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Title: Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer (VPFA/CFO)
STATUS: Full-time, exempt
Reports to: President

Primary Purpose and Position Summary

Working in close partnership with the President, Cabinet, and the Board of Trustees the VPFA/CFO will play a central role in shaping the University's future. The VPFA/CFO will provide strategic leadership and long-range planning to advance the financial health, strategic priorities and mission of the University. The successful candidate will bring a demonstrated ability to lead within a complex, mission-driven, tuition (revenue)-dependent environment, while advancing innovation, organizational effectiveness, and service excellence. In addition, the VPFA/CFO will lead a talented team in the Business Office and Operations, as well as work collaboratively through shared governance and professional relationships across campus.

Dominican University has been located in beautiful River Forest, IL for over 100 years, and the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters who founded us prioritized the creation of a beautiful campus environment to enrich students’ experience and promote academic excellence. That spirit and pride in our beautiful campus continues today. Over the last five years, Dominican has been in a period of growth, including expansion to a new campus location in the city of Chicago. In the same time period, our endowment grew approximately 40% (to approximately 70M) and we restructured and lowered our debt (approximately 25M). The majority of our students commute, however close to 700 students live in residence halls in River Forest and Chicago. Our footprint in River Forest is limited for expansion, so some athletics facilities for practice and competitions are in rented spaces off-campus. Dominican is ranked regionally #1 Best Value in the Midwest, and #3 in Social Mobility, illustrating our commitment to keeping our costs low for our undergraduate students, supporting access and success for students with high financial need and first generation college students.

VPF/CFO will develop, regularly update and communicate a forward plan with multi-year projections, in a complex, changing higher education environment. In collaboration with senior leaders, the VPFA/CFO will play a leadership role in the revenue generation strategy as well the strategic allocation of resources to achieve our goals. In addition, the VPFA/CFO will need to balance fiscal stewardship with operational effectiveness, compensation/benefits strategy, facilities and infrastructure management, and new strategic investments. The successful candidate will be skilled in the use of benchmarks to assess progress, assessment of existing and potential initiatives, and reallocation of resources to respond to changing trends.

While the VPF/CFO provides leadership for financial management, financial health is a shared responsibility requiring stewardship across the University. The successful candidate will be a valued colleague to other senior leaders and a trusted advisor to the President and Board, particularly in matters of financial management. In addition, this leader will communicate clearly and transparently to campus constituents about university finances and will appropriately engage stakeholder groups through shared governance (such as faculty and staff) and Trustees to inform decision-making.

The VPFA/CFO will work closely with their leadership team to oversee key functions in the VPFA/CFO Portfolio which include:
- Budget and Financial Planning
- Facilities and Capital Planning
- Purchasing and Contracts
- Student Accounts
- Accounting and Cash Management
- Campus Safety
- Environmental Health and Sustainability/Efficiency
- University Services (Mail Services, Printing and Vehicle Fleet)
- Auxiliary Services

Key Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President will:
- Advance Dominican’s mission, vision, and values through leadership that promotes assessment, continuous improvement, accountability, excellence, and celebration of accomplishments.
- Provide strategic vision and leadership for the division, identifying innovative and practical solutions within private, tuition-driven higher education environment.
- Establish and communicate both short-term financial and capital priorities and long-range goals aligned with the University's strategic plan.
- Serve as the University's Chief Financial Officer, overseeing budget development, financial planning, accounting, revenue management, and fiscal forecasting. Advise the President, Cabinet and Board on financial strategy, resource allocation, and budget performance.
- Provide leadership and oversight of campus operations, facilities planning, maintenance, and infrastructure initiatives that support teaching, learning, student success, and institutional vitality.
- Lead the planning and implementation of infrastructure modernization efforts that promote wellness, sustainability, operational efficiency, and the successful recruitment and retention of students.
- Recruit, supervise, mentor, and develop staff in the unit while fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, succession planning, and continuous professional growth.
- Within the unit, promote high-quality customer service, collaboration, and strong partnerships both within the division and across the University.
- Champion a culture of data-informed decision-making, assessment, and continuous evaluation of divisional programs and services.
- Collaborate with the Vice President of People and Culture to analyze and implement our comprehensive compensation and benefits strategy for employees.
- Oversee the University's Capital Master Plan including project prioritization, execution and regular review and updates.
- Partner with University Advancement to support fundraising initiatives, capital campaigns, and state and federal funding to drive strategic priorities.
- Serve as the Cabinet liaison to Board of Trustee committees and working groups.
- Build and maintain productive working relationships with key external constituent groups, including village and city leadership, campus neighbors, and institutional partners.
- Stay current on emerging trends, best practices, and innovations in finance, administration, facilities management, infrastructure planning, and private higher education.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and University policies, regulations, and requirements.
- Maintain appropriate confidentiality and exercise sound judgment regarding sensitive institutional information.
- Work collaboratively within a shared-governance environment to promote careful stewardship of resources and drive the strategic plan.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the President.

