Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer

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Position Summary

The Vice President Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer leads the Office of Budget and Finance. Guided by the Universitys vision for the future the office upholds the financial integrity transparency and strategic allocation of resources. Through responsible stewardship of funds the office supports academic excellence drives research innovation and fosters institutional growth ensuring Rices continued impact and leadership in higher education. The portfolio includes budget and fiscal analysis capital planning and space management the controllers office the office of risk management and the office of treasury.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President for Operations Finance and Support (EVP-OF&S) and sitting on the Presidents Cabinet the Vice President Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer (CFO) leads a broad portfolio spanning Capital Planning and Space Management the Controllers Office Budget Office Office of Research Administration Procurement and Risk Management.

As CFO and Treasurer this leader holds fiduciary responsibility for an approximately $1.2 billion budget and serves as a strategic partner to the President Provost and Board of Trustees. The role requires the ability to translate complex financial realities into clear strategic choices to steward responsible resource allocation in service of the Universitys strategic plan and to champion an organizational culture defined by transparency integrity and continuous improvement.

Job Duties

Strategic Financial Leadership - 30%

Provides direct leadership over the Controllers Office (including Research Administration Post-Award Accounting) Treasurers Office Risk Management Budget Office Capital Planning and Space Management and Procurement.

• Serves as a member of the Presidents Cabinet contributing to institution-wide strategy resource allocation and policy decisions
• Partners with the Operations Finance and Support leadership team to ensure seamless execution of shared goals
• Partners with the Provost and the Provosts budget office on the budget model annual budget process five-year budget plan and annual capital budget
• Provides the Board of Trustees and its Finance Committee with clear financial analysis and proactive risk identification
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with rating agencies external auditors and banking partners
• Advises on capital structure strategy debt financing and major investment decisions in coordination with the endowment
• Represents Rices financial interests in federal relations and regulatory environments particularly as they affect research funding and tax compliance

Innovation Technology & AI Integration - 20%

• Champions the adoption of Al automation and advanced analytics across the organization - from intelligent financial reporting to automated compliance monitoring and predictive budget modeling
• Partners with Technology Services & Support and the institutions emerging Al governance structure to identify pilot and scale financial technology solutions
• Partners with the Chief Data & Analytics Officer to build a data-informed finance function - establishing dashboards model libraries and reporting tools that increase transparency and empower decision-makers across campus
• Drives continuous process improvement applying lean principles and technology to reduce manual effort increase accuracy and free staff capacity for higher-value work
• Ensures the organization leads the industry in adopting next-generation tools for ERP financial planning research administration and procurement

Financial Operations & Stewardship - 20%

• Maintains accounting control over the Universitys financial accounts including operating endowment research auxiliary and plant funds
• Oversees timely preparation of the Universitys annual financial statements and all external reporting requirements including federal grant and contract reporting and the IPEDS Survey
• Directs cost accounting functions supporting the Universitys Facilities & Administrative rate calculations and negotiations
• Ensures robust internal controls a strong audit posture and compliance with state and federal tax law across all reporting entities
• Manages treasury functions including cash positioning short-term investment of operating funds and debt covenant compliance
• Maintains appropriate governance over all the Universitys financial data and develops training and resources that promote transparency for units across campus

Enterprise Risk Management & Insurance - 10%

• Leads Rices enterprise risk management function maintaining a comprehensive framework that identifies assesses and monitors institutional risks across operational financial regulatory reputational and strategic dimensions
• Oversees the negotiation procurement and management of the Universitys institutional insurance portfolio including property liability professional liability workers compensation directors and officers and specialized research and cyber coverage
• Leverages emerging risk analytics and Al-enabled monitoring to move Rices risk posture from reactive to proactive and predictive

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development - 10%

• Leads inspires and develops a diverse high-performing organization spanning multiple functional units with supervision and mentorship that builds the team to the highest levels of performance and integrity
• Establishes culture of excellence accountability psychological safety and genuine customer service
• Builds leadership capacity through structured development coaching mentorship and succession planning
• Refines roles procedures and organizational structure so that policies systems and internal controls reflect industry best practices and support the Universitys strategic goals
• Sets clear performance expectations and holds staff accountable with compassion and consistency

Institutional Partnership & Communication - 10%

• Serves as a trusted advisor and resource to leaders throughout the University and as a partner to cross-functional project and coordinating teams
• Designs and delivers financial education and literacy programs that equip non-financial leaders to make better decisions
• Communicates financial strategy and results clearly to diverse audiences - from Board presentations to faculty forums to staff town halls
• Leads or participates in University-wide task forces working groups and governance bodies

Qualifications and Characteristics

Leadership competencies

• Strategic agility: anticipates future trends and consequences accurately creating competitive and breakthrough strategies.
• Change leader: ensures business changes are implemented and realized to their full potential through effective leadership and sponsorship.
• Collaborator: builds strong partnerships across the University working with academic and administrative leaders to align financial strategy with institutional priorities and achieve shared goals.
• Strong manager: recruits develops and motivates a diverse professional staff holding them accountable for accurate timely results and excellent service.
• Effective communicator: communicates effectively at all levels including the Board and presents complex concepts and financial models to a broad range of audiences.
• Customer focus:dedicated to meeting the expectations of internal and external constituents; builds trust and lasting relationships.
• Intellectually inquisitive: knowledgeable about and open to leading-edge business practices that support the University more effectively and efficiently.
• Exceptional personal qualities: a reputation for integrity and the highest ethical standards; sound judgment; creativity in problem-solving; and a collegial style with a keen desire to be part of the community.

Minimum requirements

• Masters degree in business administration accounting finance or a related discipline from an accredited college or University
• Ten (10) or more years of progressive management experience in accounting financial planning and analysis or budget management and business operations
• Demonstrated experience leading complex multi-function financial organizations
• Proven track record of strategic financial planning budget management and financial reporting at an institutional scale
• Working knowledge of Al applications in financial operations including automation predictive analytics and intelligent reporting
• Experience leading or contributing to major financial technology implementations (ERP planning tools procurement platforms etc.)
• Experience presenting to and advising senior leadership boards or trustees

Preferred qualifications

• Financial leadership experience in higher education academic medicine or a complex research environment
• Experience with sponsored research financial management including F&A rate negotiations and federal compliance
• Demonstrated success integrating auxiliary or revenue-generating operations into a financial management structure
• Experience in enterprise risk management including institutional insurance negotiation and portfolio oversight

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values: Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please get in touch with Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.