The Leadership Opportunity:
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as the University of Iowa’s senior financial strategist and a principal advisor to the President and senior leadership team, guiding institutional decision-making from its position of financial strength. The CFO will shape long-term institutional priorities, develop innovative approaches to resource deployment, and ensure that the financial strategy advances the University's academic, research, and health care missions. Working in close partnership with…
University and health care leaders, the Board of Regents, and stakeholders across the institution, the CFO will ensure that financial resources are aligned with strategic priorities, support informed decision-making through rigorous analysis and forecasting, and promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and exceptional stewardship. The CFO will help position the University to navigate a rapidly evolving higher education landscape while preserving the financial flexibility required to support future investments in academic excellence, research growth, student success, and health care innovation.
The University of Iowa seeks a strategic, collaborative, and forward-looking financial leader to serve as its next Chief Financial Officer. The successful candidate will be a trusted advisor capable of helping lead a financially strong, complex public research institution and academic health system as they invest for the future. This leader will combine deep financial expertise with curiosity, creativity, and outstanding judgment, balancing near-term priorities with long-term strategic objectives. The candidate will understand the financial dynamics between academic and clinical enterprises, preferably through direct experience with an academic health system, and will engage effectively with leaders across both domains.
The next Chief Financial Officer will bring the communication skills necessary to collaborate effectively with the President, Board of Regents, University and health care leadership, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders, translating complex financial issues into actionable strategies and informed decisions. Equally important, the Chief Financial Officer will be a collaborative and transparent leader who fosters accountability, inspires confidence, and builds strong partnerships across a decentralized organization. Drawing on both analytical rigor and a service-oriented mindset, the successful candidate will help position the University for continued excellence in teaching, research, patient care, and public service.
The position is based in Iowa City, IA.
About the University of Iowa:
The University of Iowa is one of the nation’s premier public research universities, recognized for academic excellence, groundbreaking discoveries, and a commitment to Iowa and the world. As a proud member of the Big Ten, Iowa combines world-class academics and athletics with a collaborative culture that values people, community, and opportunity. Iowa is known globally for excellence in the arts, sciences, and humanities.
Iowa is known globally for excellence in the arts, sciences, and humanities. From the world’s first creative writing program to one of America’s top teaching hospitals, Hawkeyes are innovators and collaborators. Faculty, staff, and students have pioneered fields such as educational testing and speech pathology, sent UI-built instruments on virtually every NASA mission, and traced the genetic origins of countless diseases. With 12 colleges and a collaborative, can-do culture, Iowa scholars are redefining higher education and shaping the future.
Iowa welcomes students from all backgrounds, supports their growth, and provides tools to graduate on time and on budget. The Iowa approach works—undergraduate retention and graduation rates well exceed the national average.
Alongside education and discovery, Iowa is known for its world-class academic medical center, NCAA Division I athletics programs, and its role as an economic engine for the state of Iowa. New programs lend support and expertise to Iowa businesses, while a spirit of entrepreneurship drives student start-ups, faculty discoveries, and innovations that shape tomorrow.
Ideal Experience:
- 15+ years of progressive financial leadership in large, complex organizations, preferably within higher education.
- Experience working within an academic medical center, integrated health system, teaching hospital, or similarly complex health care environment is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated success leading long-range financial planning, developing sustainable financial models, and evaluating strategic investments in support of institutional objectives.
- Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including faculty, administrators, board members, and external constituencies.
- A collaborative leader with experience in management roles, providing team leadership and mentorship, including best-in-class professional development opportunities for staff.
- Demonstrable passion for and connection to the University of Iowa's mission of teaching, research, and public service.
- Strong academic credentials required, including a preference for an M.B.A. and/or related graduate degree(s) or C.P.A.
The Search Process:
Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, has been retained by the University of Iowa to help identify and recruit the new Chief Financial Officer. All inquiries, nominations, and applications (CVs and letters of interest) should be sent electronically and in confidence to: IowaCFO@spencerstuart.com.