Vice President for Administration and Finance

University of Houston Downtown

Vice President for Administration and Finance

The University of Houston Downtown (UHD), a public university that is part of the University of Houston System, is seeking a highly experienced and operationally focused financial officer to be its next Vice President for Administration and Finance (VPAF). Reporting directly to the President, the VPAF will oversee an annual budget of $218 million including state, designated, auxiliary, restricted and contract and grants funds. With a team of over 200 staff members, 7 direct reports and a divisional budget of over $60 million, the VPAF will lead a multitude of core business and administrative functions to ensure UHD is a financially stable, technologically enabled, well maintained, safe, secure, and comfortable place for faculty, staff, and students to teach, work, and learn.

The new VPAF will bring a strong vision and a background in operational metrics to assess where resources are currently utilized, and to make recommendations for their improved alignment. This will entail utilizing different budgeting methods and thinking strategically. The new VPAF will also analyze current processes and procedures and make recommendations for greater efficiency.  In coordination with senior leadership, the VPAF will closely examine campus safety and policing policies, procedures, and funding to assess how effectively resources are being utilized and how they may be deployed alternatively.  A seasoned communicator and operational administrator, the VPAF will understand through hands-on experience the implications of major capital projects and how to manage these with minimal disruption to the efficient running of the university. The new VPAF will play a pivotal role in designing a new campus master plan, gathering input from stakeholders from across the campus and will support the preparations for both regional and program-based accreditations. The new VPAF will be a champion for UHD in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and within the UH System and effectively collaborate with the UH System VPAFs.

The successful candidate will possess a master’s degree in Business, Finance or related field and have a minimum of ten years of increasingly responsible roles leading administration and finance departments, preferably within a system environment. In addition to fiscal management prowess, the ideal candidate will have experience with campus safety and facilities; leading and managing large, diverse teams; working with and fluency in a variety of budget models, and knowledge of how the State of Texas funds its public universities, both formula and nonformula.

The search profile may be found at: https://www.agbsearch.com/searches/vice-president-for-administration-and-finance-university-of-houston-downtown

APPLICATION PROCESS

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications in early November and will continue until the position is filled. For best consideration, applicant materials should be received by December 31, 2021.

Candidates should provide the following:

  • Letter of interest stating how the candidate’s experience and qualifications connect with the required/desired experience and qualifications expressed in the position Profile
  • Curriculum vitae/resume
  • Statement of contribution to diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Five professional references with emails, telephone numbers, and a description of the candidate’s professional relationship with each reference listed (references will not be contacted without prior written authorization from the applicant).

Applications and nominations should be sent electronically (PDF or MS Word) to: VPAF-UHD@agbsearch.com   

The search is being assisted by AGB Search Consultants:

Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Plympton - margaret.plympton@agbsearch.com - 484.554.4542

Ms. Monica Burton - monica.burton@agbsearch.com  - 917-825-2961

Additional information about the University of Houston-Downtown may be found at  www.uhd.edu

UHD is committed to providing equal access and opportunity to employees, applicants for employment, and service providers without regard to age, disability, gender, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam War Era Veteran.