Executive Director of Budget & Finance / Chief Financial Officer

Mohawk Valley Community College

9d•$135,000•Onsite

About The Position

Mohawk Valley Community College provides accessible, high-quality educational opportunities to meet the diverse needs of our students. We are the community’s college, committed to student success through partnerships, transfer and career pathways, and personal enrichment. The College is looking for exceptional colleagues to join the MVCC community. We are currently seeking an Executive Director of Budget & Finance / Chief Financial Officer in our Budget & Finance department. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Fiscal Officer, and Treasurer of the College, the Executive Director of Budget & Finance is responsible for providing emotionally‑intelligent, inclusive, strengths‑based leadership to inspire and support faculty and staff in maximizing resources and identifying solutions that advance the mission of the College and the communities it serves. The CFO serves as the College’s senior financial strategist and fiduciary leader, responsible for oversight and stewardship of all College funds, reserves, investments, and financial assets. The position provides executive leadership for all budget development, financial planning, fiscal management, accounting, financial reporting, audit, compliance, treasury, and financial systems functions of the College. Reporting to the President, the CFO exercises broad independent judgment in guiding strategic financial decisions, ensuring long‑term financial sustainability and resilience. and supporting the optimum attainment of the College’s mission. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, the CFO actively participates in shared governance and institutional decision‑making.

Requirements

Master’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, public administration, or a related field
Seven (7) years of progressively responsible senior‑level financial and administrative leadership experience
Demonstrated record of distinction in budget planning, financial management, and fiscal leadership in a complex, multi‑department organization
Thorough working knowledge of public sector or higher education finance, accounting, budgeting, audit, and compliance requirements or comparable complex regulatory environments
Excellent analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills
Demonstrated commitment to the philosophy, mission, and values of a public community college
Consensus‑building leadership style with the ability to work effectively in a shared governance environment

Nice To Haves

Experience in a public community college or other higher education setting
Experience negotiating contracts, including collective bargaining agreements
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or other relevant professional certification
Demonstrated experience leading financial transformation initiatives, institutional sustainability efforts, or organizational change

Responsibilities

Demonstrates inclusive, strengths-based leadership by fostering a high-performing and collaborative organizational culture that supports employee engagement, wellness, and respect across the College and communities it serves.
Serves as a collaborative and engaged member of the President’s Cabinet, providing executive‑level financial leadership and analysis to guide institutional strategy, policy development, and resource allocation.
Provides strategic financial leadership by aligning institutional resources with the College’s educational and operational business models and assessing the long-term fiscal sustainability of changes in enrollment, funding, programs, and external conditions.
Provides executive leadership for the College’s comprehensive budget and finance functions, including long‑range financial planning, annual operating and capital budget development, multi‑year forecasting, and fiscal strategy.
Develops, administers, and maintains the College’s operating and capital budgets in alignment with institutional priorities, including analysis of funding sources, debt capacity, financing strategies, and long‑term fiscal sustainability.
Provides regular budget status reports, variance analyses, and financial guidance to administrators with budgetary responsibility to promote proactive, accountable, and transparent budget management across the institution.
Designs, implements, and oversees institutional wide financial projections, including trend analysis and scenario modeling to support decision-making.
Conducts financial feasibility analyses of academic programs, student services, administrative operations, and proposed initiatives to assess sustainability, efficiency, and long‑term financial impact.
Partners with academic and administrative leadership to support department‑level planning through financial modeling and scenario development in response to programmatic, enrollment, staffing, and service delivery changes.
Oversees the Business Office, including general accounting, payroll, purchasing, accounts payable and receivable, bursar operations, cash management, investments, restricted and grant funds, and project accounting.
Develops, implements, and maintains enterprise‑level financial systems and internal controls that ensure data integrity, transparency, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards.
Ensures all accounting, financial reporting, and fiscal practices comply with GASB, FASB (as applicable), SUNY, New York State, federal regulations, and grant requirements.
Provides executive oversight of cash flow and liquidity management, including monitoring revenue timing, expenditure patterns, reserves, and working capital to ensure the College’s financial stability and operational resilience.
Serves as Treasurer to the Board of Trustees; Assistant Treasurer for the MVCC Foundation and MVCC Dormitory Corporation; and Chair of the Board and Assistant Treasurer of the MVCC Auxiliary Services Corporation, and serves as the principal financial advisor to the Board in support of its fiduciary oversight responsibilities.
Serves as the College’s principal financial liaison with SUNY, sponsoring county officials, and state and federal agencies regarding fiscal operations, reporting, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Reviews College contracts and agreements for fiscal impact, affordability, and financial risk, and provides recommendations to the President for approval or disapproval of agreements not otherwise negotiated in detail.
Provides financial modeling, cost analysis, and long‑term fiscal impact assessments in support of collective bargaining, labor negotiations, and other agreements with significant financial implications.
Recommends new financial policies and revisions to existing policies and ensures institutional compliance with approved College policies, SUNY requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
Serves as a member of the College’s Crisis Management Team and provides financial leadership and analysis to support emergency response, continuity planning, and institutional resilience.
Oversees personnel management, evaluation, professional development, and succession planning within areas of responsibility to recruit, develop, and retain a highly qualified, collaborative, diverse, and inclusive staff in accordance with College policies and procedures.
Performs other duties as assigned by the President.