.

Real Estate and Property

This person knows more about JPG's facility and property than anyone else on staff and is the school's point of contact on real estate matters.

● Know the portfolio. Maintain a working knowledge of JPG's leases, easements and property agreements, and keep the records in order.

● Serve the Real Estate Subcommittee. Sit in on the Real Estate Subcommittee as the staff seat and prepare the information it needs.

● Be the first call. Serve as the school's key internal contact on real estate questions, routing to the President, counsel or outside professionals as matters warrant.

Leadership and Strategy

This is a leadership team seat, not a back office seat that reports to one.

● Leadership team. Serve on the leadership team and advise the President on finance and operations decisions.

● Board support. Prepare materials for and participate in Board subcommittee work as the President directs.

● Build the structure. Shape the long term structure of the operations team as the school grows, including where each function ultimately sits.

OUT OF SCOPE

The following are explicitly not the responsibility of the Senior Director of Finance and Operations:

● Day to day bookkeeping and transaction processing, which St. Joseph Financial Services performs

● Day to day building maintenance, cleaning and grounds work, which the Maintenance and Security Manager and staff perform

● Driving routes and day to day dispatch, which the Transportation Coordinator performs

● Day to day HR administration, including onboarding paperwork and benefits enrollment, which the HR Manager performs

● Owner's representative duties on construction and capital projects, including zoning, permitting and entitlements

● Academic program, curriculum, faculty supervision and student formation, which sit with the Principal, the Director of Mission and Formation, and the Chaplain

● Advancement, admissions and marketing strategy, which sit with their respective directors

QUALIFICATIONS

Broad operational leadership experience matters more than a single credential. A CPA is not required.

Required

● Deep Catholic faith and full alignment with the mission, vision, and values of JPG, and willingness to make JPG's Oath of Fidelity

● Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, or a related field, or equivalent experience

● At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience overseeing multiple business functions

● Ability to read, analyze, and explain financial statements and to build and manage budgets

● Working knowledge of HR, accounting, insurance, contracts and property sufficient to make sound decisions

● Strong technology skills and comfort leading systems driven work

● Discretion with confidential financial and personnel information

Preferred

● Experience owning or running a small business

● MBA or advanced degree

● Experience in a school, nonprofit, parish, or ministry setting

● Experience managing facilities, security, or expansion projects

● Familiarity with commercial leases and property agreements

● Familiarity with outsourced accounting relationships

● A general technologist utilizing the latest tools

Central Denver Classical High School dba St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School is an equal opportunity employer consistent with its Catholic mission.