The Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA) reports to the President of the College and serves as a member of the Cabinet. The VPFA manages, plans and oversees the College’s financial services, human resources, food service, information technology, contract management, physical plant, and auxiliary services to ensure the College’s capacity to fulfill its educational mission and vision and to maintain the overall financial health of the institution. As the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, the VPFA exercises a major responsibility for the accounting and investing of the LaGrange College endowments and investments. The VPFA promotes a customer-oriented service attitude and serves as the executive officer directly responsible for providing leadership and general management of business and accounting, endowment and investment accounting, budgeting, human resources, risk management, information technology and procurement. Since COVID, the CFO has continued to improve the financial position of the College. Recent achievements of the CFO and institution include implementation of new administrative software system; successful decennial SACSCOC reaffirmation; new strategic plan; new campus master plan; updated chart of accounts; new debt structure; revised internal control processes and consistent financial reporting to improve the financial and operational strengths of the institution. The new VPFA will build upon this sound footing to propel the institution through the current strategic plan. In April 2022 the Board approved a new five-year strategic plan, Empowering the Present, Building the Future, built by the Institutional Planning Council through an inclusive formation process facilitated by an outside consulting firm. The new VPFA will work collaboratively across campus to develop the financial strategies and provide support and analysis of initiatives contained in the strategic plan.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Promotes the financial well-being of the College by providing budget management, monitoring investments, and safeguarding all financial assets of the College.
• Advises the President and members of the Board of Trustees on issues relating to the financial status of the College by serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet and as the Treasurer to the Board of Trustees, reporting financial information at Board of Trustees meetings, and by preparing reports, recommendations, findings, and other correspondence as required.
• Interprets financial data and advises effectively on what the information means to institutional strategies and financial plans. Provides reasonable financial and cash flow forecasting to assist the President, Cabinet, and Board of Trustees with institutional planning.
• Maintains a basic understanding of SACSCOC standards related to finance and physical plant and guides the President, Cabinet, and Board toward compliance with those standards.
• Helps to ensure achievement of the goals and objectives of the Mission of the College by preparation of an internal budget using budget models to forecast revenue and following established policies for expenditures. The new VPFA must discover avenues of balancing operating revenues and operating expense budgets to attain and sustain long-term stability, delving out inefficiencies and questioning the allocation of resources for lower priority objectives.
• Ensures compliance with professional accounting standards, rules, regulations, and laws by directing, supervising, and facilitating the preparation and maintenance of required and appropriate financial records, monthly and annual financial reports, internal control processes, and all other financial reporting as may be required by federal, state, local agencies, or established accounting standards. Prevents institutional liability in financial operations by facilitating the access of the independent auditors to requested records during the conduct of the College’s annual audit.
• Ensures efficient and effective operation of the campus by overseeing facilities services and risk management/ insurance analysis and transactions. The new VPFA will create strategies that maximize resources in preserving and maintaining the physical facilities to avoid hidden costs of deferred maintenance.
• Ensures the College employs strategic and competitive employee benefit policies and objectives to maintain capable and qualified faculty and staff.
• Ensures the operation and maintenance of the College’s information technology is current and meets the needs of its operations.
• Facilitates a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
 

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES

The desired candidate is a person of integrity who excels at strategic thinking and enjoys working collaboratively. The candidate should have demonstrated exceptional financial experience of at least 10 years in higher education or not for profit finance. The candidate should also possess these qualities:
• Excellent executive problem-solving skills and the ability to organize and manage complex functions
• Exceptional aptitude in financial activities management • Must be skilled in using financial management software and databases used for financial reporting (Jenzabar J-1 experience a plus)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in order to distill complex financial and operational issues to different constituencies or varying degrees of financial knowledge
• Demonstrated success in working as part of a collaborative leadership team with persons from diverse backgrounds and in promoting a diverse workforce is required • Minimum of 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. Preference given to experience in a similar role in higher education.
• A successful track record of innovation is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business or related field required, Master’s degree preferred; CPA preferred but not required.

 

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

LaGrange College seeks to attract ethnic, racial, and gender diverse candidates who may present different levels of experience and perspectives. If you embrace the LaGrange College values of excellence, service, diversity, civility, and inclusion, and are committed to modeling those attributes in our community, we invite you to submit your application for consideration. LaGrange College welcomes nominations and applications for the Vice President for Finance and Administration position. Applications should include a letter of candidacy; a complete resume or vita; and the name and contact information (phone and email) of three references, none of whom will be contacted without the formal permission of the candidate. All materials should be submitted at www.lagrange.edu/jobs. Nominations are also welcome. To nominate a candidate, please send your nomination to Lisa Cornell, Executive Assistant to the President, at lcornell@lagrange.edu. LaGrange College will begin reviewing application materials in late November. Although application materials will be accepted until the time that a new vice president is selected, candidates should submit materials by January10, for the most favorable consideration. The desired start date for this position is summer 2025. LAGRANGE COLLEGE Mission: LaGrange College challenges the minds and inspires the souls of its students. Founded in 1831 and committed to its relationship with the United Methodist Church and its Wesleyan and liberal arts traditions, the College supports students in their search for truth. An ethical and caring community that values excellence, service, civility, diversity and inclusion, LaGrange College prepares students to become successful, responsible citizens who aspire to lives of integrity and moral courage. Vision: LaGrange College will be distinguished as a college that transforms the lives of its students and its communities

LaGrange College is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status. Persons applying to LaGrange College for employment may be required to submit to a background check.