Associate Vice President for Financial Operations and Controller

<strong>Job Summary<br><br></strong>The Associate Vice President for Financial Operations & Controller provides executive leadership for the university’s core financial, transactional, and compliance functions, with a strong mandate to modernize operations, lead enterprise change, and leverage technology to improve efficiency, accuracy, and service delivery.<br><br>Reporting directly to the Vice President/ CFO , this role oversees student financial services, accounting, financial reporting, payroll, grant accounting, and supply chain management. The AVP serves as the university’s chief steward of financial integrity while acting as a change leader responsible for transforming financial operations into a streamlined, data‑enabled, customer‑centric organization.<br><br><strong>Minimum Qualifications<br><br></strong><ul><li>Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.</li><li>Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in financial operations, accounting, or a related discipline.</li><li>Demonstrated experience leading complex organizations, large teams, and enterprise‑level change initiatives.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Preferred Qualifications<br><br></strong><ul><li>Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.</li><li> CPA or equivalent professional certification.</li><li>Experience in a large, complex public university or research institution.</li><li>Demonstrated success implementing financial system improvements, automation, or shared services models.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Essential Duties And Responsibilities<br><br></strong><strong>Executive Leadership & Change Management<br><br></strong><ul><li>Serve as a senior leader on the CFO’s executive team, driving large‑scale operational change across financial services.</li><li>Lead organizational transformation initiatives focused on process simplification, standardization, and service excellence.</li><li>Actively manage change impacts across teams, ensuring clear communication, staff engagement, and leadership alignment.</li><li>Build a culture that values continuous improvement, accountability, innovation, and professional development.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Operational Excellence & Efficiency<br><br></strong><ul><li>Oversee end‑to‑end financial operations to ensure efficient, accurate, timely, and compliant execution.</li><li>Identify and eliminate redundant, manual, or high‑risk processes; redesign workflows to improve cycle time and quality.</li><li>Establish and monitor performance metrics and service‑level expectations for financial operations.</li><li>Partner with academic and administrative units to improve customer experience while maintaining strong controls.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Technology, Automation & Innovation</strong> <br><br><ul><li>Lead the adoption of financial systems optimization, automation, and digital workflows, including:</li><ul><li>Transactional automation</li><li>Workflow and approval redesign</li><li>Self‑service tools</li><li>Data quality and system integration improvements</li></ul><li>Collaborate closely with IT leadership ( CIO , CAO , CISO ) to align financial operations with enterprise technology strategy.</li><li>Champion innovative uses of technology to reduce risk, improve transparency, and increase scalability.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Financial Integrity, Compliance & Risk Management<br><br></strong><ul><li>Ensure compliance with GAAP , GASB , UT System policies, and state and federal regulations.</li><li>Oversee preparation and accuracy of the university’s annual financial report and other required regulatory filings.</li><li>Serve as executive liaison to external auditors and regulatory bodies.</li><li>Maintain a strong internal control environment and proactively manage financial risk.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Leadership & Talent Development<br><br></strong><ul><li>Lead, mentor, and evaluate executive directors, directors, and managers across financial operations portfolio.</li><li>Develop succession plans, modern skill sets, and leadership capacity within the financial operations organization.</li><li>Promote cross‑training, collaboration, and shared accountability across functional departments.</li><li>Create an engaging culture in a remote working environment.<br><br></li></ul><strong>Policy, Governance & Institutional Collaboration<br><br></strong><ul><li>Lead development and modernization of financial policies and procedures.</li><li>Advise the CFO and senior leadership on operational risks, compliance issues, and strategic improvements.</li><li>Represent UTA in UT System, state, and national financial and business‑operations forums as appropriate.</li></ul>

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