Vice President of Strategy and Finance

Saint Mary’s College, a Catholic women’s college of national standing in the liberal arts tradition, is seeking an innovative, visionary, and disciplined individual to be its Vice President of Strategy and Finance (VP). As the College’s chief business strategist and financial officer, the VP serves as the innovation-focused business partner to the President, charged with the achievement of a robust strategy that enhances the college’s valuation in the long term, financial sustainability, and brand while maintaining mission and community trust. The VP reports directly to the President and works in close collaboration with the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs as well as other Cabinet members in the advancement of college goals.

Since its founding, Saint Mary’s has had a tradition of empowering women to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s has provided women with a strong grounding in the liberal arts needed to assume leadership roles in the social, economic, and religious structures of their day. Today, the College continues to fulfill its ongoing mission as a Catholic women’s college dedicated to the education of each student as a whole person. For more information about Saint Mary’s College visit the website at https://www.saintmarys.edu/

As a member of the President’s Cabinet, the VP will advise the President to support the development of long-term strategic vision, as well as the executive functions of the institution. The VP is responsible for the assessment and development of the College financial strategy, business model, and performance measures that balance strict financial discipline with higher return initiatives that drive innovation and growth. Further, the VP will provide leadership in the identification, market testing, implementation, and continual performance assessment of initiatives for new revenue generation including programs, products, events, services, and the development of associated business plans. As an integral player in business development practices, driven primarily by growth and changes in strategy, the VP must have the awareness of where the market and competition are heading and have the ability to engage in analytical thinking, problem solving, and planning. The VP must possess a balanced skill set that covers cost control, treasury, analytics and strategic forecasting, as well as the technological expertise to expand the College’s use of data and software to continuously modify institutional strategy, finance function, operating model, organizational structure, and team.

The successful candidate will have earned a graduate degree in a relevant field and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Managerial Accountant (CMA) certification is preferred. The VP will have demonstrated significant and progressively responsible leadership over the financial administrative area, preferably in a college or university setting. Excellent analytical ability is vital. The VP must be able to evaluate the College’s financial needs and select appropriate investments and business strategies that will meet established financial goals. Experience in partnering with an executive team and a high level of written and oral communication skills are essential in order to effectively collaborate with colleagues and interact with clients or organizational management. The candidate should also have effective project management abilities in order to successfully oversee multiple business initiatives. In addition, the VP should have a demonstrated capacity to embrace and advance the Catholic mission and core values of the College.

Koya Leadership Partners is assisting Saint Mary’s College with this hire. This search is being led by Liz Neumann, Tom Phillips and Charlotte Harris. Nominations and applications, including a detailed letter of interest and a current curriculum vitae, should be submitted here.

All College policies, practices, and procedures are administered in a manner consistent with our Catholic identity. With the foregoing understanding, Saint Mary’s College will not engage in discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion (except where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification), age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Based on our Catholic values, the College also prohibits discrimination based on sexual or political orientation.