Assistant Vp For Finance And Business Services

Position Title Assistant VPfor Finance and Business Services About the University Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties. About the Department The division of Business and Financial Affairs supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. About the Position

This internal recruitment career opportunity is open to all permanent staff and faculty at Western. The Business and Financial Affairs (BFA) Division has reorganized the budget and finance units in BFA resulting in two units with modified responsibilities. Faye Gallant is serving as the Assistant Vice President for Strategy, Management, and Budget which includes the university budget oversight, strategy management for BFA in coordination with university strategic priorities, and Business financial systems for BFA. The Finance and Business Services unit now includes the Student Business Office, Finance and Accounting, Treasury, Procurement and Contracts, and Mail/Copy/Print Centers. We are currently recruiting for the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Business Services.

The Assistant Vice President for Finance and Business Services (AVP for FBS) reports to and works in partnership with the Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs (BFA) to provide strong financial leadership at the University. The Assistant Vice President (AVP) provides direction and management of the Finance unit, which includes Financial Services, Procurement and Business Services, the Student Business Office, and Treasury Services. Considerable judgment is required for analyzing matters, articulating solutions, and applying standards to complex financial situations. The AVP focuses on service to students, assuring that the unit's operations engage in mission-based decision-making. The AVP is the principal accounting executive, chief internal control officer, and designated tax official, and manages and oversees bond issuance and compliance.

The AVP for FBS must have strong interpersonal skills, the ability to influence at all levels within the university and local community, and the capacity to function as an effective change agent. The successful candidate will model a collaborative way of working, both within the unit and with university stakeholders. This means that the individual must be very effective at cultivating and establishing trust and credibility with others. The successful candidate will model and promote a culture where accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equity are highly valued and integrated in Financial and Business Services. They should be able to demonstrate a record of fostering an equitable workplace that is inclusive of internal and external stakeholders, with advocacy on behalf of those holding diverse cultural backgrounds and social identities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or five years of progressively responsible senior level experience in business administration or equivalent.
• Demonstrated success managing a financial unit with diverse functions including accounting, treasury, investment, procurement, collection, and credit rating agencies.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Payment Card Industry (PCI), Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and Sarbanes-Oxley.
• Demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of financial systems with emphasis on accounting, finance, internal controls, procurement, and enterprise resource planning systems.
• Demonstrated financial management experience overseeing complex budgets with various funds.
• Proven record of leadership and collaborative skills in inspiring, leading, supervising, and developing a team of effective financial, accounting, and procurement professionals.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to form and deliver a persuasive line of reasoning.
• Successful record of organizational leadership including strategic planning, program development, organizational design, and change management.
• Demonstrated experience developing and utilizing performance metrics for continual best practice process analysis and strategic decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Public Accountant
• Master's degree
• Experience working in higher education financial management
• Experience with Banner or similar ERP software

Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations. Salary

Hiring range for position is $166,641 - $191,637/year.  Through longevity position tops out at $216,633/year.

Benefits Information

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

Application Instructions

If you are interested, please provide the following materials through PageUp by March 25, 2024:

• Letter of interest that addresses how the candidate's experiences match the position requirements.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• Diversity statement. Western's strategic plan places Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) as a core value and a core goal of the institution. Please address what role the AVP for FBS has in advancing ADEI. In addition, please share an example of how your work has advanced ADEI at Western.
• Three professional references (references will not be contacted without prior notification to the applicant).

The search committee is chaired by Mark Okinaka and staffed by Nancy Phillips. 

The committee will schedule interviews with qualified candidates in late March and early April. Please direct any questions you may have to Nancy Phillips, phillips@wwu.edu. Thank you for your interest.

Closing Date Notes The recruitment closes on Monday, March 25, 2024.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3303 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.