Position Type:
Cabinet
Location:
Edison Administration Building
Date Available:
Available Now
Closing Date:
11/30/2025
ESTIMATED INTERVIEW DATE: TBD
WORK CALENDAR: 260 duty days per year
Click link to review the 2025-2026 260 Day Calendar
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt; C-A-T-3
SALARY: $177,500 – $203,600 annually (prorated based on a 260 calendar)
Click link below to review the 2024-2026 Cabinet Work Guide & Cabinet Members’ Benefits
Cabinet Work Guide & Cabinet Members’ Benefits 2024-2026
REPORTS TO: Superintendent
Position Summary:
The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) serves as a key member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet and reports directly to the Superintendent of Schools. The CAO provides strategic leadership and executive oversight for the district’s Facilities, Finance, Policy and Innovation, Student Nutrition Services, Technology, and Transportation departments—each led by a Director who reports to the CAO.
As the district’s senior leader for administrative operations, the CAO ensures that systems, processes, and resources are effectively aligned to advance student learning and organizational excellence. The CAO leads both ongoing operational implementation and improvement efforts and major change initiatives, such as the adoption of new budget and staffing models or redesign of the district’s transportation systems.
The CAO works collaboratively across departments to identify and review key financial and operational metrics, coordinate cross-functional efforts, and ensure that the district’s operational systems are efficient, transparent, and sustainable. The CAO also attends recurring meetings and serves as a trusted advisor to the Superintendent, Cabinet, and School Board, preparing and presenting agenda items for study or action.
In addition, the CAO partners closely with the Executive Director of Human Resources to negotiate collectively bargained employment contracts and non-union work agreements on behalf of the district, ensuring alignment between financial capacity, operational systems, and workforce priorities.
The CAO models and advances the following leadership competencies across all areas of responsibility:
- Staff Direction: Provides clear direction to staff that conveys expected actions and intended outcomes.
- Staff Belonging: Creates a positive work environment in which all staff are valued and empowered to do their best work individually and collectively.
- Continuous Improvement: Establishes clear departmental goals and uses data and feedback to improve performance over time.
- Professional Development: Organizes and supports staff participation in learning opportunities that strengthen job performance and leadership capacity.
- Feedback: Provides staff with specific, actionable feedback highlighting both strengths and growth areas.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Seeks and integrates input from individuals and groups affected by departmental work.
- Best Practices: Monitors and applies promising practices in each area of responsibility when appropriate and feasible.
- Execution: Ensures that initiatives are implemented effectively, achieving defined goals and milestones on time and in full.
- Problem Solving: Responds to challenges by identifying and implementing solutions that sustain progress and operational effectiveness
Through these actions, the Chief Administrative Officer plays a central role in ensuring that Rochester Public Schools operates with integrity, efficiency, and a relentless focus on serving students and families.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
- Experience and expertise in school finance and budget management.
- Demonstrated success in leading cross-departmental teams or functions that include finance, facilities, technology, transportation, or other operational areas.
- Demonstrated success managing large-scale change initiatives in complex organizations.
- Strong understanding of organizational systems improvement.
- Ability to foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performance work culture centered on service and accountability.
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
- Commitment to advancing efficiency and excellence in all operational practices.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven experience in a senior leadership role within a K-12 public school district central office.
- Familiarity with Minnesota school finance and education policy frameworks.
- Advanced degree in education, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
- Experience leading collective bargaining processes and contract negotiations.
- Experience deploying technology solutions to achieve operational efficiencies in centralized finance and other enterprise functions.
Commitment to Equity:
Rochester Public Schools is committed to diversifying its workforce to better reflect the community we serve. We believe the practices used in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, supporting, and promoting staff must include and honor, at every level, those who represent the diverse identities of our schools and community.
https://www.rochesterschools.org/equity-statement
Common and Shared Accountabilities for All Positions
Employees of the Rochester Public School District #535 are expected to support the goals, model and promote an environment that is respectful for all, and work collaboratively with other staff to focus on the needs of the learner. A quality, customer focus that conveys a welcome attitude, an adaptability to change, and a desire for continuous improvement is also expected of all employees. In addition, staff are to respect confidential matters, encourage a safe and secure environment throughout the schools, and be dependable and accountable employees.
District Information: Visit www.rochesterschools.org to learn more about Rochester Public Schools.