Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer - Office of the President

Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer - Office of the President

Company: Carnegie Mellon University

Job Location: Pittsburgh, 15213

Category: Administrative Vice Presidents

Type: Full-Time

Carnegie Mellon University invites nominations and applications for the role of Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer-a key member of the executive leadership team responsible for guiding the university's financial strategy, operational excellence, and long-term fiscal health in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment.

CMU enters this next chapter with a strong financial foundation in place. The opportunity for the CFO is to elevate the strategic financial stewardship of the institution and to ensure that the excellence of financial systems, processes, and high-performing teams required to support the future of CMU are in place. Serving as a strategic thought partner to the president and senior leadership team, the CFO will act as the university's principal financial and business advisor and as a key point of coordination among deans, academic leaders, and business officers across a large, complex, and highly decentralized institution.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Charged with stewardship of the university's financial strategy and supporting infrastructure, the CFO will provide leadership and oversight across all financial resources, while maintaining the highest standards of institutional integrity, transparency, and accountability. In close partnership with the president, provost, and senior administrative leaders, this role calls for intellectual curiosity, strategic insight, and a forward-looking perspective to ensure that the finance function continues to evolve alongside the institution's ambitions.

This role is also responsible for overseeing the agenda, engagement, and trustee relationships of the Board's Finance Committee and Audit Committee.

Beyond operational excellence, the CFO will be known for anticipating issues before they surface and identifying opportunities before they become apparent. This leader will apply rigorous analysis, systems thinking, and sound judgment to complex questions, helping university leadership navigate tradeoffs, allocate resources effectively, and position CMU for long-term sustainable growth. The CFO will strengthen already robust Treasury, planning & budgeting, capital allocation, and financial control & reporting processes by bringing sharp foresight, insightful scenario modeling, and deep integration of financial data into strategic decision making.

A central aspect of the role will be assessing continuously how the financial operating model supports CMU's academic and research priorities and adjusting course as conditions change. Working collaboratively across colleges, schools, and units, the CFO will leverage CMU's highly decentralized model as a source of innovation, while strengthening enterprise-wide visibility, coordination, and accountability. This allows the institution to balance enterprise-wide needs with local flexibility, ensuring that data, forecasting, and reporting meaningfully inform decisions at all levels without constraining innovation - what CMU is known for!

Equally important, the CFO will be a future-focused leader adept at guiding a complex research university through ongoing change. A strong understanding of capital structure, investment strategy, liquidity planning, operating efficiency, and compliance across federal, state, and sponsor-driven environments will be essential. With a proactive mindset and an ability to "see around corners," the CFO will help ensure that CMU remains financially resilient, strategically agile, and well-positioned to pursue bold initiatives in the years ahead.

In short, we are looking for a CFO capable of boldly positioning CMU for long-term sustainability and continued leadership as a global model for research, education, and impact.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

Reports to: President

Direct reports:

• Associate Vice President for Finance and Controller
• Associate Vice President for Budget and Financial Planning
• Associate Vice President and Treasurer
• Assistant Vice President of Procurement and Payments
• Director, Finance Training and Communications
• Director, Business Applications Development and Support (dotted line; directly reports to computing services)
• Executive Assistant to the Vice President and CFO, and Manager of Finance Division Administrative Operations

Key auxiliary enterprises and cost centers, such as Housing and Dining, will also maintain a dotted-line relationship to the CFO-ensuring a clear line of sight into performance, strong financial discipline, and institutional accountability, while preserving their close operational alignment with their core reporting unit.

Other Key Relationships:

• Board of Trustees (esp. Finance and Audit committees)
• CMU Senior Leadership Team
• Deans and School/College-level business leaders
• External auditors, outsourced internal auditors, bankers, and rating agencies

DESIRED OUTCOMES:

• In partnership with the president and other key leaders, advance the president's vision and CMU's mission of creating and advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.
• Elevate the strategic financial stewardship of the institution through the implementation of the financial rigor necessary to ensure stability and growth across all levels of the university, ensuring that CMU continues to lead with both entrepreneurial agility and financial discipline.
• Instill the discipline of consistently framing choices, evaluating tradeoffs, and aligning financial strategy with institutional priorities, bringing greater clarity and consistency to decision-making across a highly decentralized environment.
• Modernize and streamline the university's financial infrastructure, workforce, and systems, including the planning, reporting, and budgeting processes.
• Elevate an already talented team through professional development, mentoring, and other personnel management initiatives. Build strong leadership depth and succession capability.

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES:

Strategic Financial Leadership: ... [abbreviated for brevity, full details in text]

Leading Change and Driving Results: ...

Collaborating and Influencing: ...

IDEAL EXPERIENCE/BACKGROUND:

• Academic Qualifications: Strong academic credentials required, including a preference for an MBA and/or related graduate degree(s).
• Senior Financial Management Experience: At least 15 years of senior-level financial leadership roles in large, complex, multi-faceted organizations. Experience with an academic or research-intensive environment is a plus.

A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered

In addition to the above qualifications and credentials, CMU's next CFO should demonstrate: [strategic leadership, team leadership, etc.]

Additional Requirements:

• Successful completion of a pre-employment background check
• Applicants for this position must be currently legally authorized to work for CMU in the United States. CMU will not sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity. Carnegie Mellon is not a qualifying employer for the STEM OPT benefit: only the 12-month OPT may be used to work at Carnegie Mellon.

SEARCH PROCESS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, has been retained by Carnegie Mellon University to support this search.

While this position is posted in Workday for visibility, all applications, nominations, and inquiries should be submitted directly to Spencer Stuart.

For full consideration, all inquiries, nominations, and applications (CVs and letters of interest) should be sent electronically and in confidence to: CMUCFO@SpencerStuart.com.

All submissions will be handled with strict confidentiality.