Vice President Finance and Administration & Chief Financial Officer

Posting Summary

Position Title

Position Title Vice President for Finance and Administration & Chief Financial Officer

Overview

St. John Fisher University is an independent, liberal arts institution that provides a transformative education to approximately 3,800 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students each year. Across its five Schools, Fisher offers more than 40 majors in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business, education, nursing, and pharmacy; 11 pre-professional programs; and master’s and doctoral programs in business, nursing, education, and pharmacy.

The University’s residential campus boasts a robust living and learning community and a successful intercollegiate athletics program. Fisher is a community where all are welcome, regardless of religious or cultural background.

The University continues to honor its founders, the Congregation of St. Basil, by embracing their motto, "Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge." We are located in Pittsford, N.Y., seven miles outside of the city of Rochester. The campus is situated on 164 park-like acres - a beautiful setting for a warm, friendly campus community.

Job Responsibilities

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.

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…