VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY

Division of Business Affairs

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION: Chief Financial Officer

Reports To: Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND AUTHORITY:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Virginia Union University (VUU) will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The successful candidate will provide leadership and comprehensive oversight, management, and supervision of VUU’s Finance function. The CFO will enhance the internal organizational processes and infrastructure to facilitate VUU’s ability to fulfill its mission. The CFO will be a key member of the leadership team that is responsible for the operational efficiency of the organization as it builds capacity to support its goals of growth and expansion. The CFO will be a doer, managing, leading, and mentoring of 29 responsible for Accounting, Auxiliary Services, Payroll, Student Accounts, Procurement, Control, and Budget. The CFO will serve as a business advisor to VUU’s leadership team.

In addition to overseeing the financial operations of VUU, the CFO will play a critical role in planning and executing the growth and evolution of the organization. This is an excellent opportunity for an innovative and disciplined finance manager who brings a proven record of creative problem-solving and strengthening infrastructure to work in a growing, mission-driven organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Operational Support & Process Improvement
• Enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce policies and procedures through systems and processes that will improve overall infrastructure operations, efficiency, and effectiveness under his/her direction.
• Perform analysis of financial data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls.
• Drive the improvement of budgeting systems, procurement, and payroll.
• Evaluate the finance organizational structure and team to identify opportunities and strengths.
• Design, establish, and maintain staffing and an organizational structure to effectively accomplish the department function; recruits, supervises, and evaluates departmental staff; directs the implementation of staff learning and development.
• Conduct projects, studies and analyses as assigned by the University’s COO and CEO.
• Establish and implement short- and long-range organizational goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures; monitors and evaluates process effectiveness; effects changes required for improvement.

Risk Management:

• Develop and implement a system for evaluating all VUU’s outside vendor contracts.
• Analyze and evaluate the performance of outside vendors against contractual agreements; remediates issues, waste, and redundancies.
• Lead and manage contract renewal / RFP bid process.
• Maintain working of knowledge of insurance policies and manages relationship with insurance companies.
• Develop and execute document retention and destruction policy.
• In collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, develop and deliver educational training to staff focused on fiscal accountability, budget management and vendor and risk management.
• Ensure timely receipt of the school’s audit performed by the external auditor.
• Coordinate completion of requests from the school’s internal auditor related to the areas under his/her direction.

Financial Planning & Analysis:

• Lead the Executive Leadership Team in the development and management of the institution’s annual budget with timely kickoffs and completions.
• Perform cost and productivity analyses.
• Create and implement sound budget and finance policies that enable successful completion of VUU’s mission.
• Develop and implement expense management approaches and budget forecasting methodology.
• Report monthly and annual budget actuals.
• Provide guidance on budget allocations and planning.

Reporting:

• Ensures timely and accurate financial reporting in accordance with regulations and requirements imposed by general accepted accounting principles (i.e., GAAP), the Government Accounting Standards Board (i.e., GASB), Financial Accounting Standards Board (i.e., FASB).
• Manages financial and compliance reporting in the area under the direction of the COO and CEO.
• Provides timely and accurate analysis of federal financial reports.
• Ensures that all board reporting, accreditation reporting, surveys, and compliance reports are completed timely and accurately.
• Completes financial statement ratios and provides monthly dashboards on Finance function.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• An undergraduate degree in accounting, finance, or related field from an accredited college or university required; a master’s degree and CPA preferred.
• Minimum six years of progressively more responsibility in leading Procurement, Financial Planning and Analysis, Payroll and Auxiliary Services, and oversight of institutional budgets in a Higher Education environment, preferred. Detailed knowledge of GASB regulations required.
• Record of leading innovation and change in a growth organization.
• Technology savvy with demonstrated success leveraging technology to support innovation.
• Ability to oversee multiple projects and recruit, train and develop a high-performing team of finance professionals.
• Strong analytical capabilities; excellent written, verbal, problem solving and communication skills; in-depth working knowledge of ERP systems (Jenzabar experience a plus); demonstrated history as a collaborator; proven experience with Microsoft office suite products.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of VUU.

VUU is nourished by its African American and Christian heritage and energized by a commitment to excellence and diversity. Its mission is to: 1) Provide a nurturing, intellectually challenging and spiritually enriching environment for learning; 2) Empower students to develop strong moral values for success; and 3) Develop scholars, leaders, and lifelong learners of a global society. 

Established in 1865, Virginia Union University gave newly emancipated slaves an opportunity for education, for establishing a community, and for gaining economic, political and social advancement. The University is the result of a merger among four historic institutions: Richmond Theological Seminary, Wayland Seminary, Hartshorn Memorial, and Storer College. Richmond Theological Seminary held its first classes at Lumpkin’s Jail, a former holding cell for runaway slaves. The Wayland Seminary was founded in 1865 by the American Baptist Home Mission Society in Washington, DC. Two years later Storer College was founded in West Virginia, and Hartshorn Memorial College opened its doors in 1883 as the first college for African American women in the country. After operating independently for three decades, these notable seminaries joined forces to form Virginia Union University in 1899. Hartshorn Memorial and Storer Colleges would eventually join this Union in 1932 and 1964, respectively.

Located in the heart of Virginia’s capital city, Virginia Union University, a Baptist affiliated private institution, is best known for its world-renowned graduate school of theology. It also offers a broad range of educational opportunities in the liberal arts, teaching, research, science, technology, continuing education, civic engagement, and study abroad. VUU’s commitment to student success has included an emphasis on student engagement and retention, and close interaction between faculty and students, both of which produce a synergy among scholarship, teaching, and learning.

At Virginia Union University®, we consistently search for and create growth opportunities that forge groundbreaking research, state of the art technology, or top-of-the-line curriculum. We welcome and encourage new ideas and processes that positively impact experiences. We require the following core values. 

Spiritual Formation, as a faith-based University, we welcome the regular practice of prayer, worship, silence, and mediation that matures one’s relationships, values, and life purpose that lead to ongoing spiritual growth and transformation.

Integrity, we value our commitment to fairness, honesty, and truth reflected in each person’s words and deeds while holding ourselves accountable for our personal and words and actions.

Diversity & Inclusion, as one of the nation’s oldest HBCUs, we value diversity in thought, perspective, and embodiment, trusting that we are stronger when various voices, traditions, and experiences are present. 

Excellence, we provide the highest quality of experiences and interactions while remaining flexible, responsive, and open-minded in developing and delivering programs, services, and facilities committed to exceeding the standards of what it means to be Best-In-Class.

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Applications Deadline:

Review of candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. If you have any questions, please contact Askhr@vuu.edu

The selected applicant may be required to submit to a background investigation. VUU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other protected class.