Vice President, Administration & Finance / Chief Financial Officer

Mission of the Role

Applicants are encouraged to review the Vice President, Administration & Finance / Chief Financial Officer Prospectus linked here. CBU Executive Search Profile - VPAF / CFO p rofile for comprehensive details on the position, institutional context, leadership expectations, and application requirements.

The Vice President for Administration & Finance / Chief Financial Officer serves as the University's chief administrative officer and ensures effective, efficient, and mission-aligned delivery of administrative services including financial stewardship, facilities, information technology, human resources, and institutional risk management supporting the long-term sustainability of Christian Brothers University.

Position Summary

The VPAF/CFO provides strategic and operational leadership for the University's financial and administrative enterprise. This role is responsible for:

• the integrity of CBU's financial systems, reporting, controls, budgeting, and long-range financial planning,
• the leadership and performance of key administrative divisions (Finance/Accounting, Financial Aid, Facilities, Information Technology, and Human Resources),
• the contractual oversight of key outsourced services (including dining/food service and bookstore), ensuring service quality, compliance, value, and alignment with institutional priorities, and
• stewardship support for institutional financial assets, including endowment and investment governance in partnership with University leadership and the Board.
• The VPAF/CFO is a principal advisor to the President and Board on financial strategy, risk, and operational performance, and serves as a Cabinet-level leader who strengthens cross-functional alignment and disciplined execution.

Operating Philosophy: Vision, Traction, Healthy (VTH)

CBU expects the VPAF/CFO to strengthen the institution through three leadership disciplines:

• Vision: ensuring leadership alignment on the financial and operational destination, the few priorities that matter most, and the plan/assumptions to reach sustainability.
• Traction: ensuring disciplined execution clear ownership, measurable scorecards, meeting cadence, issue-resolution, and accountability that turns plans into results.
• Healthy: building a cohesive leadership environment marked by trust, candor, and cross-functional collaboration (solving real issues quickly and reducing silos).
  “Integrator + Strategist” Expectations

1)Integrator (Traction Leader for Administration & Finance)

The VPAF/CFO creates alignment across administrative functions, drives a consistent operating cadence, and ensures follow-through on priorities?so financial and operational plans become measurable outcomes and reliable service delivery.

2)Institutional Strategist (Long-Range Financial & Operating Model Leader)

The VPAF/CFO is a principal architect of CBU's long-range financial model, scenario planning, and institutional resource strategy anticipating risks, identifying options, and guiding sustainable decisions that protect mission, academic strength, and student success.

Key Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

A. Financial Strategy, Planning, Controls, and Stewardship

• Lead comprehensive annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning, including scenario modeling, enrollment sensitivity analysis, cash forecasting, margin improvement planning, and capital funding strategy.
• Ensure strong internal controls, audit readiness, regulatory compliance, and accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Provide decision support and clear financial narratives to the President, Cabinet, and Board: risks, tradeoffs, options, and recommendations.

B. Finance & Accounting Leadership (Direct Report Area)

• Provide executive leadership for Finance/Accounting, including controller functions, accounting operations, purchasing/procurement practices, treasury/cash management, and financial systems integrity.
• Establish service standards and performance metrics for Finance operations (close calendars, reporting SLAs, procurement cycle time, compliance measures, etc.).

C. Financial Aid Leadership (Direct Report Area)

• Provide executive oversight of Financial Aid to ensure compliance, student-centered service delivery, and alignment with enrollment strategy and net tuition revenue goals.
• Strengthen aid packaging, disbursement processes, and internal controls while improving responsiveness and the student experience.

D. Information Technology Leadership (Direct Report Area)

• Provide executive leadership for Information Technology to ensure reliable, secure, and mission-supporting technology services for students, faculty, and staff.
• Lead IT strategy and governance (prioritization, budgeting, vendor management, cybersecurity posture, data integrity, continuity planning).
• Ensure technology enablement across the institution supporting academic delivery, student services, enrollment operations, analytics/reporting, and operational efficiency.

E. Facilities, Plant Operations, and Capital Planning (Direct Report Area)

• Provide executive oversight for Facilities and Plant Operations, including maintenance, life-safety, deferred maintenance planning, project management oversight, and space planning.
• Lead a multi-year facilities renewal and capital plan tied to risk, compliance, student experience, and affordability.

F. Human Resources Leadership (Direct Report Area)

• Provide executive leadership for Human Resources to ensure high-quality HR operations and a strong employee experience aligned with mission and institutional needs.
• Oversee and strengthen talent acquisition and onboarding, performance management, employee relations, compensation strategy, benefits administration, training and development, and HR compliance.
• Partner with Cabinet leaders to build a healthy culture with clear expectations, fair policies, and consistent leadership standards.
• Ensure HR risk management practices are strong (documentation, investigations/response protocols, training, and compliance readiness).

