Executive Director of the Academic Financial Office

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Executive Director of the Academic Financial Office Posting Numberreq26579 DepartmentBusiness Affairs Office Department Website LinkBusiness AffairsLocationTucson Campus AddressTucson, AZ USA Position HighlightsThe University of Arizona seeks a strategic and experienced leader to serve as its Executive Director of the Academic Financial Office. In this pivotal role, you work in close collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Budget & Fiscal Management Officer, the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), the Provost, and the Deans, providing financial oversight for all 20 colleges of the University. Your responsibilities directly support the University's core academic mission, initiatives focused on student success, academic affairs, faculty and staff excellence, research, and key strategic objectives.Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), you will be a vital member of both the CFO and the Provost's administrative leadership teams. Your expertise will be instrumental in developing and implementing financial strategies for the near and long-term, directly contributing to the University's overall academic and strategic achievements. Success in this role requires a comprehensive understanding of finance, outstanding management capabilities, and a versatile professional background relevant to the nuanced financial landscape of an R1 university's central academic administration.As the Executive Director of the Academic Financial Office, you will have significant autonomy in designing and implementing a new model for financial operations of the colleges, which will be aligned with the University’s new budget model (Arizona Forward), eventually building and leading a team of finance professionals. You will foster a collaborative and customer-focused environment while ensuring financial goals and daily operations are aligned with CFO and Provost's vision for academic excellence and student success.Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.Duties & ResponsibilitiesAcademic Financial Team Leadership:Lead the transition from a distributed academic financial model to a new structure that is aligned with the university’s financial structures and strategic imperatives and is managed in the CFO’s office in collaboration with academic leadership.Exercise direct, solid-line supervisory authority over and performance management of approximately 20 leaders/managers, fostering a culture of accountability, professional growth, and "whole-university" thinking that transcends individual unit interests.Lead and inspire a distributed workforce of over 200 business and finance professionals by establishing clear standards for operational excellence, transparency, and ethical stewardship across all academic units.Set the cultural tone, model the collaborative behavior needed, and align the technical functions of academic business administration with the university's academic and research mission, ensuring all team members understand how their fiscal roles directly support faculty and staff success and student outcomes.Drive large-scale cultural change by implementing consistent, equitable practices in hiring, workload distribution, and professional development across the academic portfolio, reducing "silo" behaviors and promoting cross-unit collaboration.With the support of the Office of Business Affairs and with University Communications, design and execute a comprehensive internal communication strategy - including "all-hands" interactions, functional working groups, and digital tool sets - to ensure all members of the team remain informed, engaged, and aligned with the CFO and Provost's strategic priorities.Continuously assess and adjust leadership roles and team structures to ensure optimal efficiency and effectiveness in achieving the financial and University-wide goals.Strategic Financial Planning & Execution:Lead the development of a comprehensive suite of multi-year financial models for the colleges supporting initiatives related to areas such as academic programs, faculty development, student success, optimization of academic revenue streams and the fiscal impact of enrollment fluctuations. Take a lead role in the change management necessary for success.Partner with the Provost, CHRO, and Deans to model and manage the long-term fiscal impact of faculty affairs, including the competitive structuring of start-up packages, retention funding, tenure-track line allocations, and instructional capacity planning across all 20 colleges.Oversee the execution of innovative operational plans and systems for integrated financial operations and budgeting processes strategically aligning the administration of academics with the University's strategic goals.Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across the colleges and with other central administrative units to integrate financial efforts related to the CFO's responsibilities.Proactively identify and fix the root causes of financial challenges and opportunities related to academic strategic priorities.Financial Evaluation & Business Planning:Oversee the preparation of business and operational plans, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of financial viability and strategic alignment.Develop a standardized process for and conduct comprehensive financial due diligence for new programs and initiatives, ensuring a thorough examination of financial considerations.Drive continuous improvement initiatives in financial evaluation processes, utilizing technology and data analytics for enhanced efficiency.Provide expertise in financial risk assessment, contributing to the development of risk mitigation strategies.Management Reporting & Relationships:In partnership with the CFO, serve as functional point of contact for deans and other college leaders.Oversee the monthly management reporting process for administrative and strategic financial activities - both for the entire academic business function and for each college - providing the CFO, Provost, and Deans with strategic insights and conducting in-depth variance analysis to facilitate a nuanced understanding of performance.Establish a robust framework for financial management reporting for the CFO and Provost, incorporating relevant benchmarks and best practices for central academic business administrative functions in higher education.Lead the identification and management of risks and opportunities related to the financial health and strategic initiatives of the colleges, employing a proactive approach to ensure a comprehensive view of potential impacts on outcomes.Represent the CFO, the Provost, Deans and colleges in university-wide committees and working groups related to administrative and strategic financial matters.Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Advanced Mastery of Higher Education Finance: Deep knowledge of fund accounting, RCM (Responsibility Center Management) or similar decentralized budget models, and the complex regulatory environment of a public R1 research institution.Strategic Influence and Conflict Resolution: Proven ability to navigate high-stakes "matrixed" reporting lines and build consensus among stakeholders with competing priorities (e.g., balancing a Dean’s desire for growth with a CFO’s requirement for fiscal discipline).Data-Driven Executive Decision Making: Proven ability to synthesize massive datasets - such as enrollment trends, research expenditures, and instructional costs - into clear, actionable financial narratives for the CFO, Provost, and Deans.Large-Scale Organizational Transformation: Extensive experience leading "Community of Practice"/"Unified Operational Ecosystem" models for 200+ employees, with a track record of standardizing business processes across historically siloed or autonomous academic units.Sophisticated Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex financial concepts into "academic-speak" for academic leaders and "business-speak" for central administrative senior leaders, as well as the ability to translate input from those in academic units to help finance staff better understand how to help the units.This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.Minimum QualificationsMasters in Business Administration, Finance, Higher Education Administration, or similar disciplineMinimum of 13 years of related work experience, including 9 years of strategic-level leadership experience, preferably in large complex institutions or organizations - with extensive, demonstrated experience in leading distributed-workforce finance teams, projects, programs, and similar functions.Preferred QualificationsCurrent held/updated Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) or similar related professional certification in finance or related fields.FLSAExempt Full Time/Part TimeFull TimeNumber of Hours Worked per Week40 Job FTE1.0Work CalendarFiscalJob CategoryFinanceBenefits EligibleYes - Full Benefits Rate of PayDOECompensation Typesalary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE) GradeEXECCompensation GuidanceThe Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity. The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator. Career Stream and LevelM6Job FamilyFinance Business Partner Job FunctionFinance Type of criminal background check required:Fingerprint criminal background check (security sensitive due to job duties) Number of Vacancies1 Target Hire Date9/15/2026 Expected End DateContact Information for CandidatesThomas McDonald, View email address on click.appcast.io Date7/21/2026Open Until FilledYesDocuments Needed to ApplyResume and Cover LetterSpecial Instructions to ApplicantNotice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety ReportIn compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses. These reports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures. Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at View email address on click.appcast.io.