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Position Summary

The Vice President of Finance provides executive leadership, strategic oversight, and policy formulation for the Foundations central fiscal operations, including corporate accounting, fund management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), and estate administration. As a financially independent 501(c)(3) serving as the strategic fundraising and fund-management arm of a major public university, the Foundations financial landscape is uniquely complex.

The ideal candidate is an intellectually versatile, forward-looking leader who will drive continuous process modernization and elevate financial systems while ensuring absolute fiscal precision and regulatory compliance. Operating at a scale that blends private sector agility with a noble mission and purpose, the VP of Finance oversees an annual operating budget of approximately $80M and leads a centralized finance and accounting team of 20 professionals through 4 direct reports. The VP will thrive at the intersection of scale and mentorship leaning into a leader-coach methodology that supports the growth, promotion, and retention of the team.

This role requires the translation of complex financial realities into actionable insights for non-financial stakeholders, optimizing expenses to maximize organizational impact, and partnership with peers and colleagues across both the Foundation and University. The VP will also foster a highly collaborative partnership with University of Minnesota Foundation Investment Advisors, acting as the financial anchor between fundraising operations, university distributions, and the subsidiary investment organization.

The VP will oversee the deployment of hundreds of millions of dollars annually from over 12,000 individual restricted funds, ensuring these funds are actively, efficiently, and legally distributed to the university. The ideal candidate will champion a culture that balances rigorous compliance (safeguarding donor intent) with proactive partnershiphelping university deans and department heads unlock and utilize all available funds to award student scholarships, faculty chairs, and research. As a strong partner with the University, a successful VP will understand that fund utilization is a relationship management function as much as it is an accounting control.

Reporting Relationship

Reports to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). During an intentional, multi-stage executive leadership transition, this role will initially report into the current financial leadership team while serving as a foundational strategic partner to the incoming executive structure.

Core Responsibilities

• Strategic Fiscal Leadership & Governance: Provide executive direction for day-to-day corporate finance, accounting, tax compliance (IRS Form 990), and institutional
  reporting. Act as the final institutional authority on U.S. GAAP compliance, technical accounting treatments, and complex alternative asset valuations.
• Fiduciary Asset Stewardship: Direct a sophisticated fund administration and gift-processing operation. Oversee policies governing 12,000 restricted funds, ensuring uncompromised alignment with donor intent and compliance with state charitable laws under the regulatory oversight of the Attorney General of Minnesota.
• Process Modernization & System Optimization: Foster a culture of continuous improvement across all accounting functions. Evaluate and elevate current state enterprise architectures to implement automated workflows, enhance data integration, and scale financial systems to support long-term organizational evolution.
• Talent Management & Team Leadership: Direct, mentor, and scale a 20-person professional finance function. Establish departmental benchmarks, define key performance indicators, and champion a high-performance culture rooted in accountability, professional development, and operational excellence.
• Subsidiary Partnership: Serve as the primary operational and financial partner to the Foundations subsidiary investment company. Orchestrate critical workflows between entitiescollaborating on liquidity forecasting and ensuring seamless valuation and audit reporting.

Role Qualifications

• Required Minimum Qualifications:
  • Education: Bachelors degree required with a business management, accounting or finance emphasis.
  • Certification: Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation.
  • Experience: A minimum of 15 years of progressive financial, budgetary, and corporate accounting experience, with at least 10 years directly managing professional, credentialed accounting staff.

  • Audit Leadership: Proven experience managing audit readiness and directing complex organizational audits in strictly regulated control environments. Demonstrated success achieving clean, unmodified audit opinions.

  • Executive Core Competencies: Demonstrated ability to independently form fiscal strategy, evaluate alternative risk-mitigated solutions, and communicate financial complexities seamlessly to diverse audiences including boards and executive leadership.

• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Education: Advanced degree (MBA) or equivalent business management credentials.
  • Audit Background: Foundational tenure within public accounting (e.g., Big 4) or extensive background managing audits under rigorous regulatory standards (e.g., PCAOB, SOX, or government oversight frameworks).
  • Sector Versatility: Executive finance experience within sophisticated capital environments, such as corporate asset management, private foundations, higher education, or entities managing high-volume, restricted portfolios.
  • Investment Accounting: Demonstrated expertise in investment accounting to include managing the financial mechanics of an institutional endowment, valuation tracking, and the integration of investment performance into institutional financial reporting.

At the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF), our mission is to connect passion with possibility, inspire generosity, and support greatness at the University of Minnesota by placing donors at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make. UMF is a nonprofit organization responsible for raising and managing gifts to the University of Minnesota.  

For more information about UMF, please visit https://give.umn.edu/about/about-umf.

Pay Range: $220,000-305,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience 

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff 

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services 
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the
time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures
that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while
maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and
equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates
will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Applications must be submitted online.  To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions.  You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission.  The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  To learn more about diversity at the U:  http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.