Position Description- Vice-President (Finance and Administration)

Position Overview  

General Oversight 

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Vice-President (Finance and Administration) (VPFA) is the chief financial and administrative officer of Carleton, providing leadership, oversight, and stewardship for the activities of its core support services.  

Working within a collegial governance model, the VPFA works closely with the President, senior team, and Board of Governors and plays a lead role in the provision of administrative operations in support of Carleton’s academic operations and priorities. 

The Vice-President is responsible for a total full-time staff complement of over 360 employees and operating and ancillary budgets of more than $100 million. Leading an accomplished group of professionals, the VPFA will ensure the effective and efficient administration of the portfolio’s units and ensure excellence in:  

• financial services 
• pension fund management 
• human resources 
• facilities management and planning 
• information technology 
• as well as safety and risk management.  

 University Colleagues and Leadership Team 

The VPFA is a key member of the University’s executive team, and is one of four Vice-President positions at Carleton University, the others being: 

• Provost and Vice-President (Academic): the University’s chief academic officer and chief budget office, responsible for academic and strategic planning, academic labour relations, resource allocation and enhancing an environment of academic excellence and innovation for students, faculty and staff. 
• Vice-President (Research and International): responsible for overall research development, promotion, and administration, including securing external funding as well as the University’s international programs and partnerships. 
• Vice-President (Students and Enrolment): responsible for student services including support services and contributions to students’ academic success, overall financial responsibility for all revenue generating ancillary operations, as well as development and implementation of enrolment management and oversight of the Office of the Registrar. 

 The VPFA’s Direct Reports 

The following positions report directly to the Vice-President (Finance and Administration): 

• Associate Vice-President (Financial Services) 
• Associate Vice-President (Facilities Management and Planning) 
• Associate Vice-President (Human Resources) 
• Associate Vice-President (Information Technology Services) & Chief Information Officer 
• Executive Director (Office of Risk Management) 
• Executive Director (Pension Fund Management) 
• Executive Director (Campus Safety Services) 
• Director (Quality Initiatives)  
• Assistant Director (Strategic Initiatives and Communications) 
• Executive Assistant 

Duties and Responsibilities 

The Vice-President will provide strategic and innovative thinking and leadership in the following areas: 

Vision and Strategy (https://carleton.ca/finance-admin/finance-and-administration-strategy/) 

• Providing leadership and vision for the University’s financial and administrative operations, while ensuring consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness aligned with the academic mission, strategic objectives, and reputational management requirements.  
• Developing multiyear business plans and overseeing the investment portfolio. 
• Continuing to develop and maintain infrastructure that will support excellence in administration, teaching, learning, and research by setting priorities in all areas of the portfolio. 
• Promoting the University’s academic, strategic, and financial priorities to a variety of internal and external communities. 

 Finance and Operations  

• Prioritizing financial sustainability ensuring regular and detailed reporting to the Board as well as the Ministry of Colleges and Universities on Carleton’s multi-year budget and cash flow projection, explanation and analysis of financial metric results and recovery plan. 
• Working effectively with the senior academic leaders of Carleton to ensure that all administrative areas are aligned with the academic goals of the University. 
• Ensuring financial and administrative sustainability and accountability across the University.  
• Identifying best business practices, and leading the review, resourcing, and implementation of the University’s core business processes, services, and information systems in consultation with key internal stakeholders 
• Overseeing internal and external audit functions and ensuring the University’s compliance with relevant legislation. 

 Executive-Level Leadership (https://carleton.ca/president/strategic-integrated-plan-sip/) 

• As a key member of the President’s Executive Team, helping to fulfil the University’s strategic goals and objectives, including those of the Strategic Integrated Plan. 
• Providing guidance on the University’s operational direction, methods, and future processes. 
• Reporting to and liaising with the President, executive and senior leadership teams, various internal committees, the Board of Governors and its relevant committees, and various levels of government on policy issues and matters of key importance. 
• Representing and advocating for the University’s interests among relevant external bodies, including all levels of government, the corporate and professional sector, community leaders, and financial institutions as required. Specifically, these include municipal and provincial governments and ministries, the Council of Ontario Universities, the Council of Senior Administrative Officers, the Canadian Association of University Business Officers, and ad hoc provincial, national, and international committees which are established from time to time. 

People, Culture and Safety 

• Modelling collaborative and collegial management. 
• Inspiring teamwork, innovation, a culture of service excellence (https://carleton.ca/service-excellence/service-excellence-standards/), and measured risk taking within the portfolio and the University.  
• Providing leadership, performance management, workforce planning, and talent strategies to ensure a high level of productivity, service excellence, innovation, and staff morale. 
• Overseeing the administration of non-academic human resources and organizational development initiatives in a complex unionized environment. 
• Overseeing leadership and employee development and succession planning, recruitment and retention, non-academic/staff labour relations, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals and objectives. 
• Overseeing the safety and security of the University’s campus and community, as well as the promotion and maintenance of a respectful work and learning environment. 

 QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTION CRITERIA  

While the Search Committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all the following qualifications in equal measure, they will be used in the assessment of candidates for the position: 

Demonstratable Leadership Experiences and Achievements 

• Outstanding management expertise and success as a senior administrative and financial leader in a multifaceted strategic and operational leadership role. 
• A record of success leading teams and organizations through change and uncertainty. 
• Ideally, a broad set of administrative experiences and skills that include human resources, facilities management, internal and external audit, information services and technology, etc.  
• Success and progressive leadership experience in financial planning, service delivery, and people management of a complex public organization, ideally within the educational sector or a comparable environment, of similar diversity and scale.  
• Success leading and managing large teams, and effectively communicating with a variety of staff members. 
• A record of success developing partnerships and collaborations 
• Skills advocating to and liaising with government and relevant organizations and professional and industry associations, ideally across the country as well as around the world. 
• Ability to lead or oversee complex infrastructure projects in capital development and information technology, including experience with property maintenance and development, skilled trades, and effective service delivery. 
• A graduate degree and/or professional designation in one or more areas of the Vice-President (Finance and Administration) portfolio. 

 Skills and Abilities 

• Strategic foresight and the ability to skilfully navigate complexity and ambiguity. 
• Superior analytical, organizational, and managerial skills. 
• The ability to impact and influence and convey the bigger picture and long-term outlook.  
• Exceptional interpersonal, listening, and communications abilities. 
• A solutions orientation with sound judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.  
• Ability to inspire a high performing team in support of Carleton’s academic mission.  
• A knowledge and understanding of human resources and labour relations. 
• Ability to ensure transparency and clarity in the financial and investment process.  
• A resourceful and innovative approach to managing and optimizing university assets and resources.  
• Skill in identifying, managing, and mitigating financial and enterprise risk. 
• Capacity to develop and lead strategic plans and drive innovative practices and initiatives.  
• Success leading organizational change, including policy, procedural, and behavioural change. 
• Skill building consultative and collaborative networks internally and externally.  

 Personal Qualities 

• Executive level maturity and the ability to remain composed and focused in the face of opposition, stress, frustration, or difficult circumstances. 
• A commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, fairness, and accessibility. 
• A commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and engagement with Indigenous communities. 
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to convey complex information in a straightforward manner and to listen and engage effectively with multiple constituencies.  
• A balanced, consistent, and transparent approach. 
• A demonstrated commitment to team-building, collegiality, collaboration, staff development, and community engagement. 
• Enthusiasm and passion to work in an exciting, complex, future-oriented environment of an academic research institution.  
• Great comfort with ambiguity and evolving needs, demands, and priorities. 
• A team orientation that is creative, constructive, and supportive.