Overview
Purcell Collegiate Incorporated (PCI), doing business as Purcell Collegiate School (PCS), is seeking an experienced business and operations leader to serve as its inaugural CEO. Working in close partnership with the Head of School, the CEO will lead the execution of PCS’s vision with a focus on sustainable growth and profitability — a rare opportunity to build the operational and financial backbone of a growing, ambitious independent school in one of the most spectacular settings in Canadian education.
Purcell Collegiate School (PCS) is an international boarding school currently offering Grades 9–12 with a fully integrated hockey academy — Purcell Hockey Academy — set against the backdrop of Kimberley, BC's world-class mountains, trails, and ski terrain. PCS is at an inflection point: a school with an exceptional foundation, a compelling vision, and the people and resources to realize it. The incoming CEO will inherit real momentum, an established Head of School leading the academic and student life program, and the full support of an engaged Board.
The CEO serves as the senior business executive of the Purcell family of schools, reporting directly to the Board of Directors and working alongside the Head of School — who leads admissions, academics, student life, and academy programming — to execute PCS’s vision and drive sustainable growth. The CEO holds executive authority over finance, risk management, HR, IT, facilities, and transportation for both Purcell Collegiate School and PCI’s wholly owned subsidiary, Purcell International Preschool Limited (PIP).
Key Responsibilities
Financial and Risk Leadership
- Own the school’s financial planning, budgeting, and reporting, ensuring PCS and PIP operate on a sound and sustainable financial footing
- Establish and monitor risk management practices across the organization, including insurance, compliance, and safety
- Oversee information technology systems and infrastructure that support the school and academy
- Partner with the Head of School to ensure financial and operational decisions support the school’s academic and athletic vision
People and Culture
- Lead the HR function, including recruitment infrastructure, compensation, and retention strategy across the organization
- Build and sustain an organizational culture grounded in accountability, transparency, and high performance
- Support the Head of School and leadership team with the HR infrastructure needed to champion staff and student wellbeing
- Model the values and character you expect of the organization
Operational and Financial Oversight
- Manage facilities, transportation, and day-to-day business operations in alignment with Board-approved strategy and budget
- Oversee the Operations Director to ensure safe, effective, and well-resourced school facilities
- Provide regular, candid reporting to the Board on financial performance, risk, and strategic priorities
Growth and Partnership
- Partner with the Head of School and Admissions team on the business case and financial modelling behind enrolment growth
- Support and drive enrolment growth toward the school's target of 75 students by August 2026 and 200 by 2030, with a focus on the financial and operational levers that make that growth sustainable
- Identify and develop new revenue streams and strategic partnerships that support the school’s long-term financial health
- Represent PCS and PIP in financial, operational, and business contexts, including with lenders, insurers, and vendors
What We're Looking For
The ideal candidate brings a combination of business leadership, operational and financial credibility, and genuine excitement about what PCS is building. We are not looking for a caretaker — we are looking for a builder.
Essential
- Significant senior executive experience — as a CEO, COO, Executive Director, Secretary Treasurer, or equivalent — ideally within education, sport, hospitality, or another mission-driven, multi-site organization
- A track record of building culture, developing people, and driving meaningful organizational and financial improvement
- Strong financial and operational judgment, with demonstrated experience managing budgets, risk, and complex operations
- Exceptional communication skills — with staff, families, partners, and Boards
- Eligibility to work in Canada
An Asset
- Experience in a hockey academy or high-performance sport school environment
- Familiarity with independent school regulation and governance in British Columbia
- International education experience or a demonstrated ability to recruit and support international students and families
- Fluency in a second language, particularly Mandarin, Korean, or French
Life in Kimberley
Kimberley, BC is a small mountain city with an outsized quality of life. It sits at the intersection of the Rocky and Purcell mountain ranges — which means world-class skiing at Kimberley Alpine Resort, hundreds of kilometres of trails, rivers for fishing and paddling, and clean air year-round. It is a place where people come to visit and stay for life.
For the right business leader, Kimberley is not a compromise — it is a competitive advantage. The ability to offer staff and students a lifestyle that simply isn't available in a major city is one of PCS's most distinctive recruiting tools, and the incoming CEO will benefit from it personally.
Pay: $100,000.00-$130,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
