Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations

Position ID: 01001740

Position Summary
The Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations (Vice Chancellor) reports to the Chancellor and is a key member of the executive leadership team, working closely with the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Equal Opportunity, and the Board of Trustees. The Vice Chancellor is responsible for the sound and strategic management of the University’s financial resources.

As a counselor to the Chancellor and Provost this person will help drive and implement change. The Vice Chancellor will assess the current capabilities of the organization and identify areas to be improved by ensuring that appropriate resources are available throughout the University to support achievement of the University’s strategic plan, Carolina Next: Innovations for Public Good.

The Vice Chancellor provides strategic leadership to, and direction of, the University Finance and Operations functions. Administration responsibilities include: Finance and Financial Operations; Facilities Services; and Real Estate Operations. The Vice Chancellor also works with various internal and external constituencies, particularly the administration of the UNC System, to improve the effectiveness of the University’s financial and business operations.

Specific responsibilities of this position include:

Developing a productive and effective working relationship with the University’s leadership; forecasting and anticipating financial issues, as well as opportunities and proactively positioning the University to best navigate a dynamic financial landscape; meaningfully contributing as a university leader in developing and executing the institution’s financial strategy, including its cash management, treasury, and capital structure; effectively overseeing the university’s financial well-being which includes financial planning, budgeting and general accounting; actively engaging the University’s efforts to become more innovative and cost effective in its administrative practices; communicating effectively with the Chancellor, Provost, Board of Trustees, financial markets, UNC System, state regulators, and internal constituencies including the deans and leaders of major operating units; serving as a role model in supporting the University’s core values and abiding by the University’s guidelines, by-laws, and policies.

The position will identify and reduce inefficiency of operations, optimize the investment of working capital, evaluate ROI on capital improvements, and achieve a greater effectiveness in financial management, processes and reporting. This work will require leading analysis of actual versus planned results and communicating with senior leaders the cause(s) of variances, the action to be taken and the expected outcomes.

The ideal candidate will provide key constituents with timely and clear communications regarding university financial performance and improvement initiatives. Especially important is the ability to establish appropriate metrics to measure and motivate improved business unit performance. This individual will also be responsible for the recruitment, development, motivation, and retention of talent sufficient to meet the University’s current and future needs.

The Vice Chancellor must be able to embrace and articulate the values that make UNC-Chapel Hill distinctive and have a genuine appreciation for the richness of the experience of and interest in the promotion of higher education, professional education, research, medical services, community development and service. The ideal candidate will be a true champion of diversity and inclusion, seeking to continue the University’s commitment in that regard. The ideal candidate will also have an appreciation of the importance of students to the University’s mission and operating structure, as well as UNC’s historic role as a proudly public institution.

Educational Requirements
Relevant post-baccalaureate degree required or an undergraduate degree with 10 years or greater of related professional experience.

Qualifications and Experience
The University seeks a collaborative leader with a distinguished record of outstanding professional accomplishment. The Vice Chancellor serves at the pleasure of the Chancellor, with a five-year review. While no one person will embody all the qualities enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal characteristics: Outstanding administrative leadership capacity and a true commitment to a diverse university; excellent communication and presentation skills for a variety of audiences such as boards, deans, faculty, staff, students, policy makers, and regulators; experience as a senior executive officer in an institution of higher education, a foundation, a healthcare center, or government or business organization of relevant size and complexity with financial, business, capital improvement, and plant management responsibilities; experience with a wide variety of financing techniques, endowments, major construction, renovation and maintenance programs; experience with financial forecasting and anticipating financial issues as developing a financial strategy and budgeting; a record of significant leadership responsibility and accomplishments in planning and implementing major business and financial systems; knowledge of trends in enterprise resource management systems is required, as is experience in dealing with local, state, and federal legislative and regulatory processes as they affect public universities; experience managing and working across diverse units (i.e., healthcare, athletics, education etc.); experience with major academic health centers is highly desirable in this research-intensive environment and experience with the federal budgeting process as it affects higher education institutions.

Please apply online at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/186503

Equal Opportunity Employer 
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.