EXECUTIVE CABINET - Vice President for Finance and Administration / Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Description:

Vice President for Finance and Administration / Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Position Title: Vice President for Finance and Administration / Chief Financial Officer

Division: Finance and Administration

Reports To: President

Employment Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Classification: Senior Executive Leadership / President's Executive Cabinet

Location: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Position Summary

Clinton College seeks an accomplished, visionary, highly ethical, and results-oriented executive to serve as its Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President's Executive Cabinet, the Vice President provides strategic leadership, executive management, and operational oversight for the College's financial affairs, business operations, facilities and physical plant, procurement, vendor relations, capital projects, and assigned administrative services.

The Vice President serves as the institution's chief financial officer and senior executive responsible for ensuring fiscal integrity, strengthening institutional infrastructure, maintaining regulatory compliance, managing operational risks, and advancing the efficient and responsible stewardship of institutional resources.

The successful candidate must demonstrate expertise in higher education financial management and the ability to lead complex, multifunctional administrative operations. This includes financial planning, budgeting, accounting, audit management, treasury operations, facilities management, procurement, contract administration, and institutional risk management.

As Clinton College advances its institutional transformation, the Vice President will play a critical role in strengthening financial and administrative systems, establishing a culture of accountability, improving operational efficiency, and positioning the institution for long-term financial and operational sustainability.

The ideal candidate will be both a strategic thinker and an effective operational leader who can develop institutional plans, organize personnel and resources, establish priorities, implement solutions, and deliver measurable results.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Leadership and Strategic Administration

- Serve as the principal financial advisor to the President and a senior executive responsible for assigned institutional business and administrative operations. - Develop and implement comprehensive financial and administrative strategies aligned with the College's mission, strategic priorities, and institutional sustainability objectives. - Provide executive oversight for financial management, facilities and physical plant, procurement, vendor relations, business services, and assigned administrative functions. - Establish measurable performance expectations, operational standards, and accountability structures throughout the division. - Lead institutional financial and administrative planning, resource allocation, and operational improvement initiatives. - Collaborate with the President and Executive Cabinet to ensure financial and administrative operations effectively support academic programs, student services, and institutional priorities. - Evaluate institutional financial and operational risks and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies. - Provide accurate, timely, and comprehensive financial and administrative reports to the President. - Support the Board of Trustees in exercising its fiduciary and governance oversight responsibilities through appropriate reporting and analysis.

Financial Management, Accounting, and Internal Controls

- Provide executive oversight for all institutional accounting and financial management functions. - Ensure the accuracy, integrity, and timely maintenance of the general ledger and supporting financial records. - Direct the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). - Establish effective processes for account reconciliations, journal entries, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, and financial closeout. - Ensure timely completion of monthly and annual financial closing procedures. - Develop, implement, and monitor comprehensive internal controls that safeguard institutional assets and ensure financial accountability. - Establish appropriate segregation of duties, approval procedures, documentation requirements, and financial oversight mechanisms. - Identify financial control weaknesses and implement sustainable corrective action plans. - Ensure the integrity, accuracy, and accessibility of institutional financial data. - Provide executive leadership for financial systems improvement and enterprise resource planning implementation and optimization.

Institutional Budgeting, Financial Planning, and Sustainability

- Lead the preparation, implementation, and monitoring of the College's annual operating and capital budgets. - Establish a collaborative institutional budgeting process involving divisional leadership and appropriate stakeholders. - Develop realistic revenue and expenditure projections informed by enrollment, tuition, housing, auxiliary operations, grants, philanthropy, and other institutional resources. - Monitor budget-to-actual performance and provide timely variance analyses and recommendations. - Develop and maintain multiyear financial forecasts, scenario-based financial models, and sustainability plans. - Establish budget accountability measures and ensure institutional spending aligns with approved allocations. - Identify opportunities for cost containment, operational efficiencies, revenue enhancement, and responsible resource reallocation. - Provide accurate and timely financial projections and budget reports to the President and Board of Trustees.