G. Endowment & Investment / Fund Management (Board-Facing Stewardship)

• Provide executive oversight and coordination for endowment and investment governance in partnership with the President, Advancement leadership (as applicable), and the Board's Investment/Finance structures.
• Support and maintain key governance components, including investment policy statement (IPS) alignment, advisor/manager oversight, performance reporting, risk posture review, and appropriate internal controls related to invested assets.
• Ensure clear and timely investment reporting to leadership and the Board (performance vs. benchmarks, spending/withdrawal implications, liquidity considerations, and risk factors).
• Coordinate endowment spending policy integration into annual and multi-year budgets, ensuring sustainability and mission alignment.
• Ensure donor restrictions and related fund accounting requirements are properly tracked and reflected in financial reporting and stewardship.

H. Contracts, Procurement, and Vendor/Outsourcing Governance

• Negotiate and approve major University contracts and manage vendor performance standards, renewal discipline, and contract compliance.
• Dining/Food Service and Bookstore: Provide contractual and performance oversight (service levels, financial terms, compliance, student satisfaction measures, renewal decisions). This role does not supervise day-to-day operations of dining or bookstore services.
• Establish a consistent vendor management framework: SLAs, KPIs, escalation paths, contract owner accountability, and documented review cadence.

I. Risk Management and Insurance

• Lead enterprise risk management practices appropriate to a university environment; oversee insurance strategy, renewals, claims coordination, and risk mitigation planning.
• Ensure risk review is integrated into decision-making for contracts, facilities, technology, and major institutional initiatives.

J. Policies, Compliance, and Institutional Effectiveness (Admin Areas)

• Ensure administrative policies and procedures are current, consistently applied, and aligned to best practice and mission expectations.
• Strengthen process discipline, documentation, training, and compliance readiness across administrative domains.

K. Integrator Cadence: Turning Plans into Results

• Establish a disciplined operating rhythm for Administration & Finance (leadership meetings, scorecard reviews, issue lists, decision logs, and quarterly priority-setting).
• Drive clarity and accountability across direct reports: clear goals, owners, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
• Improve cross-functional execution with Enrollment, Student Success, Academic Affairs, and Advancement (especially where finance, aid, HR, IT, and facilities directly affect student outcomes).

L. Cabinet and Board Engagement

• Serve as a member of the President's Cabinet; contribute to institution-wide strategy and execution.
• Support Board committees as assigned (e.g., finance, investment, audit/risk, plant/facilities), including preparation of materials and clear reporting on performance and risks.
• Communicate complex financial and operational information with clarity and transparency to build trust and accelerate decision‑making.

M. Other Duties

• Perform other similar activities as assigned by the President.
• Direct Reports and Supervisory Scope

The VPAF/CFO directly supervises and evaluates the leaders of the following areas:

• Finance & Accounting
• Financial Aid
• Facilities / Plant Operations
• Information Technology
• Human Resources
• In addition, the VPAF/CFO holds contract governance responsibility (not operational supervision) for outsourced services such as:
• Dining/Food Service (contract-managed)
• Bookstore (contract-managed)

Required Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in Finance and Administration (higher education preferred; comparable complexity considered).
• Demonstrated ability to operate as both an Integrator (alignment + execution) and a Strategist
  (long-range modeling, scenario planning, risk-informed decision‑making).
• Strong financial leadership background (budgeting, controls, reporting, forecasting, audit readiness).
• Experience leading complex service organizations with multiple functional areas and cross‑campus stakeholders.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Christian Brothers University and Catholic/Lasallian higher education.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field; MBA and/or CPA preferred.
• Experience overseeing IT strategy and cybersecurity governance.
• Experience overseeing financial aid operations (compliance, packaging strategy, service improvement).
• Experience leading human resources functions in a complex organization.
• Experience with outsourced service contracts (dining/auxiliary vendor governance, performance and renewal discipline).
• Board-facing experience including committee support and high‑trust executive communication.

Leadership Attributes (What "Excellent" Looks Like at CBU)

• Integrator mindset: reduces complexity, drives clarity, and ensures follow-through.
• Strategist mindset: anticipates risks, frames options, and aligns resources to mission and outcomes.
• Stewardship orientation: protects institutional assets and ensures responsible, transparent decision‑making.
• Service reliability: builds dependable systems and improves responsiveness for students, faculty, and staff.
• Trusted partner: transparent, steady, solutions‑oriented, and collaborative across divisions.