Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration

The Search Advisory Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately. The following items are required for a complete application packet:

• Resume and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Cover Letter

• Please note that candidates who are invited to interview will also be required to submit a Diversity Statement. Guidance for preparing Diversity Statements can be found here .

UC San Diego is being assisted in this recruitment by the Opus Search Partners and welcome nominations or expressions of interest. To submit comments, nominations, or expressions of interest, please send an email with any supporting materials to Thomas Lapierre at: thomas.lapierre@opuspartners.net. All applications will be handled in confidence. Please consult Opus Partners for more information about the application process.

For a full position profile and list of qualifications and characteristics sought in UC San Diego’s Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration, Campus & Health Sciences, please visit https://opuspartners.net/searches/current/vice-chancellor-for-finance-and-administration-campus-and-health-sciences.

All candidates must also formally apply via the University of California San Diego’s application portal.

The Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (VCFA) reports to the Chancellor and is part of the Chancellor’s Cabinet and leadership team. The VCFA is the senior executive officer and Chief Financial Officer for all of UC San Diego’s Campus and Health Sciences financial resources. In consultation with the Chancellor, the VCFA creates an integrated multi-year, multi-funds financial plan, embedded in the institutional priorities with a robust reporting environment that will support senior leadership in accomplishing institutional goals.

The VCFA provides strategic and tactical leadership for the institution and advises the Chancellor and the University’s executive leadership team on the accomplishment of strategies and initiatives articulated in the Strategic Plan. The VCFA ensures that the University’s financial, residential, retail, supply chain, and human and IT resources support institutional priorities. The Vice Chancellor is responsible for financial policy development and policy decisions, general programmatic direction for all reporting units in their portfolio, and the establishment of effective working dotted-line relationships with all financial officers across the general campus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and UC San Diego Health Sciences. Collaborating widely across UC San Diego, the VCFA develops and implements financial policies, systems, and controls that protect and deploy institutional assets and help the Health Sciences enterprise establish and achieve financial and budgetary goals and objectives. In this regard, the VCFA serves as the overall institutional financial officer.

The Vice Chancellor partners with the academic and administrative leadership of the campus to fulfill UC San Diego’s goals, fully understanding and supporting the central role of the academic vision for the institution and implementing business process improvements, information technology infrastructure enhancements, and financial reporting systems that will support effective all-funds planning for the entire enterprise. The Vice Chancellor serves as a key advisor to the Chancellor and exercises the authority of the chief financial officer throughout all aspects of the University’s operations.

The VCFA will provide clear communication and strategic guidance to the entire leadership team and build relationships with senior leaders across campus, facilitating effective decision-making and driving institutional success. Additionally, the VCFA will have functional responsibility for overall asset and debt strategy, contributing strategic perspective on campus funding needs, and engaging with the investment staff at the UC Office of the President with regards to UC San Diego endowments managed on behalf of the Regents.

The VCFA will represent the University's finance and administration functions externally, interacting regularly with senior officials in the UC Office of the President, the UC Board of Regents, officials at other UC campuses and peer higher-education institutions, federal, state, and local government officials, and members of business, labor, and civic organizations. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the complexities of higher education finance and administration, and will drive strategic decision-making, foster collaboration, and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the institution.

As Chief Financial Officer for Health Sciences, the Vice Chancellor is responsible for creating and maintaining the control of funds flow between the UC San Diego Health (Health System) and the Health Sciences professional schools. With Health Sciences leadership, the VCFA plans, coordinates, and maintains integrated annual and long-range financial plans, analyzes the enterprise’s short- and long-term financial position, and makes recommendations regarding the operating model of the professional schools and of operations, institutes, and shared services that report to the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences.

The VCFA maintains an in-depth knowledge of the changing clinical, education, and research environments and their impact on the campus and Health Sciences enterprise to monitor and evaluate the adequacy of existing support services and to ensure the development of financial services, information systems, and physical resources that address the medical center’s needs. The VCFA collaborates with the Chief Financial Officer of UC San Diego Health on the management of Health-related financial operations; the leaders work in concert to ensure the overall financial strength of UC San Diego Health and effective stewardship of its resources in the context of the University’s long-term fiscal strategy.

The VCFA is responsible for approximately 2,000 staff (FTE).

Principal functions, activities and programs of the VCFA include oversight and executive management of the following functional areas:

• Budget & Financial Analysis
• Treasury
• Business & Financial Services (BFS)
• Human Resources
• Operational Strategic Initiatives
• Real Estate
• Information Technology Services
• Retail, Residential & Supply Chain Services
• Health Sciences

The VCFA advances six major strategies for the UC San Diego enterprise:

• Financial excellence: Combines strong strategic and decision support to both the Chancellor and the various portfolios with controls and discipline.
• Revenue diversification: Every year, the University faces a similar margin compression: revenues are capped by the tuition freeze and slow progress in State funding is obliterated at each economic downturn; on the other hand, mandated salary increases and unfunded mandates create a new deficit of $20 million. This requires the campus to constantly look for new revenues and to run lean administrative and academic operations. The revenue diversification strategy aimed at subsidizing the teaching mission has been a very close partnership between the Chancellor, the EVC, the VCFA and the Academic Senate.
• Operating excellence: Striving for operating excellence without stifling innovation is an ongoing priority. Aspects include IT Services and Cybersecurity, lean culture, operational reviews and support to various units, and innovative partnerships with outside entities.
• Destination campus: The light rail connecting the campus to downtown and to the Mexican border has been the catalyst for a two-way transformation. UC San Diego is transforming the isolated La Jolla campus into a vibrant hub that will make it a destination for the community.
• Health Sciences strategic financial oversight: Involves funds flow optimization, revenue generations, and operational efficiencies requiring deep engagement of many stakeholders.
• Diverse talent and inclusive excellence: Building a diverse and talented team and creating a culture of inclusion is imperative. The VCFA supports the entire campus by developing policies that foster diversity and inclusion.

Candidates must demonstrate vision, creativity, and collaborative and managerial acumen, along with a strong commitment to UC San Diego’s public mission and its record of innovation Across its mission areas. Ideal candidates will have substantial financial leadership experience; aptitude and creativity to work within complex financial constraints; a keen ability to make high-impact business decisions; cultural fluency and relationship skills; and the capacity to exercise leadership at local and system-wide levels.

Skills and/or experience necessary to perform this position:

• Strong orientation to service, financially savvy and politically astute.
• Considerable experience as a manager with a successful track record in a complex organization, viewing financial resources as an enabler for institutional priorities.
• Open, accessible, and transparent management experience building teams and capacities.
• Subject-matter expertise and confidence to lead through influence.
• Experience in a complex higher education institution with a medical school is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration and trust-building.
• Understanding of the academic endeavor with a “people” mindset.
• Demonstrated success leading significant change processes.
• Ability to create culture change while ensuring financial stability.
• Bachelor’s degree required; preference for graduate/master’s degree, CPA or CFA encouraged.

Candidates with relevant leadership experience outside higher education are encouraged to apply.

• Background Check required

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all stakeholders.