Vice President Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer

Insero Talent Solutions is honored to be partnering with St. John Fisher University in their retained search for the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer.

The Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer serves as the University’s senior financial officer, reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet. The Vice President is a strategic partner to the President, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership team, advancing the University’s mission through effective stewardship of financial, physical, technological, and organizational resources.

The position manages an operating budget of $127 million, net investment in the physical plant of $193 million, and an endowment of $187 million.

The Vice President provides leadership for Financial Affairs and a broad portfolio of administrative functions that support the University’s operations and strategic priorities. The position oversees the Controller, Chief Information Officer, Director of Facilities Planning and Construction, and Director of Facilities Services. It also serves as a primary contact and is the principal liaison to external auditors, ratings agencies, insurance brokers, investment advisors, and the Board of Trustees’ Audit, Compliance, and Risk Committee and Finance as well as the Facilities Committee, including its Investment Subcommittee.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative and thoughtful leader who approaches their work with integrity and sound judgment. Joining a community guided by its mission and values, the Vice President will play a vital role in advancing Fisher’s commitment to developing purposeful leaders through an educational experience rooted in our Catholic heritage and guided by our Basilian tradition.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership and Planning:

• Advise the President and senior leadership on financial planning, budget modeling, enterprise risk management, administrative operations, and potential strategic partnerships that support the University’s mission and long-term sustainability.
• Develop and execute long-range financial strategies aligned with the University’s mission and strategic plan.
• Oversee and drive institution-wide planning for capital projects, campus master planning, the benefits program, and strategic resource allocation, ensuring alignment with long-term institutional goals and campus stakeholder needs.
• Develop, analyze, and implement effective and innovative budget, financial, and administrative strategies. Promote transparency, accountability, collegial and participatory leadership, inclusive decision-making, and team building across administrative units and all segments of the University community.

Financial Oversight and Treasury Management:

• Manage the University’s $127 million budget and provide strategic oversight of budget development and execution, financial planning, forecasting, reporting, debt management, and the collaborative development of the institution’s long-range financial needs.
• Continuously improve operating and capital budget systems and related reporting and forecasting practices; monitor expenditures and resolve budget-related issues.
• Oversee treasury operations, cash flow management, banking relationships, and liquidity planning to ensure sufficient funds for operational needs and strategic initiatives.
• Implement effective cash management practices and investment strategies intended to maximize returns while maintaining the liquidity and safety of University funds.
• Monitor internal controls over all areas of functional responsibility and maintain appropriate recordkeeping practices and accounting controls over assets, liabilities, and…