Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Ashland University Bookstore; Ashland (OH); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashland University seeks a strategic and collaborative Chief Financial Officer to align financial resources with institutional priorities and position the University for long-term resilience. Reporting to the President, the CFO will serve on the Executive Leadership Team and advise on strategy, performance, and capital priorities.

The CFO will oversee budgeting, cash and debt management, financial planning, audits, and compliance, while partnering with Enrollment Management and Financial Aid to

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in business or finance is required.
• Five or more years of executive level financial management experience.
• Strong budgeting, planning, forecasting, reporting, audits, internal controls, and regulatory compliance expertise.
• Solid knowledge of higher education finance, financial systems, and risk management.
• Strong strategic, analytical, leadership and communication skills for clear financial messaging.
• Commitment to the university’s mission, values, and student-centered culture.

Responsibilities

• Advise the President and Executive Leadership Team on financial strategy, performance, risk, capital priorities, and major investments.
• Update and work with the Board on financial health and status, including Finance, Investment and Audit, and Compliance subcommittees.
• Develop long-range forecasts to preserve financial flexibility amid enrollment and economic changes.
• Lead and implement short- and long-term financial, operational, and capital plans.
• Oversee cash management, debt management, budgeting, accounting services, student accounts, and payroll.
• Provide executive leadership to the Business Office.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, accreditation, and bondholder requirements; oversee audits.
• Partner with Enrollment Management and Financial Aid for tuition pricing and net-tuition-revenue planning.
• Analyze enrollment trends and program-level financial performance to strengthen resilience.
• Support development of diversified revenue streams beyond tuition.

Skills

Executive leadership

Financial management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial reporting

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Strategic communication

Higher education finance

Education

Graduate degree in business or finance

Tools

Ellucian Colleague

Job description

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Position Title Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Job Description

Ashland University seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer ( CFO ). Reporting directly to the President and serving on the Executive Leadership Team, the CFO is the University’s chief financial executive, senior financial strategist, and trusted advisor. The CFO will align financial resources with institutional priorities and help position the University for long-term financial resilience.

Mission and Leadership Context

Ashland University, guided by its Brethren heritage, is a comprehensive private university that provides a transformative learning experience, shaping graduates who work, serve, and lead with integrity in their local, national, and global communities. The University’s longstanding “Accent on the Individual” reflects its commitment to the purpose, development, and success of each student.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CFO will support the University’s mission and institutional values and bring integrity, sound judgment, transparency, confidentiality, and responsible stewardship to every aspect of the role. The CFO will build close, collaborative relationships across academic and administrative units and communicate financial matters clearly to audiences with varying levels of financial expertise.

Essential Position Duties and Responsibilities

• Advise the President and Executive Leadership Team on financial strategy, institutional performance, risk, capital priorities, and major investments.
• Update and work with the Board, particularly the Finance Committee, Investment and Audit, and Compliance subcommittees on issues pertaining to the University’s financial health and status.
• Develop long range forecasts that preserve financial flexibility and prepare the University for changing enrollment, revenue, and economic conditions.
• Lead and implement short-term and long-term financial, operational, and capital plans.
• Oversee cash management, debt management, financial planning, operating and capital budgets, accounting services, student accounts, and payroll.
• Provide executive leadership to the Business Office.

Enrollment, Revenue, and Financial Model Oversight

• Lead the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of annual operating and capital budgets and ensures timely and accurate reporting.
• Ensures full compliance with federal, state, accreditation, and bondholder requirements; oversees audits and maintains strong relationships with external auditors, regulators, and lenders.
• Partner with Enrollment Management and Financial Aid to support data-informed tuition pricing, discount-rate management, financial-aid optimization, and net-tuition-revenue planning.
• Oversee analysis of enrollment trends, retention economics, tuition dependency, and program-level financial performance to strengthen financial resilience.
• Support the development and evaluation of diversified revenue streams beyond traditional tuition sources.

Liquidity, Debt, Investments, and Asset Stewardship

• Lead cash-flow management, liquidity planning, and reserve strategy to support institutional stability and agility.
• Monitor and communicate key indicators of financial health, including days cash on hand, debt capacity, operating performance, and covenant compliance.
• Collaborate with Institutional Advancement and investment advisors to support responsible stewardship of restricted gifts, endowments, grants, designated resources, and long-term assets.

Technology, Process Improvement, and Organizational Effectiveness

• Evaluate organizational structure and processes withing finance and administration to promote continuous improvement and efficiency.
• Promote effective use of enterprise systems, financial analytics, management reporting tools, automation, and responsible artificial intelligence to strengthen controls, improve forecasting, streamline work, and reduce avoidable cost.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree(s) in business or finance required.
• A minimum of five (5) years of executive level financial management.
• Demonstrated expertise in budgeting, financial planning and analysis, forecasting, financial reporting, audits, internal controls, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong knowledge of higher education finance, financial systems, and risk management.
• Strong strategic, analytical, leadership and communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex financial information.
• Commitment to Ashland University’s mission, values, and student-centered culture.

Preferred Qualifications

• Licensed Certified Public Accountant ( CPA ) or Certified Management Accountant ( CMA ) designation.
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague or a comparable higher education enterprise resource planning system.
• Executive level financial leadership in a private, nonprofit higher education institution.

Physical Demands

Anticipated Start Date of New Hire

Anticipated Start Date of New Hire 01/01/2027

Anticipated Number of Hours Working per Week