The vice presidente for finance and administration will play a significant role as a collaborative leader and strategic partner in shaping the future of the University at Buffalo as an integral member of the senior administrative team led by UB’s energetic and visionary president. To be an effective team member, the vice president must be a consummate professional who will embrace positive change and work well in a highly consultative environment within a culture of transparency and fiscal responsibility. He or she will be a confident, high-energy leader, a superb communicator, and an innovative thinker who focuses on both broad possibilities and opportunities as well as tangible results. In addition, the vice president will understand and respect shared governance and be an advocate for an environment that encourages teamwork, student success, inclusive decision-making and a sense of community across the university.

To best serve the University at Buffalo, the ideal candidate will have many of the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

• Substantial experience with and commitment to the education, research and service missions of a major public research university;
• The ability to function in a complex, high demand environment, managing multiple priorities simultaneously and accustomed to setting and achieving goals;
• Experience as a proven senior executive in a higher education, foundation, government or business organization of relevant size and complexity; evidence of vision, collaboration, as well as a service and entrepreneurial orientation in developing progressive business policies and practices;
• Ability to provide critical, conceptual and strategic thinking to important financial, academic and administrative issues across the university;
• Successful experience managing a large-scale organization of staff that includes financial services and facilities professionals;
• Proven ability to lead and manage a large and high-functioning program, including the capacity to generate and implement clear goals, procedures, systems and priorities across different areas;
• Exceptional communication skills in the service of conveying the strategic goals and objectives of finance and administration programs;
• Expertise in budget development and implementation, familiarity with a wide variety of financing techniques, financial and ratio analysis, debt management and bond issuance as well as familiarity with business and finance operations in a major academic health system;
• Familiarity with major construction, renovation and maintenance programs, understanding of facilities management, capital construction, real estate development, campus master planning, and business operations;
• Record of significant leadership and accomplishment in planning, managing and implementing major business and financial systems, human resources, and knowledge of trends in enterprise resource planning and management;
• Ability to lead effectively across divisions, using collaboration and persuasion to guide decision-making and influence critical operations; a proven team player, with the ability both to advocate and to partner with others; as well as skill as a negotiator and experience reviewing and realigning systems, policies and personnel; and ability to lead in a unionized environment;
• Ability to crystallize complex financial information into lay terms and to effectively articulate the university’s financial vision, strengths, goals, and requirements to a wide range of audiences, both internal and external;
• Understanding of the political, social and economic factors shaping the future of public higher education, and the political skill to develop strong partnerships with SUNY, other universities and affiliated entities, and experience dealing with local, state, and federal legislative and regulatory agencies in ways that build trust and promote mutual benefit;
• Demonstrated commitment to embracing and enhancing diversity, affirmative action, and equal opportunity;
• Genuine commitment to the mission and values of the University at Buffalo;
• And, above all, the highest standards for personal and professional excellence and unquestionable integrity.

An undergraduate degree is required; an advanced degree in business administration, public administration, health administration or other relevant field is preferred. In lieu of an advanced degree, candidates with longstanding experience in comparable positions at institutions of similar size and scope will be considered.