Vice President, Finance

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 220,000 - 305,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Tuition benefit program

Excellent retirement plans

PSLF opportunity

Diversity and inclusion

Job summary

University of Minnesota Foundation seeks a strategic VP of Finance to lead core fiscal operations, including accounting, FP&A, and estate administration. This executive will translate complex financial data for non-financial stakeholders and drive process modernization across a 20‑person finance team.

The role oversees hundreds of millions in funds, ensuring donor intent and compliance while partnering with university stakeholders and investment advisors to optimize fund utilization for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with business management, accounting or finance emphasis.
• Active CPA designation required.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive financial and corporate accounting experience, with 10+ years managing staff.
• Auditing leadership experience with clean audit opinions.
• Ability to translate financial complexity for diverse audiences including boards.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive direction for corporate finance, accounting, tax compliance, and reporting.
• Direct fund administration for 12,000 restricted funds with donor intent and regulatory compliance.
• Drive continuous process modernization and scalable financial systems.
• Lead and mentor a 20-person finance team with KPIs and accountability.
• Partner with subsidiary investment company for liquidity forecasting and reporting.

Skills

Strategic fiscal leadership

Fiduciary asset stewardship

Process modernization

Talent management

Investment accounting

Audit readiness

Board communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business management, accounting or finance

CPA designation

15+ years of progressive financial experience

Job description

About the Job

The Vice President of Finance provides executive leadership, strategic oversight, and policy formulation for the Foundation's central fiscal operations, including corporate accounting, fund management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), and estate administration. As a financially independent 501(c)(3) serving as the strategic fundraising and fund‑management arm of a major public university, the Foundation's financial landscape is uniquely complex.

The ideal candidate is an intellectually versatile, forward‑looking leader who will drive continuous process modernization and elevate financial systems while ensuring absolute fiscal precision and regulatory compliance. Operating at a scale that blends private sector agility with a noble mission and purpose, the VP of Finance oversees an annual operating budget of approximately $80M and leads a centralized finance and accounting team of 20 professionals through 4 direct reports. The VP will thrive at the intersection of scale and mentorship leaning into a leader‑coach methodology that supports the growth, promotion, and retention of the team.

This role requires the translation of complex financial realities into actionable insights for non‑financial stakeholders, optimizing expenses to maximize organizational impact, and partnership with peers and colleagues across both the Foundation and University. The VP will also foster a highly collaborative partnership with University of Minnesota Foundation Investment Advisors, acting as the financial anchor between fundraising operations, university distributions, and the subsidiary investment organization.

The VP will oversee the deployment of hundreds of millions of dollars annually from over 12,000 individual restricted funds, ensuring these funds are actively, efficiently, and legally distributed to the university. The ideal candidate will champion a culture that balances rigorous compliance (safeguarding donor intent) with proactive partnership‑helping university deans and department heads unlock and utilize all available funds to award student scholarships, faculty chairs, and research. As a strong partner with the University, a successful VP will understand that fund utilization is a relationship management function as much as it is an accounting control.

Reporting Relationship

Reports to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). During an intentional, multi‑stage executive leadership transition, this role will initially report into the current financial leadership team while serving as a foundational strategic partner to the incoming executive structure.

Core Responsibilities

• Strategic Fiscal Leadership & Governance: Provide executive direction for day‑to‑day corporate finance, accounting, tax compliance (IRS Form 990), and institutional reporting. Act as the final institutional authority on U.S. GAAP compliance, technical accounting treatments, and complex alternative asset valuations.
• Fiduciary Asset Stewardship: Direct a sophisticated fund administration and gift‑processing operation. Oversee policies governing 12,000 restricted funds, ensuring uncompromised alignment with donor intent and compliance with state charitable laws under the regulatory oversight of the Attorney General of Minnesota.
• Process Modernization & System Optimization: Foster a culture of continuous improvement across all accounting functions. Evaluate and elevate current state enterprise architectures to implement automated workflows, enhance data integration, and scale financial systems to support long‑term organizational evolution.
• Talent Management & Team Leadership: Direct, mentor, and scale a 20‑person professional finance function. Establish departmental benchmarks, define key performance indicators, and champion a high‑performance culture rooted in accountability, professional development, and operational excellence.
• Subsidiary Partnership: Serve as the primary operational and financial partner to the Foundation's subsidiary investment company. Orchestrate critical workflows between entities‑collaborating on liquidity forecasting and ensuring seamless valuation and audit reporting.

Qualifications

• Required Minimum Qualifications:
  • Education: Bachelor's degree required with a business management, accounting or finance emphasis.
  • Certification: Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation.
  • Experience: A minimum of 15 years of progressive financial, budgetary, and corporate accounting experience, with at least 10 years directly managing professional, credentialed accounting staff.
  • Audit Leadership: Proven experience managing audit readiness and directing complex organizational audits in strictly regulated control environments. Demonstrated success achieving clean, unmodified audit opinions.
  • Executive Core Competencies: Demonstrated ability to independently form fiscal strategy, evaluate alternative risk‑mitigated solutions, and communicate financial complexities seamlessly to diverse audiences including boards and executive leadership.
• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Education: Advanced degree (MBA) or equivalent business management credentials.
  • Audit Background: Foundational tenure within public accounting (e.g., Big 4) or extensive background managing audits under rigorous regulatory standards (e.g., PCAOB, SOX, or government oversight frameworks).
  • Sector Versatility: Executive finance experience within sophisticated capital environments, such as corporate asset management, private foundations, higher education, or entities managing high‑volume, restricted portfolios.
  • Investment Accounting: Demonstrated expertise in investment accounting to include managing the financial mechanics of an institutional endowment, valuation tracking, and the integration of investment performance into institutional financial reporting.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $220,000-305,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree‑seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low‑cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer‑paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.