Stephens College - Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO
Stephens College - Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO
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Job Description
Stephens College a small private institution in Columbia Missouri ranked #67 in the 2025 edition of U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges in the Midwest is conducting a national search for its next Vice President for Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This is a pivotal opportunity to join the countrys pet-friendliest campus and help shape the next chapter of a historic college boldly reimagining its future. With the arrival of a new energetic president Stephens is implementing a transformative strategic planReimagining Stephensthat centers on immersive real-world learning entrepreneurial growth and institutional sustainability.
Stephens is proudly described as a little bit quirky a little bit scrappy and deeply passionate about its mission. With 639 students a $23.5M annual budget an endowment of approximately $60M and an 86-acre campus in the heart of the downtown Columbia Stephens is seeking a highly skilled collaborative and student-centered CFO to help deliver on the promise of its strategic vision.
The Opportunity
The CFO will serve as a key member of the Presidents leadership team and report directly to the President. This senior leadership role is responsible for managing the Colleges financial and human resources including oversight of finance and accounting budget development financial modeling endowment and grants management risk assessment and capital planning. The CFO will lead the development and monitoring of both operating and capital plans encourage the pursuit of new revenue opportunities and ensure that financial models and analyses align with institutional strategy and decision-making. The CFO will serve as the staff liaison to the Board of Trustees finance and investment committees playing a critical role in implementing operational strategies that support the Colleges ambitious goals for growth innovation and institutional resilience. As a new presidential administration begins the CFOs portfolio may evolve to meet organizational needs and executive priorities.
The CFO plays a critical role in developing articulating and executing the financial and operational strategies that will move the College forward. Serving as a strategic partner to the President and leadership team the CFO will help shape the next chapter for Stephens by identifying and leveraging new and existing revenue-generating opportunities assessing risk strategically and leading the modernization of financial systems and administrative processes. This work will be carried out with a clear focus on efficiency effectiveness and alignment with the Colleges mission and culture.
Key Opportunities and Challenges:
-Address the Colleges Structural Deficit and Strategically Deploy the Colleges Resources
- Strategically Work to Address the Colleges Facility Needs
-Assess New Opportunities and Develop New Sources of Revenue
- Develop a Collaborative Transparent Budget Process which involves the Campus
- Implement a New Enterprise Resource Management System
- Improve Efficient Cost-Effective Operation of the College
- Foster and Strengthen Public/Private Partnerships and Partnerships with the City and Nearby Colleges
- Facilitate Advancement and Fundraising Activities and Provide Support to the Planned Comprehensive Capital Campaign
- Work in Partnership with the VP of Enrollment
- Develop a Strong Collaborative Team
Qualifications
The successful candidate will demonstrate unquestioned integrity be an outstanding communicator a strategic thinker and possess strong and effective interpersonal skills that engender trust and cultivate collaboration. They will be respectful of others will value diversity and inclusion will have a positive attitude and will be student-centered. The new CFO will be an exceptional financial and administrative leader with superior analytical and management skills and a willingness to explore new and creative opportunities for ensuring the Colleges financial health. The successful candidate will be willing to roll up their sleeves and get the job done be adept at managing multiple priorities simultaneously be entrepreneurial in spirit willing to think outside the box and take prudent risks. The new CFO will possess a keen understanding of the higher education landscape and the challenges that higher education is currently facing. They will be able to understand and negotiate complex financial transactions and be able to achieve goals using influence and negotiation skills. The successful candidate will have the fortitude to make difficult choices when necessary and the ability to convey decisions with clarity.
The new CFO will be knowledgeable about the critical areas in the portfolio and will have experience working with boards of trustees. They will have at least ten years of a progressively increasing responsibility with an expanding portfolio in finance and administration; experience in human resources and systems implementation a plus. Higher education experience is highly desirable as well as experience in business non-profits and/or other sectors. A bachelors degree is required and an MBA or other advanced degree is preferred. For more information on the College and the position please download the position profile.
Nomination and Application Process
Nominations and applications are invited for this position. Review of applications will begin immediately and candidate material received by July 11 2025 will be assured full consideration although recruitment will continue until an appointment is announced. Applications (including a cover letter and resume) must be uploaded to: .Lapovsky Consulting is assisting Stephens College in this search. For nominations questions or additional information please contact:
Lucie Lapovsky
Stephens College adheres to all federal state and local civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and education. The College does not discriminate in its admissions practices (except as permitted by law) in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of age color disability gender expression and identity genetic information national origin race religion sex sexual orientation or veteran status and all other classifications protected by law.
Required Experience:
Chief
Employment Type
Full Time
