Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer - Office of the President

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

Carnegie Mellon University invites nominations and applications for the role of Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer—a key member of the executive leadership team responsible for guiding the university’s financial strategy, operational excellence, and long-term fiscal health in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment. Carnegie Mellon University’s next Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will join the institution at a pivotal moment, when the stakes are high, the opportunities are significant, and thoughtful financial stewardship can boost the impact of one of the world’s most influential research universities. CMU enters this next chapter with a strong financial foundation in place. The opportunity for the CFO is to elevate the strategic financial stewardship of the institution and to ensure that the excellence of financial systems, processes, and high-performing teams required to support the future of CMU are in place. Serving as a strategic thought partner to the president and senior leadership team, the CFO will act as the university’s principal financial and business advisor and as a key point of coordination among deans, academic leaders, and business officers across a large, complex, and highly decentralized institution. POSITION SUMMARY: Charged with stewardship of the university’s financial strategy and supporting infrastructure, the CFO will provide leadership and oversight across all financial resources, while maintaining the highest standards of institutional integrity, transparency, and accountability. In close partnership with the president, provost, and senior administrative leaders, this role calls for intellectual curiosity, strategic insight, and a forward‑looking perspective to ensure that the finance function continues to evolve alongside the institution’s ambitions. This role is also responsible for overseeing the agenda, engagement, and trustee relationships of the Board’s Finance Committee and Audit Committee. Beyond operational excellence, the CFO will be known for anticipating issues before they surface and identifying opportunities before they become apparent. This leader will apply rigorous analysis, systems thinking, and sound judgment to complex questions, helping university leadership navigate tradeoffs, allocate resources effectively, and position CMU for long‑term sustainable growth. The CFO will strengthen already robust Treasury, planning & budgeting, capital allocation, and financial control & reporting processes by bringing sharp foresight, insightful scenario modeling, and deep integration of financial data into strategic decision making. A central aspect of the role will be assessing continuously how the financial operating model supports CMU’s academic and research priorities and adjusting course as conditions change. Working collaboratively across colleges, schools, and units, the CFO will leverage CMU’s highly decentralized model as a source of innovation, while strengthening enterprise-wide visibility, coordination, and accountability. This allows the institution to balance enterprise‑wide needs with local flexibility, ensuring that data, forecasting, and reporting meaningfully inform decisions at all levels without constraining innovation – what CMU is known for! Equally important, the CFO will be a future‑focused leader adept at guiding a complex research university through ongoing change. A strong understanding of capital structure, investment strategy, liquidity planning, operating efficiency, and compliance across federal, state, and sponsor‑driven environments will be essential. With a proactive mindset and an ability to “see around corners,” the CFO will help ensure that CMU remains financially resilient, strategically agile, and well-positioned to pursue bold initiatives in the years ahead. In short, we are looking for a CFO capable of boldly positioning CMU for long-term sustainability and continued leadership as a global model for research, education, and impact.

Requirements

Strong academic credentials required, including a preference for an MBA and/or related graduate degree(s).
At least 15 years of senior-level financial leadership roles in large, complex, multi-faceted organizations.
Applicants for this position must be currently legally authorized to work for CMU in the United States.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check

Nice To Haves

Experience with an academic or research-intensive environment is a plus.

Responsibilities

Charged with stewardship of the university’s financial strategy and supporting infrastructure
Provide leadership and oversight across all financial resources, while maintaining the highest standards of institutional integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Serving as a key advisor to the president, senior leadership, and board, helping frame choices, evaluate tradeoffs, and align financial strategy with institutional ambition.
Anticipating financial challenges and opportunities and developing plans to support the institution in addressing both.
In partnership with the president, develop and maintain an institution-wide, long-range, strategic financial plan.
Shaping and advancing financial strategies that enable informed decision‑making, while balancing innovation, discipline, and risk.
Evaluating and making the necessary changes to continuously modernize and streamline the university's financial infrastructure and systems, and to the planning, reporting, and budgeting processes.
Fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the central finance organization and across the distributed, campus-wide finance function.
Effectively coaching, developing, and leading staff to simultaneously meet team and institutional responsibilities and support the development of the team and each individual.
Building trust and driving changes in a consensus-driven environment, with the ability to understand the relational as well as financial dynamics.
Building collaborative, mutually respectful working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including deans, business officers, and the board of trustees.
Soliciting and considering input from a variety of stakeholders, engaging in collegial, constructive dialogue to embed a culture of transparency and collaboration.
Building relationships at all levels within CMU, fostering a trusting and supportive environment, while leading through influence and modeling the increased emphasis on financial rigor and accountability.
Negotiating with a genuine give-and-take approach that takes all parties’ perspectives into account.
Demonstrating a deep sense of stewardship for the institution as a whole—balancing local priorities with enterprise needs, and ensuring that financial decisions advance CMU’s long-term mission, resilience, and global leadership.