Facilities Management and Physical Plant Operations

- Provide executive leadership and oversight for the College's facilities, physical plant, buildings, grounds, custodial services, and campus maintenance operations. - Develop and implement a comprehensive facilities management strategy that supports a safe, functional, accessible, and well-maintained campus environment. - Oversee preventive maintenance programs, routine repairs, emergency maintenance, and deferred maintenance planning. - Ensure appropriate maintenance and operational oversight of campus buildings, classrooms, residence halls, administrative spaces, and other institutional facilities. - Direct facilities planning, space utilization, and physical infrastructure improvement initiatives. - Establish performance standards, maintenance schedules, work-order systems, and accountability measures for facilities operations. - Oversee custodial services, grounds maintenance, utilities management, and other physical plant functions. - Collaborate with appropriate institutional leaders to address facilities needs that affect academic operations, residential life, student services, and campus activities. - Support compliance with applicable building codes, accessibility requirements, environmental standards, and facilities-related safety regulations. - Develop and monitor facilities operating budgets and recommend strategies to improve operational efficiency and reduce unnecessary costs. - Establish long-term facilities maintenance and infrastructure renewal plans.

Capital Projects and Infrastructure Development

- Provide executive oversight for institutional capital improvement projects, renovations, construction-related initiatives, and major facilities investments. - Collaborate with the President and appropriate stakeholders to develop and prioritize institutional capital improvement plans. - Coordinate project planning, budgeting, procurement, scheduling, and financial oversight. - Oversee relationships with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and other capital project partners. - Monitor project expenditures, timelines, contractual obligations, and deliverables. - Ensure capital projects are managed in accordance with applicable regulations, institutional policies, and approved budgets. - Develop long-term capital expenditure forecasts and deferred maintenance priorities. - Provide regular project status reports and recommendations to the President.

Procurement, Purchasing, and Contract Administration

- Provide executive leadership for institutional procurement, purchasing, and assigned contract administration functions. - Develop and enforce procurement policies that promote transparency, accountability, competition, efficiency, and responsible stewardship of institutional resources. - Establish appropriate purchasing procedures, approval thresholds, competitive bidding practices, and documentation requirements. - Oversee procurement planning, purchase orders, vendor selection processes, and purchasing compliance. - Ensure institutional purchases align with approved budgets, institutional priorities, and applicable funding restrictions. - Coordinate the financial and administrative review of institutional contracts and purchasing agreements. - Maintain effective contract management systems, including renewal schedules, performance expectations, and financial obligations. - Collaborate with institutional legal counsel when appropriate to address contractual risks and compliance matters. - Establish controls to prevent unauthorized purchases, unnecessary expenditures, and procurement irregularities.

Vendor Relations and Business Partnerships

- Provide executive oversight for institutional vendor relationships and service agreements within assigned areas of responsibility. - Establish systems for vendor evaluation, contract performance monitoring, service quality, and accountability. - Ensure timely and professional communication with vendors and external business partners. - Monitor vendor payment obligations and coordinate appropriate payment planning with institutional financial operations. - Develop procedures for resolving vendor disputes, service deficiencies, and contractual concerns. - Evaluate opportunities to consolidate services, renegotiate agreements, and improve purchasing efficiencies. - Establish standards for vendor documentation, invoice verification, service confirmation, and financial reconciliation. - Promote ethical and transparent vendor relationships that protect institutional interests and support operational continuity.

Business Services and Auxiliary Operations

- Provide executive oversight for institutional business services, including bursar operations, student accounts, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other assigned business functions. - Establish efficient and student-centered business processes that support institutional service delivery. - Oversee the financial and contractual administration of auxiliary operations, including dining services and other assigned institutional services. - Monitor auxiliary revenue, expenditures, contractual obligations, and financial performance. - Collaborate with Student Affairs and other appropriate divisions to ensure effective coordination of residential and student support services. - Evaluate business processes and recommend operational improvements that enhance service quality, accountability, and financial sustainability. - Ensure appropriate documentation, reporting, and reconciliation of institutional business transactions.

Cash Management, Treasury, and Debt Administration

- Develop and maintain comprehensive cash flow management strategies that support institutional liquidity and operational continuity. - Prepare and monitor short-term and long-term cash flow forecasts. - Oversee institutional banking relationships, treasury operations, cash management practices, and financial transactions. - Monitor institutional debt obligations, repayment schedules, financing agreements, and related financial covenants. - Collaborate with the President in evaluating financing opportunities, debt restructuring strategies, credit facilities, and other financial instruments. - Ensure appropriate management of institutional financial obligations, including payroll, vendor payments, debt service, and contractual commitments. - Develop financial contingency plans to address liquidity constraints and emerging financial risks. - Oversee financial administration of institutional investments and endowment assets in accordance with applicable laws, donor restrictions, and institutional policies.

