Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chancellor

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) invites applications and nominations for the position of Chief Financial Officer & Vice Chancellor for Finance, Administration, and Operations.

Reporting to the Chancellor and the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, the Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chancellor for Finance, Administration, and Operations (CFO/Vice Chancellor) is an integral member of an innovative and dynamic leadership team and a key partner in achieving the University’s ambitious strategic vision for growth, while being mindful of the need to develop new models of financial sustainability. Leading the Division of Finance & Administration, the CFO/Vice Chancellor serves in a dual role as the University’s chief financial officer and its chief administrative affairs and business officer. DFA provides services and support to over 50,000 students, faculty, and staff with the mission of advancing UCI’s future and the vision of becoming world-class campus partners.

The CFO/Vice Chancellor is responsible for strategic financial planning, budget and financial management, capital, facilities operations, and an array of business-support services that advance each dimension of the University’s mission and touch every member of its community. Reporting to Chancellor Howard Gilman and Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost Hal Stern, the position is among the most impactful leaders of the University.

The CFO/Vice Chancellor will bring the financial, administrative, planning, and communication skills appropriate to someone who is serving in an executive role. They will be an inclusive and innovative leader who weighs decisions thoughtfully and involves others in the decision-making process as appropriate. They must work with the highest levels of integrity, honesty, and openness and must create strong and enduring collaborative relationships with leaders across the University, the faculty, the staff, UCOP, and the University’s Board of Regents.

Alongside functional expertise, certain core principles and competencies are important for success in this role. These include the ability to lead through influence independent of positional authority; a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that is lived, visible, and actualized; the ability to develop trust relationships so as to work effectively in a decentralized environment with matrixed lines of authority and accountability; and the confidence and credibility to represent UCI to advisory and governance entities.

UCI has an annual operating budget exceeding $3.5 billion and an endowment exceeding $1 billion. On October 4, 2019, UCI launched the public phase of its comprehensive fundraising campaign, Brilliant Future. With dual goals of achieving $2 billion in philanthropic support and meaningfully engaging at least 75,000 alumni by 2025, the campaign will enable UCI to realize the core objectives of its 2016 Strategic Plan, creating new opportunities for its students, its faculty’s strong research agenda, its growing healthcare enterprise, its global base of alumni, and the Orange County/Southern California regional and global communities.

 

UCI has retained Opus Partners (www.opuspartners.net) to support this recruitment. Craig Smith, Partner, and Thomas Lapierre, Senior Associate, are leading the search. Confidential inquiries, applications, and nominations should be emailed to thomas.lapierre@opuspartners.net.

To be considered for the CFO/Vice Chancellor position, candidates must formally apply via Opus Partners and must provide a resume, a cover letter, and a statement of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Please consult Opus Partners for more information about the application process.

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.