Chief Financial Officer

Clark Atlanta University

Chief Financial Officer

Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is a comprehensive, private, urban, coeducational institution of higher education with a predominantly African American heritage. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, CAU offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, as well as certificate programs, to students of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Forty major areas of study are offered across four schools – Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, and Social Work. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Morehouse School of Medicine) that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions. CAU is classified by Carnegie as R2: Doctoral Universities - Higher Research Activity and is the only private, independent graduate research institution in the HBCU community, and the only HBCU member of the Georgia Research Alliance.

Clark Atlanta University seeks a highly strategic, dynamic, and proven financial leader to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to build on the successes of the current finance organization. Reporting directly to the President, the CFO is responsible for implementing policies and procedures that strengthen the overall fiscal operations and effectiveness of the University in line with CAU’s mission, vision, and goals. The CFO serves as the chief fiscal officer for the University and directs major functions in areas that include annual planning and budget development, capital improvement financial planning, long-range and strategic planning, investments and endowment management, internal audit functions, and procurement operations.

The CFO serves as financial advisor to the President and is involved in policy development. This senior executive leader also advises the President and leadership regarding financial management and the budget administration, which includes the University’s operating budget, capital budget, and the budget for the Division of Finance and Administration.

The CFO provides strategic leadership and goal-setting in the development of a financial and capital plan which reflect institutional priorities and future directions. They develop and oversee the university budget, revenues, and expenditures as well as developing financial plans and financial analysis models for the campus, which include innovative solutions, strategies, and procedures. The CFO collaborates with other university divisions in support of philanthropy as well as regarding endowment management and real estate. This role also engages colleagues from other universities regarding financial management, resource allocation, and trends and developments nationwide. Further, they develop and promote a process of review, assessment, and continuous improvement of existing financial and administrative policies and procedures. The CFO ensures that effective financial and operational controls are in place to support current business needs and future growth.

The successful candidate will be collaborative, effective, and bring a track record of leading the fiscal functions of a complex institution. They will have demonstrated expertise in the development and implementation of strategic financial plans and a history of leadership in policy formation, including planning, assessment, project accounting, grant, and general administration.

The successful candidate will bring significant business acumen and experience partnering with leadership and boards. They will further innovation and enable the University to ambitiously pursue new opportunities. The CFO will bring a high level of familiarity in real estate, debt management, and investments. Experience with managing an endowment is mandatory. They will have a Master’s degree in business or a closely related field and bring at least ten years of accounting, finance, and business management experience in a leadership role, with five of those years being in a supervisory capacity.

Interested individuals should provide their resumé or curriculum vitae (Microsoft Word or PDF strongly preferred). All inquiries, nominations, and applications should be sent to:

John McNaught and Joi Hayes-Scott

Consultants to the Search Committee

Russell Reynolds Associates

ClarkAtlantaUniversityCFOSearch@russellreynolds.com