Audit Management, Regulatory Compliance, and Financial Reporting

- Serve as the executive leader responsible for institutional financial audit readiness and timely completion of required audits. - Coordinate annual independent financial statement audits, federal Single Audits when applicable, and other required financial examinations. - Ensure timely preparation of audit schedules, trial balances, reconciliations, supporting documentation, and financial statements. - Serve as the primary institutional financial liaison to external auditors and appropriate regulatory agencies. - Develop and oversee corrective action plans addressing audit findings, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, and financial compliance concerns. - Monitor corrective action implementation and provide timely progress reports to the President. - Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state financial requirements, tax regulations, accounting standards, and institutional policies. - Maintain financial reporting systems and documentation necessary to support institutional accreditation and regulatory review. - Ensure timely preparation and submission of required financial reports to regulatory, governmental, and oversight entities.

Federal Student Aid and Restricted Funds Financial Oversight

- Provide executive oversight of the financial administration and accounting of federal and state student financial assistance programs. - Ensure institutional financial operations comply with applicable U.S. Department of Education Title IV requirements, including cash management, fund reconciliation, disbursement accounting, and return-of-funds obligations. - Collaborate with Enrollment Management and Financial Aid leadership to ensure appropriate coordination between student financial aid administration and institutional financial operations. - Oversee accurate accounting, reconciliation, and reporting of federal, state, institutional, and externally restricted funds. - Ensure compliance with applicable grant financial management requirements, including allowable costs, documentation, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting. - Monitor institutional financial responsibility requirements and develop strategies to maintain compliance. - Provide leadership in responding to federal financial oversight requirements, including alternative payment methods, financial assurances, and other applicable financial conditions. - Ensure appropriate financial controls and reporting systems for Title III, other federal grant programs, and restricted institutional resources.

Institutional Risk Management and Asset Protection

- Provide executive leadership for institutional financial and operational risk management within the division's assigned responsibilities. - Coordinate institutional property, casualty, liability, and other assigned insurance programs. - Oversee the financial and administrative aspects of insurance renewals, coverage reviews, and claims management. - Establish processes for identifying, assessing, documenting, and mitigating institutional financial and operational risks. - Oversee institutional property and asset management systems, including inventory controls and asset accountability. - Collaborate with appropriate institutional leaders on emergency preparedness, business continuity, and operational recovery planning. - Ensure appropriate financial safeguards and administrative procedures are in place to protect institutional resources.

Financial and Administrative Systems Improvement

- Provide executive leadership for the financial and administrative components of the College's enterprise resource planning and information systems. - Collaborate with Information Technology and institutional stakeholders to ensure successful implementation, integration, and optimization of financial and administrative technologies. - Establish standards for financial data integrity, transaction documentation, system controls, and reporting accuracy. - Develop financial and operational dashboards that support executive decision-making. - Promote automation, process improvement, and data-informed management throughout the division. - Ensure appropriate system access controls, approval workflows, and data security practices.

Personnel Leadership and Institutional Collaboration

- Lead, supervise, mentor, and evaluate personnel assigned to the Division of Finance and Administration. - Establish clear performance expectations, accountability measures, and professional development opportunities. - Build and sustain high-performing financial, facilities, and administrative teams characterized by competence, integrity, collaboration, and responsiveness. - Develop succession planning and cross-training strategies that strengthen institutional operational continuity. - Establish a culture of timely communication, problem-solving, continuous improvement, and results-oriented leadership. - Collaborate effectively with the President, Executive Cabinet, faculty, staff, auditors, financial institutions, vendors, and external stakeholders. - Provide accurate and timely financial and operational reports, analyses, and recommendations to the President. - Present financial and administrative information to the Board of Trustees and its appropriate committees as requested, supporting the Board's fiduciary and governance oversight responsibilities. - Perform other duties consistent with the executive responsibilities of the position as assigned by the President. Requirements:

Required Qualifications

- Earned master's degree from an accredited institution in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, higher education administration, or a closely related field. - A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience in financial management, business administration, institutional operations, or related executive functions. - Demonstrated experience in senior-level financial management within higher education, nonprofit organizations, or similarly complex regulated environments. - Comprehensive knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), financial reporting, internal controls, budgeting, and audit preparation. - Demonstrated experience supervising multifunctional administrative operations, including financial services and at least one major operational area such as facilities, procurement, contract administration, or institutional business services. - Proven ability to lead financial audits, address audit findings, and implement corrective actions. - Demonstrated experience managing institutional budgets, financial forecasts, cash flow, and financial operations. - Working knowledge of federal and state financial compliance requirements applicable to higher education. - Demonstrated ability to manage personnel, resources, projects, and competing institutional priorities. - Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills. - Demonstrated ability to meet critical deadlines and deliver accurate financial and operational information. - Unquestionable professional integrity, ethical judgment, and commitment to institutional accountability.

