Chief Financial Officer

Upper Grand District School Board, Guelph, Ontario   Closing Date:  March 3, 2026
Salary Range:  $196,637

Job Description   The Upper Grand District School Board (“UGDSB”) is situated on the ancestral, treaty and title lands of two Anishinaabek Ojibwe Nations: the Michi Saagig of the Credit and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. This land also includes a specified tract of land granted to the Six Nations of the Grand River. These Nations hold legal and specific rights in their respective territories.

This area has been and continues to be home for Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous peoples.
The UGDSB employs a team of approximately 6,500 dedicated staff who serve more than 35,000 students attending a variety of programs across 66 elementary and 11 secondary schools as well as continuing education and adult learning centres in the counties of Dufferin, Wellington, and the City of Guelph. It is committed to supporting student achievement and well-being through a team of dedicated staff and strong learning communities, always striving to meet the diverse needs of its students.

To learn more about the UGDSB, please visit:
It is within this context that UGDSB welcomes applications and nominations for the appointment of its Chief Financial Officer.
Reporting to the Director of Education/CEO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a key member of the Executive Committee, providing strategic and operational leadership for the Board’s financial and business services functions. The CFO is responsible for the overall stewardship of the Board’s financial resources, serving as Treasurer to the Board ensuring fiscal sustainability, legislative compliance, and effective financial planning in support of UGDSB’s strategic priorities.

This role provides expert financial advice to the Director of Education/CEO, executive leadership team, and the Board of Trustees, and plays a critical role in long-term planning, risk management, and organizational decision-making. The CFO also provides leadership to several key functional areas, including Insurance and Risk Management, Financial Services, Procurement, Budgeting and Financial Reporting, and ERP Project Management, ensuring these teams operate efficiently, collaboratively, and in alignment with the Board’s Multi Year Plan, Vision 2026+.
As a qualified candidate for the role, you are a strategic and systems-level thinker who effectively balances fiscal responsibility with organizational and student-centred priorities. Your career includes senior-level financial leadership experience from a similarly complex, unionized organization; experience from within a school board or the broader public sector is considered an asset. You have been responsible for capital planning, reserves, investments, long-term financial sustainability strategies and have familiarity with public sector financial management, reporting, internal controls, and risk management activities;

experience with Ministry of Education funding models is considered an asset. You are adept at leading large, diverse teams within a unionized environment, and have experience with organizational change, process improvements, and modernization initiatives. You are an excellent communicator who can translate complex financial information into clear, accurate, and actionable insights for senior leadership and Board members. You are adept at managing competing priorities in a complex regulatory environment, and have strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

As a collaborative leader, you build and sustain strong working relationships across an organization and with external partners. You demonstrate principled decision-making, sound judgment, accountability, and professionalism, and lead with a demonstrated commitment to human rights in all aspects of leadership and service delivery. Candidates must hold a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation or equivalent designation and an undergraduate degree from a recognized university.

You must hold or be committed to obtaining Ontario Supervisory Officer’s Qualifications (Business) within a specified timeframe.
Please note, all applications must…