Senior Vice President for Business Affairs & Chief Financial Officer

Cleveland State University seeks nominations and applications for the position of Senior Vice President for Business Affairs & Chief Financial Officer. Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research institution with 17,000-plus students, 10 colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs.  According to the Brookings Institution, CSU is No. 18 in the U.S. among public universities that fulfill a critical dual mission: providing upward mobility and conducting impactful research. CSU is the only Ohio university in the top tier of the Brookings list.

Reporting to President Harlan Sands, the Senior Vice President for Business Affairs & Chief Financial Officer will be a trusted and credible advisor and business partner to the President, Board of Trustees and to other members of the senior leadership team. This senior financial leader will need to work effectively, both within the leadership team and his/her direct team, as well as outside the organization in high impact and high visibility settings with a diverse set of constituents. This leader must act not as a conventional financial leader, but as a broadly-based, proactive finance leader who brings value to the senior leadership team by contributing to CSU’s strategic direction and building and evolving the financial organization to meet future needs.

The Senior Vice President for Business Affairs & Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the development of long- and short-range strategic financial plans for Cleveland State University. This individual will provides vision, innovative leadership and administration for the Division of Business Affairs & Finance that supports the mission of the University. He/she will direct all financial operations of Cleveland State University including finance and accounting policy, financial accounting system, purchasing, audits, investments and risk management; facilities design, construction and maintenance, campus police and auxiliary services. The SVP and CFO will develop and carry out the Division of Business Affairs & Finance mission statement and formulate goals and objectives for the division in accordance with the goals of the university.

The individual will have experience working closely with, and being a strategic business partner to, institutional leadership and other stakeholders to advance the university’s mission. CSU will welcome a collaborative and results-oriented SVP and CFO who can effectively build consensus across and within a multi-stakeholder higher education environment. This individual will have demonstrated strong relationship-building skills to foster a productive and positive culture among the institution and its support functions, as well as strategic and entrepreneurial leadership skills that allow the individual’s vision to be translated into execution and deliverable results.  

Cleveland State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories. 

Review of nominations and applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Cleveland State University will be assisted by Jackie Zavitz and Melissa Schmidt of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc. Nominations and applications, including a resume, should be directed to csucfo@heidrick.com