Ojai, California
Posted: 12-May-26
Location: Lakeville, Connecticut
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Required Education:
Department: Business Office
FLSA: Exempt
Designation: Full-time, calendar year staff
Reports to: Chief Financial & Operations Officer
Travel: Infrequent
POSITION SUMMARY
The Business Office team advances the mission of The Hotchkiss School by delivering accurate, timely financial services and thoughtful stewardship of institutional resources, while providing exceptional support to the school community.
The Senior Financial Analyst plays a key strategic role in shaping the School’s long-term financial sustainability and decision-making. This position leads the development of integrated multi-year financial models, drives scenario planning, and provides data-driven insights to support senior leadership and the Board of Trustees. The Analyst partners across departments—including Admissions, Advancement, Academics, and Facilities—to align financial planning with institutional priorities such as enrollment strategy, tuition and financial aid, fundraising, and capital investments.
In addition to leading the annual budgeting process and ongoing forecasting, the Senior Financial Analyst monitors financial performance, identifies risks and trends, and recommends strategic adjustments. The role is responsible for producing clear, comprehensive financial reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders, and for supporting key initiatives of the CFOO.
This position also contributes to effective Business Office operations, supports compliance with endowment and donor restrictions, and helps translate financial information into actionable insights for department leaders. The Senior Financial Analyst brings a forward-looking perspective, incorporating best practices, benchmarking, and innovative approaches to strengthen the School’s financial planning and operations. The business office team is committed to advancing the mission of the School by providing accurate and timely financial services, with exceptional customer support for the School community, while acting as a steward of the School’s resources.
The Hotchkiss School is located in Lakeville, CT, and is within commuting distance from Torrington, CT; Great Barrington, MA; and Millbrook, NY. The Senior Financial Analyst will work in the office. We are eager to accept applications from individuals who are excited to support an inclusive and warm working and learning community for students and employees from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead the development and maintenance of integrated multi-year financial models (5- and 10-year outlooks) aligned with the School’s strategic plan.
- Build dynamic scenario analyses to assess the impact of enrollment trends, tuition strategy, financial aid, staffing, and capital investments, and evaluate trade-offs across revenue, expenses, and capital allocation.
- Provide data-driven recommendations to support strategic decisions, including tuition setting, financial aid budget, and program expansion.
- Develop comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports, including budget-to-actual analysis, for the CFOO, Head of School, senior leadership, and Board of Trustees.
- Work with Admissions, Advancement, and Academic departments to develop financial models related to enrollment, financial aid, and fundraising initiatives.
- Partner with the Director of Facilities to maintain and model a 10-year plan for capital projects and deferred maintenance, ensuring alignment with the School’s long-range financial model.
- Lead the annual budgeting process, including maintaining a zero-based budgeting approach and managing the annual request and approval workflow.
- Collaborate with department heads and chairs to gather input, support budget development, and help them understand, manage, and plan against their budgets.
- Maintain budget templates and oversee tracking of budget-to-actual performance across departments.
- Develop rolling forecasts, monitor financial performance, and analyze variances, risks, and emerging trends; recommend adjustments based on changing assumptions and current-year performance.
- Report overspending of endowment funds to the CFOO and Head of School.
- Partner with Advancement to support both financial modeling and clear articulation of how donor funds are utilized.
- Support the Business Office in ensuring smooth daily operations, including accurate financial reporting, expense tracking.
- Assist in preparation of materials for and record Trustee Committee meeting minutes for Audit & Risk, Finance, Investment, and Buildings & Grounds.
- Proactively bring insights from benchmarking, webinars, and professional networks to recommend improvements and new approaches.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field, with 7–10 years of progressive experience in financial planning and analysis, strategic finance, or a related discipline.
- Advanced degree or professional certification (e.g., CFA) preferred.
- Demonstrated expertise in building and maintaining complex, integrated financial models, including multi-year projections and scenario analysis
- Strong experience in budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning within a complex organization.
- Proven ability to translate financial data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations that influence senior leadership decision-making.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, with the ability to evaluate trade-offs and assess long-term financial sustainability.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex financial concepts to both financial and non-financial audiences, including senior leadership and the Board.
- High level of initiative, intellectual curiosity, and a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for improvement, innovation, and operational efficiency.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Advanced proficiency in financial systems and tools, including Excel (modeling, data analysis), and experience with reporting and visualization tools; familiarity with ERP or data systems implementation is a plus.
- Commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment and supporting the needs of a diverse community.
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:
- Office environment, most of the time spent at a desk.
- Repetitive (keyboard) motion.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The essential functions and basic skills have been included. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This position description is subject to change at any time.
The Hotchkiss School is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to basing judgments concerning the employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities. The School is firmly committed to equal employment and advancement opportunities for all employees and applicants in all phases of the employment process (including recruitment, hiring, assignment, terms and conditions of employment, compensation, benefits, training, promotion, transfer, discipline and termination).
In accordance with applicable law, the School does not discriminate against any individual based on age, ancestry, color, genetic information, learning disability, marital status, past or present history of mental disability, national origin, physical disability, race, religious creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
