Vice President for Finance and Administration
About Alfred State College:
Nestled in a beautiful valley in the Southern Tier of New York, Alfred State has a long tradition of drawing the best faculty and staff from every field. This College of Technology offers more than 80 majors for over 3,400 students taught by 176 faculty and supported by 400 staff and administrators. Alfred State provides students with a dynamic and applied learning experience that focuses on preparing students for successful careers. Our campus is located in scenic Allegany County, part of the WNY Wilds (wnywilds.com).
Our learning and living spaces include 71 structures (over 1.6 million square feet of assignable space) across two campuses and an extension site at the Northland retooling facility in Buffalo. The main campus is comprised of 6 major academic buildings, 13 dormitories capable of housing over 2,500 students, and 4 centralized locations for student amenities such as dining and extracurricular programing for clubs, organizations, civic engagement, and student leadership. The Wellsville campus is home to our School of Applied Technologies, where we teach some of the highest, in-demand trades such as welding, electrical, carpentry, masonry, heavy equipment, automotive, and more. Athletics facilities on the Alfred campus include an activities center with gymnasium and a pool, the Pioneer Stadium with a new running track, locker rooms, and turf field. The college also has an over 800 acre working farm with an organic and robotically milked dairy herd. The farm also provides exposure to beef cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and horses and is used by both the Veterinary Technician and Agricultural programs.
Alfred State has continued to renew its infrastructure throughout the years and has many projects in various stages of design and construction. The college is in schematic design for a $30 million complete renovation of the Agricultural Science building which has a mixture of Agriculture and Allied Health labs on various floors, as well as student services spaces on the main level. The college recently was awarded a $25 million project to update the campus water distribution system and other underground infrastructure. Alfred State is home to the SUNY systems' largest dormitory, the MacKenzie Complex, which houses over 1,100 students. Construction continues on the third phase of a massive renovation transforming the living experience for our students and reimagining campus life. Work on this phase is expected to be completed in November of 2023. The list of both large and small projects is extensive, but the forward momentum created by capital improvements has helped keep the campus well maintained and vibrant for both current and prospective students and has put the College is a strong cash position poised for continued investment.
Job Description:
Alfred State College seeks an accomplished financial and business leader who is committed to ensuring excellence in an environment that values honesty, openness, courtesy, and respect. Reporting to the President, the Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA) will serve as Alfred State College's Chief Financial and Business Officer and is responsible for developing, recommending, and implementing fiscal policy, budget management, and internal controls to ensure the fiscal integrity of the College. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the VPFA is the trusted advisor to the President on all financial, facility, and business matters and services. This leader provides strategic and operational leadership in support of the mission, vision, and strategic plan for the College and its functional units. The VPFA also serves as the Ex Officio of the Educational Foundation Board and the Development Fund Board. In this role, the Vice President interacts with each Foundation's Board of Directors and is the primary liaison to the Board of Directors' Finance and Audit Committees and operates as an advisor regarding each Foundation's Investment Policy Statements and investment portfolios. Areas of responsibility include Business Affairs (Procurement and Payment Services, Budget, Accounting and Controls, Sponsored Programs - Post Award), Facilities Management, Capital Construction and Projects, the College Farm, and oversees the relationship with the campus Auxiliary (ACES - Dining, Transportation, Fleet Management, Refuse, Campus Store, etc.). The VPFA also serves as the operational liaison with the State University of New York (SUNY) centralized functions such as University Audit, SUNY Legal, State University Construction Fund (SUCF), Office of Capital Facilities, University Controller's Office, SUNY Budget, etc. The VPFA works collaboratively with the other vice presidents in a manner consistent with the College's vision, mission, and strategic plan. This senior administrator also provides strong leadership and innovative approaches that are consistent with the strategic plan and the facilities master plan (FMP).
Responsibilities:
Oversees, monitors, and manages expense and revenue projections and prepares financial statements and reports for financial planning and budget performance.
Works collaboratively with the College's administrators, faculty, and staff in budget planning, development, and management of an approximately $95 million budget.
Negotiates, develops, and manages fiscal policies, procedures, and internal processes to ensure compliance with all state, federal, and other contract requirements.
Develops and maintains systems of internal controls to safeguard assets of the College and oversees post-award federal awards and programs through the assigned Operations Manager for the SUNY Research Foundation (SUNY RF).
Works with the College's internal and external auditors to assist in developing an audit plan.
Reviews operational and budget efficiencies to improve services, processes, and responsiveness to internal and external stakeholders.
Works collaboratively with campus departments to support the achievement of enrollment, financial, and other strategic plan goals.
Provides leadership, strategic plan, and execution for operations of campus physical facilities.
Works with the President, senior leadership, and the campus community to identify short-term and long-term needs for funding of capital projects.
Oversees planning, contracting, and implementation of construction projects, including new construction and major renovations.
Works closely with the State University of New York General Counsel regarding contractual and other legal matters.
Serves on and overseeing numerous committees related to budget, strategic planning, and operations.
Creates a vision for alternative revenue-generation and creation of a diverse income portfolio for the institution.
Requirements:
Qualities and Attributes:
Preferably, the candidate will have a master's degree in Business, Accounting, Public Administration, or related discipline, and have significant experience at the executive level, including extensive financial and administrative experience. The ideal candidate will also contain the following qualities and attributes:
Superior analytical, evaluative, and problem-solving abilities.
A clear and demonstrated record of outstanding leadership and strategic planning ability.
Experience in a higher education/non-profit setting.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Significant supervisory/management experience.
Commitment to shared governance, transparency, and collaboration.
Strong presentation skills to a variety of stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability for consensus building and to work collaboratively.
Ability to proactively problem-solve and multi-task.
Unquestionable ethics and integrity.
Compensation:
Compensation Salary will be commensurate with experience. Alfred State College also offers employees many benefits including health and dental insurance, retirement and savings plan options, and paid vacation and sick leave.
Application review will begin immediately with the anticipation that the first round of interviews will begin by June 13, 2022. Applications and nominations will be accepted until a successful candidate has been appointed. This position is a 12-month, full-time, administrative appointment with a preferred start date as soon as reasonably possible.
Returning applicants may login to their Alfred State College Careers Account to apply for this position. See the FAQ for using our online system. Please contact us if you need assistance applying through this website.
The following documents MUST be submitted to be considered for this position:
- Resume/CV
- Cover Letter