Job location: Bertrand Hall

Dominican educates and prepares students to be ethical leaders and socially responsible global citizens who incorporate the Dominican values of study, reflection, community and service into their lives. The University is committed to diversity, sustainability and the integration of the liberal arts, the sciences and professional programs. Dominican University of California is an independent university offering the best of Liberal Arts combined with a rigorous professional education. Founded in 1890, Dominican enjoys an over century-long reputation for excellence in scholarship, research and community outreach. The University offers more than 60 academic programs that reflect the diversity and creativity of both the faculty and the students. With about 1,900 students and a student to faculty ratio of 10:1, Dominican is able to successfully blend the personal attention associated with smaller schools with the academic resources of a larger university.

Resume/CV and cover letter are required and must be attached in attachment section of the application process (Step 2). Refer to the posting instructions for any additional materials that may be required.

Refer to the Dominican Employment Page here for adjunct opportunities and application instructions.

Dominican University, San Rafael, CA -  Vice President for Finance and Administration

Dominican University in San Rafael, CA, 12 miles from San Francisco, is ranked #25 among regional universities in the West and #21 among best value schools in the West by US News and World Report. The University, with an enrollment of 1783 students and a budget of $58 million, is seeking a vice president for finance and administration who will be a key member of the senior leadership team and will guide the offices of business services, human resources, information and technology services, facilities and auxiliary services, and events and conference services.

The vice president for finance and administration will steward the University’s financial, physical and non-academic human resources and will support the board’s investment, finance, audit and facilities committees. The VPFA reports directly to the president. The direct reports to this position include the director of business services, the director of facilities and auxiliary services, the director of human resources, the director information and technology services, and the director of events and conference services.

The VPFA is responsible for developing the budget in collaboration with the provost and providing the leadership, vision and analytical framework necessary to develop and oversee prudent fiscal strategies that assure the implementation of the University’s three-year financial plan.

The VPFA is expected to engage in a collegial and transparent way with all areas of the University to strengthen the overall effectiveness of the University’s financial operations, to facilitate the growth of revenue, to strategically use all available financial resources, and to provide timely and accurate financial information. The VPFA should be a thought leader on the effective and strategic use of University resources.

Key Opportunities and Challenges

• Gain the Confidence of the University in the University’s Finances
• Develop a Multi – Year Financial Forecast to Support the Plan
• Be Creative in Developing Innovative Financial Solutions
• Be Adept at Implementing Productivity Improvements
• Provide Leadership to the Finance Division
• Provide Exceptional Customer Service to the Campus

Candidate Qualifications and Characteristics

The successful candidate must have a commitment to the University’s core values and be student-centered. S/he will bring most, if not all, of the following skills and experience:

Financial Management: Expertise in finance and accounting, including demonstrated and thorough understanding of financial controls, budgeting, and investment management. Understands, remains current on and applies best practices and trends in using exceptional analytical skills and judgment.

Administration: Exceptional knowledge of business management and operations, Knowledge of performance management methods, process management and change management. Proven ability to manage capital programs, human resources, facilities and information technology.

Financial Regulations and Compliance: Knowledge of laws and regulations which pertain to the management of a non-profit university’s financial operations; must be capable of interpreting them for purposes of implementation and determining the impact on the University and on current policies/practices.

Communication: Demonstrates effective and clear communication skills in English both orally and in writing. Must be able to explain complex budget information to a wide audience. Shares appropriate information with senior management and direct reports in a timely manner; demonstrates openness to different viewpoints; communicates in a manner which demonstrates sensitivity to diverse backgrounds.

Decision-Making: Makes timely and sound decisions. Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities. Takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.  Includes others in the decision-making process as warranted. Adeptly responds to unexpected developments with timely changes to decisions as needed.

Trust Building: Meets commitments that contribute to addressing the interests, needs and concerns

of others.  Identifies and communicates shared interests and goals. Shows respect for others. Develops, maintains, and strengthens partnerships inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.  Demonstrates honesty and behaves in a consistent manner. Demonstrates high ethical and moral standards and communicates similar expectations of others.

Strategic Planning: Formulates strategies that are achievable, cost-effective, and address organizational goals by themselves or in coordination with other strategies.  Formulates strategies that take the organization's strengths and weaknesses into account. Researches, interprets, and reports on long-term trends for the purpose of formulating policy and strategy. 

Valuing Diversity and Inclusion: Values diversity as exhibited in hiring choices, assignments made, teams formed, and interaction with others.  Shows respect for people regardless of race, gender, ability or background.  Actively seeks different viewpoints and leverages the benefits of multiple perspectives. Seeks to understand the perspective of others when disagreement arises and responds appropriately.

Development of Staff: Flexible interpersonal style to help others develop their capabilities. Provides helpful feedback, effective coaching and regular, useful staff evaluations. Collaborates with direct reports to set meaningful performance objectives. Recognizes and reinforces people's developmental efforts and improvements. Regularly meets with employees to review their development progress.

Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is required. An advanced degree or active CPA license is highly preferred.

Experience: Must have at least ten years of financial management experience, at least some of the experience should be in an institution of higher education. Experience should include management of comparable functional scope and scale, a record of improved financial and administrative performance of institutions served, strategic alignment of revenue with institutional plans and needs, experience working with a governing board, as well as faculty and students.

Please refer to the full position profile for additional information.  

Applications, Inquiries and Nominations

A cover letter and resume should be uploaded to: http://lapovsky.hiringthing.com. Nominations, confidential inquiries and questions concerning this search may be directed to Lucie Lapovsky at Dominican@lapovsky.com  or 917-690-1958. Review of applications will begin immediately and candidate material received by April 5th will be assured full consideration although recruitment will continue until an appointment is announced. Dominican University is being assisted by Lapovsky Consulting in this search.

Dominican University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity, and takes pride in its multicultural environment. We are committed in thought, word, and deed to recruiting and retaining a workforce that values the diversity of its student body. The University actively promotes an institutional culture that practices equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from members of all under-represented groups in higher education.