Senior Associate Vice President of Administration & Finance

Senior Associate Vice President of Administration & Finance

Job no: 558943

Work type: Management (MPP)

Location: Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo Campus

Categories: MPP, Administrative, At‑Will, Finance/Accounting, Full Time, On‑site (work in-person at business location)

Position Description

Job Summary

The Senior Associate Vice President (Sr. AVP) of Administration and Finance Services is a senior executive leader and key advisor to the Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance. Reporting directly to the Senior VP, the Sr. AVP provides enterprise-level financial, operational, and governance leadership across major administrative portfolios.

The Sr. AVP supports the division of Administration and Finance’s mission by delivering efficient, effective, and high-quality services across financial management, business operations, facilities, audit, compliance, and resource planning. This position assists in ensuring fiscal stewardship, institutional accountability, and operational alignment while advancing a culture of continuous improvement, transparency, and collaboration.

The Sr. AVP has direct supervisory responsibility for the following senior leaders and their full areas of responsibility:

• Associate Vice President of Financial Services, including all units and functions under Financial Services
• Assistant Vice President of Strategic Business Services, including all units and functions under Strategic Business Services
• Assistant Vice President of Audit and Consulting Services, including all audit, compliance, and consulting functions

The Sr. AVP ensures that financial management, business operations, and audit activities are aligned with institutional priorities, CSU policy, and regulatory requirements. The position operates with significant delegated authority and executive discretion and serves as a central integrator of financial strategy, operational execution, and accountability.

Department Summary

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance supports the university’s mission by fostering a culture of service, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in every aspect of campus operations. The Senior Vice President (SVP) is the chief administrative and financial officer of the university, overseeing the stewardship of campus resources, fiscal accountability, operational effectiveness, and the infrastructure necessary to support Cal Poly’s academic and student success mission. The SVP of Administration and Finance reports directly to the University President and serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet, working collaboratively with other university divisions to advance strategic initiatives, ensure financial sustainability, and maintain a safe, inclusive, and well-functioning campus environment. The Administration and Finance Division plays a vital role in supporting the university’s operational backbone, encompassing areas such as finance, budgeting, facilities, public safety, environmental health and safety, procurement, University Housing, Information Technology Services, Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly Partners, and divisional operations.

Key Qualifications

• Working knowledge of the CSU and State budgeting and reporting standards and structures as they relate to the Cal Poly.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and management through coaching, enabling and facilitating employees working in a team environment.
• Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to effectively communicate complex financial information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution in Business or Finance.
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience, with a minimum of two (2) years of which have been at a managerial level, including a working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Salary and Benefits

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $280,000 - $315,000. Note that the offer is calculated based on the background and relevant years of experience of the individual selected.

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti‑discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

This position may be "Designated" under California State University's Conflict of Interest Code. This would require the filing of a Statement of Economic Interest on an annual basis and the completion of training within 6 months of assuming office and every 2 years thereafter.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.