Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance



The University of Kansas

Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance

The University of Kansas invites applications for the position of Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance.

The University

The University of Kansas (KU) is a major public research and teaching institution of nearly 28,000 students, 2,600 faculty and 3,400 staff across five campuses, including KU Medical Center. KU comprises 13 schools, including the state’s only schools of pharmacy and medicine, and offers more than 370 degree programs. The university’s diverse community of students and faculty are united by KU’s mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world.

KU is a longstanding member of the Association of American Universities, and the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation both classify KU as a top research university. KU consistently earns high rankings for its academic offerings, including its 46 nationally ranked graduate programs. KU researchers conducted more than $249 million in federally sponsored research last year, with strengths ranging from pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences to special education. There are 38 active startup companies created from KU discoveries, and the university has 130 license agreements for commercial use of KU technologies. The university has an on-campus incubator that houses more than 40 corporate tenants ranging from KU spinouts to established companies like Garmin and Archer Daniels Midland. 

KU benefits significantly from KU Endowment, which serves as the official fundraising foundation for KU by partnering with donors to provide philanthropic support to the university. The university’s most recent campaign, which concluded in 2016, netted $1.67 billion for scholarships, faculty support, facilities and other initiatives. For more information about KU, please visit https://ku.edu/.

The Position

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance is the University of Kansas university-wide Chief Finance Officer. The CFO reports directly to and serves at the pleasure of the Chancellor and is the trusted, strategic advisor to the Chancellor on all finance and business matters. As a key member of the Chancellor’s leadership team, the CFO has broad responsibility for the finance and business dimensions of the university. The CFO works in coordination with the Chancellor and the Executive Vice Chancellors (EVCs) of the KU-Lawrence and KU-Medical Center campuses and their respective Vice Provost/Vice Chancellor for finance (VPF/VCF).

The CFO plays an important role working with the campus VPF and VCF in developing and driving an effective financial strategy and sustainable funding model through financial forecasting, financial planning, and financial management that is transparent and will enable KU to achieve the strategic vision and goals of the university and its individual campuses.

The CFO leads a highly skilled and client-focused finance division that includes the following units: Financial policy, analysis, and reporting; business and capital financial planning and management; institutional budget planning and development; and global operations and security. The CFO chairs the University’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee, and works closely with the lead financial positions of the university campuses and controlled affiliate organizations, and the campus VPF and VCF have a “dotted line” reporting relationship to the CFO. This dotted line relationship is reinforced through the CFO’s participation with the campus EVCs in the annual performance reviews of the VPF-KU-Lawrence and VCF KU-Med and in the determination of merit increases in salary.

Required Qualifications

  • An MBA or equivalent degree preferred with at least ten years of progressive experience in finance, budget, and administration, with five years at the senior level at a major research university, university system, or other large organization.
  • Demonstrated record of supervisory oversight coordinating large and diverse units with numerous employees and enterprise-wide impact.
  • Experience with the process of change management and demonstrated success at developing buy-in.
  • Is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards.
  • Is a strong communicator, including demonstrated experience in analyzing and sharing how data-informed decisions are being made.

For a complete position profile and full list of qualifications, please visit https://www.storbeckpimentel.com/pd/KUCFO.pdf

Application and Nomination Process

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a current resume and a letter of interest describing relevant experience. Submission of materials via e-mail is strongly encouraged. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. All nominations and applications will be handled in confidence. Applications will remain confidential until the selection of the finalists, whose names and application materials will be made public.

Applications and letters of nomination should be submitted to:

Alberto Pimentel, Managing Partner

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates

6512 Painter Avenue

Whittier, CA 90601

Email: apsearch@storbeckpimentel.com

Refer to code “KU-CFO” in subject line

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, retaliation, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities.