Vice Dean, Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer

USC Marshall School of Business
Vice Dean of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer

The USC Marshall School of Business seeks an accomplished, collaborative, and forward-looking leader to serve as Vice Dean of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. Reporting to the Interim Dean and serving as a key member of the school’s senior leadership team, the Vice Dean will provide strategic leadership across Marshall’s financial and administrative operations and help position the school for continued academic excellence, innovation, and long-term success.

This is a broad and influential leadership role extending well beyond traditional financial management. The Vice Dean will serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Dean, Vice Deans, Associate Deans, faculty leaders, and administrative leadership, helping the school evaluate opportunities, navigate complex tradeoffs, and align its resources and operations with its academic mission and strategic priorities.

The Vice Dean will bring together financial insight, operational expertise, and a deep understanding of the higher education environment. They will ensure that school leaders have timely, relevant, and actionable information to support sound decisions. The successful candidate will anticipate emerging needs, translate complex financial and operational matters into clear options, and balance analytical rigor with the responsiveness required in a dynamic academic institution.

The Vice Dean oversees Administrative Services, Financial Services, Human Resources and Payroll, Information Technology and Facilities. They will lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization, establish clear expectations and accountability, strengthen leadership capacity, and build sustainable systems that support continuity and effective service across the school.

Equally important, the Vice Dean will be a visible and trusted member of the Marshall community. They will understand and value the distinct perspectives of faculty and staff, approach challenges with curiosity and flexibility, and cultivate relationships grounded in competence, transparency, respect, and a shared commitment to the school’s mission.

The role also represents Marshall in university-wide planning and works closely with central partners across finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, research administration, and other administrative functions.

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the Dean and senior leadership team on financial strategy, resource allocation, operational priorities, and long-range planning.
• Align financial and operational decisions with Marshall’s academic mission, strategic objectives, and institutional priorities.
• Provide timely financial analysis, forecasts, scenario planning, and recommendations that help leaders evaluate opportunities, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Lead the development and oversight of the school’s annual budget, multi-year financial plans, and business plans for new programs and strategic initiatives.
• Provide strategic oversight of finance and budget, human resources and payroll, information technology, facilities, administrative services, and sponsored projects administration.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team by establishing clear expectations, strengthening accountability, developing talent, and supporting succession planning.
• Guide organizational planning, including structures, staffing strategies, operational processes, and service-delivery models.
• Partner effectively with faculty, staff, school leaders, and central university offices to address complex needs and advance shared priorities.
• Build trust across the Marshall community through collaborative leadership, transparent…