Executive Assistant Dean & Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences

About the role

The Assistant Dean & Chief Financial & Administrative Officer (CFAO) for the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) serves in a senior leadership role within one of the campus’s largest, most research-intensive, and operationally complex academic units.

CNAS supports a broad portfolio of instructional, research, agricultural, and public service activities and plays a central role in the campus mission through extensive research expenditures, contracts & grants activity, Agricultural Experiment Station administration, graduate and undergraduate instructional support, and complex academic and operational funding models spanning departments, Organized Research Units, and central campus partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a principal advisor to the Dean, Divisional Deans, Department Chairs, and Program Directors in the areas of strategic planning, resource management, personnel management, organizational operations, space planning and utilization, financial stewardship, and other matters critical to the mission and operational health of the College.
• Participates in strategic planning, operational decision-making, resource allocation, and development of organizational priorities and operational direction for the College.
• Helps ensure effective resource management, operational continuity, and organizational effectiveness across a highly decentralized environment through leadership and oversight of operational planning, financial administration, budgeting, organizational analysis, internal controls, staffing strategies, compliance activities, and implementation of operational priorities across the College.
• Serves as a hands-on operational leader for the College and provides direct leadership for college-level finance, human resources, academic personnel, payroll operations through Harvest Shared Services, and college-level information technology and operational systems activities.

Requirements

• Experience: 10 - 15 years of related experience. Previous supervisory/managerial experience.
• Skills: Advanced skills in strategy development, systems planning and change management; excellent leadership abilities to oversee multiple functions or departments through subordinate managers; advanced knowledge of administrative management theory and ability to translate knowledge into practice; excellent ability to establish metrics for department and employee goals which measure effectiveness of contributions to efficient operations of department; advanced project management skills, including the capability to manage capital projects; excellent skills to work collaboratively and act persuasively in sensitive situations; skills in establishing and implementing customer service standards; strong knowledge of business & accounting operations in a large, complex, multi-faceted organization; significant knowledge of general teaching & research laboratory safety regulations & requirements; experience with the interpretation of Academic Personnel policies for a diverse group of academic appointees such as Professors, Agronomists, Cooperative Extension Specialists, Graduate Student Researchers, Teaching Assistants, Postdoctoral Scholars, Professional & Project Scientists.

Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree in a related area or equivalent experience/training.

Benefits

This position spans both strategic leadership and hands-on operational management within one of the campus’s most complex academic environments. The CFAO must build effective working relationships while providing clear direction, establishing operational boundaries, resolving conflict, and helping prevent operational, financial, or personnel issues from escalating unnecessarily.

Pay

The full salary range for the CFAO is $143,000 - $285,000 annually. However, the expected pay scale for this position is $178,500 - $270,000 annually. We base salary offers on a variety of considerations, such as education, licensure and certifications, experience, and other business and organizational needs.