Preferred Qualifications

- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. - Earned doctoral degree in business administration, higher education administration, finance, or a related field. - Prior experience serving as a Chief Financial Officer, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Vice President for Business Affairs, or comparable senior executive. - Significant leadership experience at a private college, HBCU, or tuition-dependent institution. - Demonstrated expertise in Title IV financial administration, U.S. Department of Education financial responsibility requirements, and higher education regulatory compliance. - Experience managing institutional financial recovery, restructuring, turnaround initiatives, or complex financial improvement plans. - Experience overseeing facilities and physical plant operations, capital improvement projects, procurement, and institutional contract administration. - Experience managing federal grant financial administration, including Title III and other restricted funding sources. - Demonstrated experience with debt management, financial institutions, institutional financing, and liquidity planning. - Experience implementing or transitioning enterprise resource planning systems, particularly Ellucian Colleague or comparable higher education platforms. - Familiarity with institutional accreditation financial and facilities standards. - Demonstrated ability to develop and lead high-performing teams in resource-conscious institutional environments.

Executive Leadership Expectations

The Vice President for Finance and Administration / Chief Financial Officer must be a leader who can both envision and execute.

Clinton College seeks an executive who understands that institutional transformation requires more than developing budgets, producing financial reports, maintaining facilities, or identifying operational challenges. It requires the ability to establish sound financial and administrative systems, organize people, manage resources, anticipate risks, implement solutions, and deliver measurable results.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the capacity to lead with vision, manage with discipline, communicate with transparency, exercise sound judgment, and establish a culture of financial integrity, operational excellence, and institutional accountability.

The Vice President must be prepared to strengthen the College's financial and administrative infrastructure, maintain confidence in its business operations, and develop sustainable strategies that support institutional stability, growth, and innovation.

The successful candidate must be both a strategic executive and an effective operational manager, capable of translating complex financial and administrative challenges into actionable institutional decisions while ensuring consistent execution of fundamental responsibilities.

The Vice President must possess the courage to identify challenges, the competence to develop appropriate solutions, and the discipline to ensure that corrective actions are implemented, monitored, and sustained.

Above all, the Vice President must recognize that effective financial and administrative leadership is not simply about managing budgets, buildings, contracts, or institutional resources. It is about safeguarding the College's mission, protecting its institutional integrity, and creating the financial and operational foundation necessary for Clinton College to achieve greater.

Performance Expectations and Measures of Success

The Vice President for Finance and Administration / CFO will be evaluated based on demonstrated progress and measurable outcomes, including:

Financial Stewardship

- Timely and accurate completion of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements. - Completion of general ledger reconciliations and financial closeout processes within established deadlines. - Timely completion and submission of required institutional financial audits. - Resolution of audit findings, material weaknesses, and internal control deficiencies. - Effective implementation of institutional budgets and financial sustainability plans. - Accuracy of financial forecasts, budget-to-actual reports, and cash flow projections.

Administrative and Operational Effectiveness

- Development and implementation of comprehensive facilities maintenance and improvement plans. - Demonstrated improvements in campus maintenance, facilities responsiveness, and physical plant operations. - Effective oversight of capital projects, including budget adherence, timelines, and deliverables. - Implementation of efficient and accountable procurement and purchasing processes. - Improved vendor management, contract performance, and administrative service delivery. - Effective stewardship of institutional property, assets, and operational resources.

Regulatory Compliance and Institutional Accountability

- Compliance with applicable federal, state, accreditation, and financial reporting requirements. - Effective management and reconciliation of restricted funds, federal grants, and student financial assistance resources. - Timely submission of required financial and regulatory documentation. - Implementation of financial and administrative systems that strengthen institutional accountability. - Demonstrated improvements in institutional risk management and operational continuity.

Executive Leadership and Institutional Sustainability

- Effective supervision, professional development, and performance management of divisional personnel. - Demonstrated responsiveness, transparency, collaboration, and executive-level communication. - Effective coordination with institutional leadership and external stakeholders. - Measurable contributions to institutional financial sustainability, administrative efficiency, and operational excellence.

Application Process

Applicants should submit an application online and include the requested items below.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest, current curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation from professional references. Additional documentation, including official transcripts, will be required as part of the selection and hiring process.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Employment Disclaimer

This position description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work associated with the position and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or qualifications. Clinton College reserves the right to modify position responsibilities and organizational assignments consistent with institutional needs and applicable policies.

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of applicable pre-employment requirements, including verification of credentials and background screening, as permitted by law.