Description

The Vice President of Finance and Facilities serves as the Chief Finance Officer of the college and provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction for college-wide financial planning and fiscal operations, physical plants, auxiliary enterprises, risk management, and oversight of capital construction aligned with the strategic goals of the college. This position serves on the President’s Cabinet and Leadership Team and reports directly to the College President.

As a senior leader, the Vice President of Finance & Facilities exercises broad discretion and offers critical input on institutional priorities and opportunities. The role requires a commitment to integrity, transparency, and collaboration, fostering trusted relationships across the college community while empowering teams to deliver high-quality services.  Decisions and actions are guided by the principle of “what is best for students,” ensuring that financial and operational strategies support student success.

The Vice President works together with colleagues within the college and across the Minnesota State system to promote fiscal accountability and advance a culture of consultation, trust, and respect.

Characteristic Duties & Responsibilities: 

1. Provide leadership and organize and direct the financial management of the college including auxiliary services and college foundation.

• Ensure all funds are accounted for in accordance with Minnesota State and State of Minnesota policies and procedures.
• Develop, recommend and implement strong financial management policies, forecasting techniques, and procedures within the college to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting as it relates to the control of receipts and expenditures.
• Implement any policy or procedural changes directed from Office of the Chancellor.
• Coordinate audits to ensure compliance within Minnesota State and state policies.
• Oversee contractual relationships to ensure appropriate documentation is in place.
• Communicate with college administration, faculty, and staff in assisting with budget and other fiscal matters.
• Secure adequate insurance coverage for all facets of the college operation including property, liability, and other necessary coverage.
• Oversee College cash management process.

2. Serve in an organizational leadership role in the preparation of the college's budgetary and facilities needs in relation to its overall strategic and operational plans. 

• Provide financial recommendations and guidance that aids in decision-making.
• Select, develop, evaluate, motivate, and discipline key financial services, facilities, and auxiliary personnel to ensure a professional and high-quality workplace.
• Ensure that financial services and auxiliary personnel are giving quality customer service.
• Confer with staff members within the financial services, facilities, and auxiliary services departments to help resolve operational problems, interpretations of policies, rules and regulations, and assist with concerns related to their job functions.
• Provide general oversight to the campus business services operations.
• Provide financial analysis as assigned or requested by senior administration.
• Advise the college community of the financial impacts of decisions.
• Work with college administration in the development of short and long-term planning and forecasting models.
• Ensure that financial department policies and procedures are quality driven and align with the College master academic plan.
• Serves as the primary liaison with the Office of the Chancellor in all matters related to finance, facilities, and related reporting.
• Serve as one of the administrators formally delegated with the responsibility of the College President during the President’s absence

3. Provide leadership and vision for plant operations by creating, implementing, and monitoring policies and procedures for all physical plant and safety operations.

• Develop, recommend, maintain and implement policies, procedures, rules and regulations that direct the physical plant/facilities department of the college.
• Ensure compliance with Board of Trustees policy, Minnesota State procedures and applicable guidelines and pertinent law.
• Oversee the development of the Master Facilities plan and Emergency Operations Plan. Work with Physical Plant Director to establish goals and direct the work of staff to accomplish established goals.
• Work with President and Office of Chancellor staff on due diligence requirements for items such as land acquisitions, alternative financing options with utility savings and housing proposals.
• Facilitate and compile information for capital and HEAPR projects and monitor timeliness and appropriateness of college HEAPR and capital spending.
• Work with Physical Plant Director and appropriate Deans on proposed campus improvement and remodeling projects.
• Assure college’s operations accurately represent and maximize facility usage.

4. Budget Preparation and Reporting

• Direct the preparation of requested financial reports so that the college is compliant with federal, state, and system requirements.
• Direct the preparation of requested financial reports so that managers receive financial data necessary to support their decision-making.
• Keep senior management appraised on college financial position to ensure continued financial viability.
• Direct the preparation of annual financial statements.
• Assemble necessary revenue projections to allow for budget development process to begin.
• Lead college administration and employees through the annual budget development process, ensuring the most efficient use of college resources.
• Analyze legislative allocation and ensure college is reporting expenditures correctly that ensure maximum return in legislative and Minnesota State funding formula.

5. Auxiliary Services

• Provide general oversight and ensure auxiliary service operations are financially viable.
• Ensure auxiliary service operations are giving quality customer service.
• Set policy that supports the mission of the auxiliary services and gives direction for the employees to operate within.
• Leverage auxiliary services to address the evolving needs across the college’s campuses.

6. Personnel Management and Supervision

• Provide supervisory authority for direct reports in the areas of finance and facilities achieve the objectives of each area.
• Exercise appropriate supervisory authority and delegation so that applicable labor agreements and plans are equitably administered and employees effectively perform assigned job duties to achieve departmental objectives.
• Identify staffing needs for each area and assess the qualifications of candidates and effectively recommend the hiring of employees to perform the job duties to achieve departmental objectives.
• Evaluate employee performance, reward or discipline employees, and effectively recommend the promotion, suspension, discharge, or change of status according to performance.
• Confer with staff members individually and/or as a group to help resolve operational problems, interpret and implement policies, rules and regulation, and employee contracts.  Address personnel conflict in a collaborative manner.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible administrative or managerial experience in a medium to large organization. A degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Management, Public Administration or related field may substitute for experience as follows: Associate’s degree = 6 months of experience, Bachelor’s degree = 12 months of experience, Master’s degree = 18 months of experience.
• Demonstrated ability to understand financial management and to accurately forecast financial positioning.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues in a straightforward manner and work effectively across departments.
• Possess technical knowledge to collect, analyze, and solve complex situations.
• Possess short and long-term operational and strategic planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with persons of diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusiveness, transparency and shared governance in leadership and decision making.
• A proven record of prioritizing and balancing multiple tasks with significant timeline pressures.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification
• Experience in higher education, government entity, financial sector and/or public-sector entities
• Experience working effectively and in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders in planning, budgeting, and implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Experience managing fiscal services, administrative services and a variety of auxiliary services or enterprises.
• Evidence of ingenuity and initiative to provide sound business leadership in support of innovative educational practices.
• Experience with facilities master planning, capital budget requests and building construction activities.
• Successful management of large capital renovation and building projects
• Commitment to the mission, vision and core values of a comprehensive two-year college.

 
Other Requirements

• You must apply online and attach an electronic cover letter and resume to your online application in order to be considered for this position.
• All applicants must be able to lawfully accept employment in the United States at the time of employment. 
• In accordance with the Minnesota State Vehicle Fleet Safety Program, employees driving on college/university business who use a rental or state vehicle shall be required to conform to Minnesota State's vehicle use criteria and consent to a Motor Vehicle Records check