Chief Financial Officer / Executive Vice President for Finance

Get Set for Cumberlands!

Join our team of student-focused individuals working together in order to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth, leadership and service.

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Serves as the University’s chief financial strategist, principal financial advisor to the President, and a proactive thought partner in shaping the institution’s future. Leads long-range financial strategy, enterprise capital allocation, investment stewardship, major financing, legal-counsel coordination, and cross-divisional enterprise risk coordination. Anticipates disruption in higher education and identifies financially sound opportunities for transformative operational initiatives, emerging delivery models, strategic partnerships, and other institutional investments. Retains executive accountability for financial integrity while delegating day-to-day finance operations to the Vice President for Finance.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Institutional Investment

· Advise the President and executive leadership on long-term financial positioning, growth opportunities, competitive threats, higher education disruption, and consequential institutional decisions.

· Lead five- to ten-year financial planning and scenario analysis; assess alternative operating models, enrollment and pricing assumptions, program expansion, partnerships, acquisitions, technology investments, and other significant initiatives.

· Lead strategic capital allocation and develop financially sustainable funding approaches for major operational and capital initiatives; articulate expected mission impact, risks, cash requirements, and returns.

· Lead financial and operational review and approval of major operational and capital decisions within established authority limits; elevate matters requiring presidential or Board action.

Financial Stewardship, Investments and Capital

· Set institutional financial strategy, liquidity and debt parameters, financial policy direction, and annual budget priorities; review major variances and institutional performance.

· Provide oversight of investment and endowment strategy, advisor relationships, and recommendations to the finance board committee; ensure adherence to Board-approved investment and spending policies.

· Provide executive oversight of institutional treasury operations, banking relationships, borrowing, debt structure, liquidity management, and financing activities.

· Oversee the integrity of institutional financial reporting, internal controls, external audits, tax filings, and regulatory financial reporting.

Governance, Legal and Enterprise Risk

· Serve as the University’s primary financial advisor to the Board of Trustees and its finance, audit, and investment committees; provide clear, forward-looking financial analysis and recommendations.

· Serve as the primary University liaison to outside legal counsel, coordinating with responsible executives and referring legal judgments to counsel.

· Lead cross-divisional enterprise risk coordination, including risk identification, prioritization, mitigation ownership, and escalation; respect operational accountability residing with other executives.

· Review strategic or material contracts for financial and institutional risk; work with legal counsel as appropriate.

Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness

· Provide executive leadership for the finance organization, including talent development, succession planning, performance expectations, and accountability for financial and service outcomes.

· Promote financial transparency, sound governance, constructive challenge, ethical stewardship, and forward-looking analysis across the University.

· Establish priorities for financial technology, data analytics, automation, and innovation to strengthen institutional decision-making and operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or related discipline required; advanced degree and/or CPA preferred.

· Substantial progressive senior financial leadership experience in a complex institution; higher education or nonprofit experience desirable.

· Demonstrated ability to advise chief executives, evaluate major investments, lead long-range strategy, manage capital and investment relationships, and communicate effectively with governing boards.

· Sound understanding of accounting, internal controls, treasury, audit, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk; exceptional judgment, collaboration, and executive communication.

· Prior endowment and investment experience preferred.

Mission and Leadership Expectations

Advance the University’s mission of providing quality, affordable education grounded in Christian principles and leadership through service. Model the institutional values of Serve, Elevate, and Innovate through integrity, sound judgment, collaboration, and stewardship.

Other duties consistent with the position may be assigned. This description is subject to applicable law and University and Board policies.

Cumberlands is different by design. Our employees exemplify our motto in the pursuit of a

“life-more-abundant.”