Required Qualifications and Experiences:

- Bachelor’s Degree
- 7+ years of progressively responsibility experience related to the position description
- Demonstrated success of managing and developing a team
- Demonstrated knowledge of planning, budgeting, audits and financial controls
- Excellent personal integrity and demonstrated experience with discretion and confidentiality
- Strong communication skills, including experience communicating financial models to a diverse audience

Desired Qualifications and Experiences:

- Masters degree and/or specialized certifications such as CPA, CMA
- Experience in leading a group or organization through change with transparency, collaboration, empathy, and problem solving skills
- Experience in capital planning and/or incident response management
- Experience leading multiple, diverse units

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

- Ability to spend long durations of the workday sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times

Note: accommodations will be made for candidates who do not meet these physical demands

SALARY AND FLSA STATUS

- Salary: $220,000 to 250,000 annually.

For an experienced candidate, with prior CFO (or comparable) experiences, a senior vice president title (and commensurate salary) may be considered.
FLSA Status: Exempt, Full-time (37.5 hours).
This is an in-person position, located in River Forest with occasional travel to our Chicago campus and other meetings with partners and relevant organizations. Current HR policies allow one remote day per week (when possible).
Review of applications will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. The goal is for the appointment to start on or before April 1, 2027, to allow for a short overlap with our retiring CFO.

KEY BENEFITS

- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- Retirement plan with employer matching contributions
- Professional development opportunities
- Tuition remission for employees and their dependents
- Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
- Generous paid time off (PTO)

Employment at Dominican University is contingent upon the successful completion of a background investigation.

About Dominican University

Dominican University is a Catholic, comprehensive teaching university located in River Forest, a suburb of Chicago, with an additional campus in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Dominican University offers associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It is highly regarded for its academic rigor, thoughtful accompaniment of students, intentional affordability, and values-based, relationship-centered learning environment.

Dominican currently enrolls over 3,900 students, approximately 70% undergraduate students. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of undergraduate students identify as Latinx, 5% as Black or African American, and 3% as Asian. Under-represented minority students comprise 77% of the undergraduate enrollment and 38% of the graduate enrollment. Over 90 percent of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. Nearly half of all undergraduates are first-generation college students; over half are federal Pell Grant recipients, illustrating their families’ level of income; and 58% are eligible for MAP grants from the State of Illinois.

Recognized since 2011 as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education, Dominican is committed to expanding and enhancing educational opportunities for Latinx students and all students from historically underrepresented groups.

Expectations for all Dominican Employees:

To support the University's mission of preparing students to pursue truth, give compassionate service, and participate in the creation of a more just and humane world, engage in university service work that promotes collaboration and community building. This includes participating in organizational initiatives, supporting campus events, contributing to community outreach, and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment through involvement in various staff-driven activities and groups.

Institutional Statement

Dominican University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Dominican University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, and candidates from diverse backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need accommodations due to a disability, you may contact us at opc@dom.edu for assistance.