The College of St. Scholastica (CSS), a regional Catholic Benedictine comprehensive institution in Duluth, Minnesota, seeks a highly experienced leader and manager to join its President’s Cabinet as the Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO has overall strategic and operational responsibility for Finance and Administration Departments and requires an academic leader who brings a passion for inclusive excellence and relentless pursuit of academic quality that will shape CSS’s academic mission for the future.

The Position

The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO reports to the President and serves as the strategic financial partner to CSS leadership. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO is responsible for the finance and treasury functions, endowment and investment management, financial and management reporting, financial and capital management, budgeting, information technology, facilities management and services, human resources, and management of the CSS auxiliaries. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO works closely with leadership throughout CSS to develop strategies to strengthen its business, financial and administrative plans and policies to achieve the College’s strategic goals.

The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO provides leadership to the President and President’s Cabinet on financial and business matters. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO directs all financial operations including budgeting, accounting, federal grant financial support, procurement, cash, risks and asset management. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO develops financial planning processes to ensure that financial plans are aligned with CSS’s strategic goals, which includes preparing financial models and annual and long-term operating and capital budgets that provide for the realization of the College’s growth. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO also has responsibility for all reporting and compliance related to fiscal activity including investment and debt management, to the President, the Board of Trustees and various Board Committees and for promoting the development and growth of the College.

In addition to the financial team, the Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO provides the leadership for the College’s facilities, human resources, information technology, and Financial Aid/OneStop Student Services (the student business office) teams. The Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO is a member of the President’s Cabinet, and participates on the Board’s Audit and Finance Committee and Investment Committee.

About The College of St. Scholastica

The College of St. Scholastica was founded as a Catholic institution in 1912 to educate women primarily in nursing, education, and social work. Today, St. Scholastica is a co-educational, independent, comprehensive institution of higher learning offering undergraduate and graduate programs under the sponsorship of the Benedictine Sisters, who continue to have a strong presence on campus.

The College of St. Scholastica aspires to be a diverse and inclusive academic community of excellence, grounded in the rich Catholic Benedictine heritage, sending forth thoughtful leaders sharpened and sensitized by the liberal arts, who are prepared and committed to serve and transform the world. This is accomplished through the mission of providing intellectual and moral preparation for responsible living and meaningful work.

The Position

Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO is a seasoned administrator who will oversee the following areas:

• Finance
• Facilities
• Information Technology
• Human Resources
• Financial Aid/OneStop Student Services

Financial Planning, Budgeting and Oversight:

Oversees all financial operations including budgeting, accounting, procurement, cash management, and risk and asset management;

Ensures the provision of adequate, accurate and timely data for strategic decision-making and operational leadership;

Develops financial planning processes to prioritize and ensure that the short- and long-term financial plans are in alignment with the College’s long-term strategic vision. This includes a multi-year financial plan, preparing financial and enrollment models and annual and long term operating and capital budgets that provide for the realization of CSS goals;

Oversees investment strategy, endowment management and treasury functions;

Provides analysis and recommendations regarding CSS’s debt policy and access to financing. Oversees and monitors major financing and financial agreements related to real estate development and other activities of the institution;

Understands the various approaches to budgeting used by Colleges and Universities including Incremental Budgeting, Zero-Based Budgeting, Responsibility Center Management and Performance Based Budgeting. Applies this knowledge in developing a budgeting process that achieves financial transparency, is supported by College staff and faculty, and is true to the values and mission of the College;

Distills complex financial and non-financial data into easy to understand analysis; and

Utilizes forecasting techniques and data analytics when evaluating the financial implications of strategic alternatives, thereby increasing decision maker understanding of the risk and rewards of such alternatives; Has a firm understanding of enterprise risk management and possesses the acumen to provide sound strategic recommendations.

Engagement and Inclusion:

Promotes effective communications across the campus on financial and administrative matters;

Offers opportunities for faculty, staff and students to provide input to the CFO on the College’s finances;

Provides financial and budget transparency for faculty, staff and student constituents; and

Creates a culture of inclusion among staff to actualize the College's fiscal priorities.

Board and External Relations:

Staffs and provides information and analysis to the Board of Trustees and the Board’s Audit and Finance as well as Investment Committees; and

Ensures that the Board of Trustees is informed about and confident in the financial management of the College and supports board members in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities.

Facilities Management:

Provides leadership to the Facilities Management Team, coordinating annual and capital budgets in relation to College strategies; and

Works with the Facilities team to prioritize long term capital requirements, ensuring a prudent use of College resources while maintaining safe and effective plant and equipment.

Human Resources:

Oversees Human Resources functions to assure strategic alignment with College goals; and

Provides leadership to the Human Resources team in the areas of  talent acquisition and management, compensation, benefits, payroll, professional development and training, employee engagement and satisfaction, labor relations, College policies, and compliance with federal and state laws.

Financial Aid/OneStop Student Services:

Ensures Financial Aid and OneStop Student Services delivers a seamless process to all students, allowing them to review financial assistance options and self-manage the business of being a student.

Information Technology:

Provides support to the College’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), understanding the technological capital requirements of the College, and assisting the CIO in developing annual and multi-year budgets to ensure technology needs of the College are met; and

In concert with the CIO, leverages the data analytics capabilities within IT, providing College leaders with new approaches for tracking activities, trends and behaviors that may impact future College performance.

Investment and Balance Sheet Management:

Manages the College’s endowment, allocating endowment assets to provide both capital appreciation and current income in line with the College’s long-term capital needs, as well as ensuring donor designated funds are managed appropriately;

Periodically reviews the College’s Investment Policy for alignment with institutional objectives and prudent investment practices; and

Manages the College’s balance sheet and debt rating so as to optimize future cash flow by utilizing capital markets, and other sources of capital. Monitors debt covenants for compliance.