Vice President for Finance and Administration, Bentonville Institute of Technology

Art and Wellness Enterprises•Bentonville, AR

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President for Finance and Administration serves as Bentonville Institute of Technology’s senior financial officer and Controller of record. The role owns institutional financial control, budget authority, accounting close, financial reporting, bursar services, accounts payable, student accounts, and contract management, and is the primary institutional counterpart to the Art and Wellness Enterprises (AWE) shared-services finance team. The position balances financial strategy and leadership with hands-on execution in a lean, developing institutional environment. The Vice President will design financial processes, select and configure tools, build the finance team, and establish the financial infrastructure needed to support pre-accreditation operations, the first undergraduate cohort, and the multi-year path to accreditation and Title IV eligibility. Core accounting, financial control, and bursar functions must remain under direct institutional authority, even as AWE provides shared-services support such as payroll processing, treasury, limited financial reporting, and Workday platform administration. The role will own the University’s general ledger and chart of accounts and direct and review shared-services deliverables while retaining institutional authority over financial decisions, representations, and filings. The role will develop finance systems and workflows that interoperate with AWE infrastructure, Workday Finance and Human Capital Management, the MuleSoft integration layer, and the Snowflake data platform. The University’s student information system has not yet been selected. Finance workflows are expected to have AI automation embedded from initial buildout. The financial infrastructure must support operations without federal student aid initially and be designed to adopt Title IV requirements when the University becomes eligible. Student billing and reconciliation workflows must also accommodate a five-term academic year of eight-week terms. The position reports to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration. It is based on-site in Bentonville, Arkansas, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some travel, occasional overnight trips, and occasional evening or weekend work to accommodate business needs. The work is performed in a professional, climate-controlled office with standard office equipment and regular interaction with colleagues and the public.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or equivalent professional designation.
12–15+ years of progressive financial management experience, including 5+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable institutional finance leadership role.
8–10+ years of progressive leadership experience leading and developing teams, including staff supervision, performance management, coaching, professional development, and oversight of managers and senior-level leaders.
Demonstrated experience owning institutional budget development, financial statement preparation, and external audit management.
Experience managing or closely coordinating with shared-services or outsourced finance functions while retaining institutional control and accountability.
Proficiency with enterprise financial systems; the position requires willingness or ability to work with Workday Financials, which is strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of nonprofit GAAP and fund accounting principles.
Demonstrated ability to design and enforce internal controls, financial policies, and compliance frameworks.
Familiarity with Title IV student financial aid regulations and OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), in preparation for the University’s planned pursuit of federal aid eligibility.
Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial audiences, executive leadership, and board members.
AI fluency: hands-on experience or willingness to learn the use of AI tools for financial workflows, scenario modeling, reporting automation, or process improvement; ability to use AI-augmented approaches from day one.
Ability to evaluate and select AI tools with AWE platform compatibility in mind.
High tolerance for ambiguity and a track record of building operational infrastructure in startup or transformation contexts.
Independent professional judgment, financial integrity, and commitment to institutional independence.
Ability to design processes and infrastructure where none exist, manage complex workstreams accurately and to deadlines, and communicate financial risks and assumptions transparently.
Ability and willingness to personally execute hands-on finance work, including accounts, reconciliations, and systems, while the team is small.
Ability to use a computer and telephone for prolonged periods, demonstrate good hand-eye coordination, bend and stretch, lift and transport at least 10 pounds, and review written materials with adequate visual acuity.
Ability to travel, including occasional overnight trips, and accommodate occasional evening or weekend work when business needs require.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in business administration, accounting, public administration, or a related field.
Experience in higher education finance, including familiarity with accreditation financial criteria.
Experience establishing a bursar or student accounts function at a new or significantly restructured institution.
Experience with Workday Financials and student information system financial integration.
Familiarity with contract lifecycle management tools and procurement policy in a higher education context.
Experience deploying AI-powered tools in finance or higher education, such as AI-assisted close processes, automated variance reporting, Workday Prism Analytics, or workflow automation platforms.

Responsibilities

Serve as the University’s Controller of record and own the general ledger, chart of accounts, and accounting close process in partnership with AWE finance.
Maintain financial controls that meet accreditation criteria and nonprofit GAAP requirements, and comply with federal Title IV and OMB Uniform Guidance requirements when applicable.
Direct and review AWE finance team deliverables while retaining institutional authority over financial decisions, representations, and filings.
Oversee audit readiness, serve as the primary staff liaison to the external auditor, and coordinate with AWE on the annual audit and audited financial statements.
Build and continuously improve the internal control environment.
Design finance workflows using AI tools and automation, including close workflows, variance analysis, reconciliation, and reporting.
Own the functional design of finance systems and validate interoperability with AWE shared services, Workday ERP, MuleSoft, and Snowflake before systems are selected or configured.
Lead the annual institutional budget process, including the calendar, coordination with division leaders, scenario modeling, board presentation, and formal adoption.
Maintain the operating budget in Workday Financials, monitor actuals against budget, and produce monthly variance analyses with narrative for senior leadership.
Partner with executive and AWE finance leadership on multiyear financial modeling, capital planning assumptions, and accreditation-phase financial projections.
Develop and enforce budget policies and delegation-of-authority thresholds consistent with Board policy.
Support grant budget development and ensure compliance with sponsor-specific financial requirements.
Produce accurate, timely monthly and quarterly internal financial statements and management reports, and prepare board-quality financial reporting packages.
Manage IPEDS financial reporting, state financial reporting to the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, and other external compliance filings.
Coordinate with AWE treasury on cash positioning, investment reporting, and draw schedules for philanthropic capital.
Establish and lead the bursar function, including student account setup, billing, payment processing, institutional aid posting, and collections.
Design and administer the student accounts framework in the student information system, including its integration with the enrollment CRM and workflows aligned to the five-term academic calendar.
Develop student-facing financial policies, billing calendars, payment plan options, and refund procedures in accordance with institutional policy and applicable federal regulations.
Serve as the institutional liaison for student financial matters before and after Title IV eligibility is activated.
Oversee accounts payable, including invoice processing, payment runs, vendor setup, and 1099 compliance, primarily through AWE’s Workday shared-services workflow.
Establish accounts payable policies for approval workflows, payment terms, and segregation of duties appropriate to a lean startup institution.
Monitor accounts payable aging, resolve vendor disputes, and enforce payment-term compliance across departments.
Build and administer the University’s contract management function, including a contract register, routing and approval workflow, and execution tracking in coordination with legal counsel.
Manage vendor contracts from request for proposal through execution, amendment, renewal, and termination; ensure financial terms, insurance requirements, and performance milestones are accurately reflected.
Maintain the contracts library and flag renewal deadlines, termination windows, and financial commitments to leadership.
Partner with technology and operations on major technology vendor management to ensure alignment with the AWE MSA for technology shared services.
Build and lead the finance team; establish expectations and priorities, coach and develop staff, support recruitment and onboarding, manage performance and engagement, and promote continuous improvement and collaboration.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support evolving organizational needs.