Vice President Finance​/Chief Financial Officer

Vice President for Finance/ Chief Financial Officer

Job Title Vice President for Finance/ Chief Financial Officer

Position Type

Position Type Staff

Job Description

The University Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as the institution’s primary finance and business leader, reporting directly to the President and playing a critical role on Senior Leadership Team. This executive position requires a strategic and operational leader who can navigate the complexities of higher education finance, ensuring the university’s financial health and sustainability. The CFO’s responsibilities extend beyond traditional finance functions to encompass strategic planning, risk management, endowment navigation and foster a culture of financial stewardship across the institution.

• Providing leadership in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the University’s operating and capital budgets.
• Overseeing all financial operations including accounting, treasury, and risk management.
• Developing and implementing financial policies and procedures.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Serving as a trusted advisor to the President, senior leadership, and the Board of Trustees on financial matters.
• Acting as liaison to the Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees of the Board.
• Leading strategic financial planning and resource allocation to support the University’s mission and goals.
• Collaborating with other university departments to achieve financial goals.
• Serves the University as its Chief Financial Officer. Provides strategic direction to further long-term financial sustainability for the university and support growth.
• Provides administrative leadership and support for the board’s Finance, Endowment, Audit, and Campus Oversight Committees.
• Works with external financial advisors (investment managers, bankers, bond underwriters, rating agencies, auditors etc.) to guide and strengthen the financial position of the institution.
• Provides leadership for setting the financial goals of the institution in support of the university’s vision and strategic plan.
• Oversees processes for developing, monitoring, and reporting on annual operating and capital budgets. Supports campus administrators in the successful administration of department budgets.
• Invests, manages, and reports on all invested financial assets at the direction of and in collaboration with the Endowment Committee and consistent with the board’s adopted investment policies.
• Interacts in a collaborative manner with students, faculty, staff, and members of the Board of Trustees.

• Provides institutional leadership as a member of the President’s Cabinet. Advises the President and Vice Presidents regarding how to apply the university’s resources to achieve its strategic goals and support the overall mission of the institution.
• Assists the President with other administrative responsibilities as needed and requested to assure proper support of the educational mission and goals of the university.
• Board of Trustee divisional presentations and updates, as well as periodic committee meetings.

Required Education/

Experience:

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited college or university.
• Current licensure as a Certified Public Accountant.
• Prior experience at the Controller-level.
• Minimum seven years of financial management experience.
• Minimum seven years managing finance office personnel and systems.

Specific Knowledge, Licenses,

Certifications:

• Knowledge of federal and state financial regulations, and university financial policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of computerized information systems used in financial and/or accounting applications.
• Knowledge of financial accounting, budgeting, control, and reporting principles, methods, techniques, and standards as applied within an academic environment.
• Knowledge of business practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of advanced cost and financial analysis principles and techniques.
• Knowledge of accounting principles (GAAP and FASB standards),…