Senior Associate Vice President for Finance & Deputy Chief Financial Officer

Wayne State University (WSU) seeks a visionary and collaborative leader to serve as a Sr. Associate Vice President for Finance and Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Applications, inquiries and nominations are invited.

The SAVPF is directly responsible for all the core financial functions of Wayne State University, including strategic financial planning, budgeting, accounting and financial reporting, treasury and investments.  This position works collaboratively with the other senior leadership of the University and interacts with the Board of Governors.  In addition, this position serves as the principal deputy to the Senior Vice President for Finance & Business Operations who is responsible for overall financial matters as well as business services, human resources and facilities management.

Wayne State University, founded in 1868, is a nationally recognized public, urban research university in Detroit, Michigan. Committed to educational opportunity, research and community enrichment, Wayne State serves a critical role in Michigan’s higher education landscape. It holds the highest Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designations in both research and community engagement. Just as the city of Detroit is undergoing a renaissance, the University itself is in a time of significant transformation, strengthening its ability to serve students from Michigan and around the world.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Knowledge about all areas of finance including budgeting, financial reporting, and treasury (including debt)
• Expertise and success with budget models that encompass all funds and have incentives for priority setting and efficiencies
• Experience and skill in change management within a large, complex organization
• Prior experience working with and presenting to boards
• Experience managing multiple functions
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Preferred experiences include:

• Working within institutions of higher education
• Working within a collective bargaining environment
• Working within the public sector

The Search Profile, with additional information about the University, the opportunities for the Senior Associate Vice President for Finance & Deputy Chief Financial Officer and instructions for application, may be found above.

Nominations and Applications

The Search Committee will begin a review of applications in early July and continue its work until an appointment is made. To assure full consideration, application materials, as described in the Search Profile, should be received by July 29, 2022.

Candidates should provide the following:

• Letter of interest stating candidate’s qualifications and their connection to the position’s required/preferred characteristics
• Curriculum vitae/resume
• Five professional references with emails, telephone numbers, and a description of the candidate’s professional relationship (references will not be contacted without prior authorization from the applicant).

Applications and nominations should be sent electronically (MS Word or PDF Format) to: WayneStateAVPF@agbsearch.com

Wayne State University is being assisted by:

Mr. Larry Ladd, Executive Search Consultant, larry.ladd@agbsearch.com / (508) 274-091

Dr. Julie Staggs, Executive Search Consultant, julie.staggs@agbsearch.com / (571) 970-7895

Wayne State University is an equal opportunity employer No person will be discriminated against or harassed in employment because of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, familial status, marital status, arrest record, height, weight, sexual orientation, qualified Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal or state law.