Vice President for Business & Financial Affairs and CFO

Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs

San Diego State University seeks an experienced and accomplished leader to serve as the Chief Financial Officer and the principal for the Division of Business and Financial Affairs. This position reports directly to President Adela de la Torre, Ph.D. and is a key member of the President’s Cabinet.

The Vice President will oversee an annual budget of over $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2020/21, including auxiliaries. With a team of over 500 members and a divisional budget of $175 million, they will lead a multitude of core business and administrative functions including:
  • Accounting
  • Accounts payable
  • Audit and continuous improvement
  • Budget and finance
  • Central logistical services
  • Contracts and procurement
  • Environmental health and safety
  • Facilities, energy, and sustainability
  • Financial reporting
  • Human resources and staff labor relations
  • Parking and transportation
  • Real estate, facilities planning, design, and construction
  • Risk management
  • Student housing administration
  • Tax compliance
  • Title IX compliance and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation prevention
  • Travel coordination
  • University police

The Vice President will also provide substantial leadership and guidance to other university units and entities including Athletics and KPBS (the university’s public broadcasting station) and will serve on the boards of directors for both the SDSU Research Foundation and Aztec Shops .

The Vice President will be charged with the stewardship of university resources and will ensure administrative excellence for the university and its multiple campus locations including SDSU Imperial Valley , SDSU Georgia (Republic of Georgia), and the once-in-a-generation development of SDSU Mission Valley . They will serve as the President’s strategic thought partner in developing and maintaining a sustainable financial model. The Vice President will work to strengthen financial, physical, personnel, and organizational resources to achieve institutional goals that include:
  • Meeting the goals of the university’s Strategic Plan
  • Achieving a more sustainable, robust, responsive, and transparent financial model
  • Meeting the financial and operational needs of SDSU Imperial Valley and SDSU Mission Valley
  • Ensuring for physical infrastructure and internal services that meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, and the broader community
  • Creating a safe environment through community-based policing, robust emergency preparedness, and effective environmental health and safety management

The Vice President will be a principal liaison with the California State University’s (CSU) Chancellor's Office . They will serve on a variety of institutional and CSU systemwide bodies. The Vice President will serve as an envoy for the university and the president and will make regular presentations regarding SDSU and its business matters and interests to a variety of constituencies and stakeholders.

The Vice President will foster exceptional and inclusive leadership practices, supporting and developing a team to deliver on the university's mission. They will champion diversity and inclusion and recognize the talents, contributions, and potential of faculty, staff, and students from across the university. The Vice President will support all divisions and units by honoring and empowering their history, legacy, growth potential, and strength while fostering collaboration and the synthesis of a shared vision for the future of a university that rises above, defies limitations and challenges, transcends borders, and transforms lives.

San Diego State University

San Diego State University takes pride in 124 years of achievement in education, research, and service. The university provides students with the opportunity to participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct interaction with faculty and an international emphasis that prepares global citizens, compassionate leaders, and ethical innovators who will transform the world. Ranked 67 among public universities in the U.S. News & World Reports rankings for 2021 Best Colleges, SDSU offers bachelor's degrees in 96 areas, master's degrees in 84 areas, and doctorates in 23 areas, as well as programs at regional microsites and around the globe. For Fall 2021, the university received more than 103,847 applications, and enrollment is at 35,600 students.

The university deeply enshrines values for diversity and inclusion. SDSU is ranked 35 nationwide for ethnic diversity, and roughly 54% of the university's undergraduates and graduates are students of color. SDSU is listed as Campus Pride Index’s Best of the Best Colleges and Universities in the United States for its support of LGBTQ+ students. Further, the university is consistently ranked as a top school for veterans and serves more than 4,000 military-connected students.

The university is transcending boundaries and growing. With the support of San Diego voters, groundbreaking on SDSU Mission Valley occurred on August 17, 2020. SDSU Mission Valley is the development of a world-class university campus, innovation district, and multi-use stadium to serve higher education, the public good, and the community’s goals and aspirations. The former site of SDCCU (formerly Qualcomm) Stadium, SDSU Mission Valley is a 166-acre site in urban San Diego that is 2.5 miles west of the main campus and connected to it by light rail. SDSU Mission Valley will be a place of opportunity, knowledge, and engagement, and is projected to expand the university's annual regional economic impact of $5.67 billion by an additional $3 billion annually.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates will possess the equivalent of:
  • A relevant advanced degree or an undergraduate degree and relevant professional certification, and
  • Ten or more years of progressively responsible administrative leadership experience in higher education that includes budgetary and financial management experience.

The ideal candidate will be a recognized leader within the higher education administrative and business community. They will be a skilled advocate, collaborator, and negotiator with a strong professional presence and superior communication and interpersonal skills. They will value teamwork, empathetic perspective-taking, and autonomy, and practice relational leadership. They will be successful in advancing diversity and inclusion and possess an understanding of, and respect for, shared governance. The ideal candidate will be accomplished in developing and attaining strategic goals. They will have the skills and political acumen necessary to successfully navigate a complex public-sector and collective bargaining higher education environment.

Compensation

San Diego State University will offer a competitive salary based on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Benefits

San Diego State University offers a rich benefits package that includes:
  • Extensive leave benefits: 14 paid holidays, 24 vacation days, and 12 sick days per year
  • Retirement security through a CalPERS defined benefit pension and retiree healthcare benefits
  • An array of health, dental and vision coverage at no- or low-cost to the employee
  • California State University system fee reduction program (fee waiver) for employee or qualified dependent

See our benefits page for comprehensive information on our robust benefits package.

Applications and Nominations

For additional information, visit bfa.sdsu.edu/hr/vp-bfa . Upon application, applicants will be prompted to provide basic contact information, a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae or resume, and a statement detailing their commitment and/or contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The position will remain open until filled; however, to ensure full consideration, applications must be received by October 22, 2021.

Confidential inquiries and nominations are invited. Please contact:

Thom Harpole, Director

Center for Human Resources

tharpole@sdsu.edu

(619) 594-0469

Supplemental Information

In accordance with the California State University systemwide policy, the COVID-19 vaccine will be required for all students, faculty, and staff in order to access campus. An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of a two-shot vaccine or two weeks after the first dose of a single-shot vaccine.

The individual hired into this role will be required to submit their completed vaccination documentation to the university’s secure online health portal prior to beginning work. Individuals with an approved medical or religious exemption on file with the university will be required to complete regular COVID-19 testing.

San Diego State University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against persons based on race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, disability, pregnancy, medical condition, or covered veteran status.

After a contingent offer of employment is made, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed. Any offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of the background check. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of the applicant or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for this position.

The person holding this position is considered a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.