Associate Vice President/Controller
Colgate University
A complete application in a minute
Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Colgate University seeks an Associate Vice President/Controller to serve as the university’s chief accounting officer, leading nineteen staff and ensuring accuracy of financial reporting and internal controls across the institution.
The role oversees payroll, tax, endowment and grant accounting, and core financial systems, partnering with external auditors and campus leaders to support sound financial stewardship and strategic budgeting.
Qualifications
- Seven+ years accounting experience in higher education or not-for-profit settings.
- Five+ years in supervisory/management role.
- GAAP, fund accounting, and tax compliance knowledge for higher education.
- Experience leading diverse teams and staff development.
- Strong Excel data analysis and reporting skills.
Responsibilities
- Financial Reporting and Controls: ensure accurate reporting and policies; monthly budget-to-actuals; maintain general ledger.
- Treasury and Cash Management: budgeting, cash forecasting, investment guidance.
- Operations and Shared Services: payroll, tax, purchasing, endowment and grant accounting, fixed assets.
- Leadership and Team Development: supervise staff, mentor, and drive performance.
- Leadership Behaviors: clear communication, confidentiality, and strategic decision making.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Work Arrangement type On-Site (Hamilton, NY) – expected to work fully at the designated campus/office location.
Hiring Wage/Salary Range
Hiring Wage/Salary Range $154,500-$193,200
Professional Experience/ Qualifications
- Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible accounting experience with higher education or not-for-profit settings and at least five years in a supervisory or management role.
- Working knowledge of GAAP and fund accounting, and of tax compliance and audit requirements as they apply to higher education.
- Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and retaining high-performing, diverse teams, including selecting staff, assessing performance, and coaching on pay, performance, and development.
- Experience with Microsoft Office applications, specifically utilizing Excel to analyze data, maintain records, and build functional spreadsheets.
- Demonstrated ability to use modern financial and accounting systems to drive efficient financial management and data-driven decision making.
- Proven record of strong leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills, including building financial forecasts and providing rigorous analysis to support budgeting, operations, and cash management.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial matters to diverse audiences, including faculty, staff, trustees, and external partners.
- Proven capability to handle sensitive financial and personnel information while maintaining strict confidentiality.
- Ability to engage professionally and respectfully with a broad, diverse higher education community, and demonstrated experience fostering an inclusive team environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with an ERP implementation. Working knowledge of Ellucian Banner or a comparable ERP system.
Education
A bachelor's degree in business, accounting, or finance is required.
Certifications
CPA license strongly preferred or advanced degree with commensurate experience.
When extending an offer, Colgate University considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations.
Physical Requirements
Other Information
Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Colgate University offers a competitive benefits package, with most benefits effective on the date of hire. Highlights include: medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, paid family leave, health & wellness, continuing education and professional development. We also offer unique perks, such as free parking, gym discounts, bookstore savings, athletic tickets, and access to cultural and recreational facilities. Explore the full benefits package on our Benefits page.
Department Statement
The Associate Vice President/Controller is the University’s chief accounting officer and a key member of the Finance and Administration leadership team. The Controller leads nineteen staff across two functional areas and is responsible for the accuracy of the University’s financial reporting, the strength of its internal controls, and the efficiency of its core financial systems and processes. The Controller serves as the primary liaison to external auditors and financial institutions, and partners with leaders across campus to support sound financial stewardship.
Accountabilities
The Associate Vice President/Controller is responsible for:
- Ensuring accurate financial controls, accounting, and financial reporting for the entire University.
- Producing monthly budget-to-actual financial reports and year-end projections.
- Establishing and communicating effective financial and accounting policies, and serving as the University’s authority on accounting treatments, internal controls, and financial policies and procedures.
- Maintaining the University’s relationships with audit and tax firms.
- Responsible for the Chart of Accounts and general ledger maintenance.
- Providing analysis and guidance on budgeting, short-term cash investments, and cash forecasting.
- Providing effective management of the University’s payroll, audit, tax, P-card, purchasing, sales tax, endowment accounting, grant accounting, plant accounting, accounts receivable, cashiering, student accounts, accounts payable, general ledger, billing, and fixed asset functions.
- Implementing effective purchasing programs that secure favorable commercial terms for goods and services.
- Leading efficiency improvements to core financial systems and processes.
- Ensuring continuous improvement in services provided to University stakeholders.
- Supervising assigned staff, including hiring high-quality employees, distributing work effectively, providing fair and accurate performance feedback, and making sound decisions on employment status.
- Creating meaningful opportunities for employee mentoring, development, and sustained performance.
- Delivering measurable results, owning decisions and outcomes, and incorporating feedback for continuous improvement.
- Communicating clearly across diverse audiences and maintaining strict confidentiality of private information.
- Resolving challenges through prioritized problem-solving and collaborative decision-making aligned with organizational goals.
- Leading through change, including transitions, University initiatives, and evolving procedures, and supporting the University’s sustainability initiatives.
Requisition Number
Requisition Number 2026S073Posting
Temporary
Temporary No
Work Schedule
Job Open Date
Job Open Date 10/26/2026
Job Close Date
Open Until Filled No
Special Instructions Summary
EEO Statement
The University recognizes that equal employment opportunity can only be achieved through demonstrated leadership. It is the Policy of the University to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and train employees on the basis of skills and experience, capacity to do the job, and valid job qualifications without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.
Clery Act
CAMPUS CRIME REPORTING AND STATISTICS
The Department of Campus Safety will provide upon request a copy of Colgate’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education for the previous three years concerning reported: 1. crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Colgate University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus and 2. fires that occurred in student housing facilities. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security and fire safety, such as policies concerning sexual assault, life safety systems, and other related matters. You may access the report from the Clery Compliance web page at: https://www.colgate.edu/about/offices-centers-institutes/dean-college/campus-safety-staff/clery-compliance . Printed copies of this report may be obtained upon request from the Department of Campus Safety via e-mail at cusafety@colgate.edu .
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * Are you currently a Colgate employee?
- Yes
- No
- * Have you ever been a Colgate employee?
- Yes
- No
- Do you have a spouse/domestic partner who currently is, or will be, employed at Colgate University?
- Yes
- No
- * Are you at least 18 years of age?
- Yes
- No
- * Please let us know how you heard about this position.
- Albany Times Union
- Binghamton Press & Sun
- BlackCoachesinSports
- Careerbuilders.com
- Cazenovia Republican
- Centralnewyorkhelpwanted.com
- Chronicle of Higher Education
- Chronicle of Philanthropy
- Colgate Employee
- Colgate Website
- CoSIDA
- Diverse Issues of Higher Education
- HERC (Upstate New York HERC)
- HigherEdJobs.com
- Indeed.com
- InsideHigherEd.com
- Mid-York Weekly
- NACWA
- naviGATE
- NCAA News
- Norwich Evening Sun
- Oneida Daily Dispatch
- Sherburne News
- Studentaffairs.com
- Syracuse Post Standard
- Utica Observer Dispatch
- Waterville Times
- WomenLeadersinCollegeSports.com
- Other
- If you selected "Colgate Employee" or "Other" for how you heard about this position, please provide the employee's name or where you heard about/saw the position.
(Open Ended Question)
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
