Vice President for Finance & Administration/CFO

Description

Stephens College – Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO

Stephens College , a small, private institution in Columbia, Missouri, ranked #67 in the 2025 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges in the Midwest, is conducting a national search for its next Vice President for Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This is a pivotal opportunity to join the country’s pet-friendliest campus and help shape the next chapter of a historic college boldly reimagining its future. With the arrival of a new, energetic president, Stephens is implementing a transformative strategic plan—Reimagining Stephens—that centers on immersive, real-world learning, entrepreneurial growth, and institutional sustainability.

Stephens is proudly described as a little bit quirky, a little bit scrappy, and deeply passionate about its mission. With 639 students, a $23.5M annual budget, an endowment of approximately $60M, and an 86-acre campus in the heart of the downtown Columbia, Stephens is seeking a highly skilled, collaborative, and student-centered CFO to help deliver on the promise of its strategic vision.

The Opportunity:

The CFO will serve as a key member of the President’s leadership team and report directly to the President. This senior leadership role is responsible for managing the College’s financial and human resources, including oversight of finance and accounting, budget development, financial modeling, endowment and grants management, risk assessment, and capital planning. The CFO will lead the development and monitoring of both operating and capital plans, encourage the pursuit of new revenue opportunities, and ensure that financial models and analyses align with institutional strategy and decision-making. The CFO will serve as the staff liaison to the Board of Trustees’ finance and investment committees, playing a critical role in implementing operational strategies that support the College’s ambitious goals for growth, innovation, and institutional resilience. As a new presidential administration begins, the CFO’s portfolio may evolve to meet organizational needs and executive priorities.

The CFO plays a critical role in developing, articulating, and executing the financial and operational strategies that will move the College forward. Serving as a strategic partner to the President and leadership team, the CFO will help shape the next chapter for Stephens by identifying and leveraging new and existing revenue-generating opportunities, assessing risk strategically, and leading the modernization of financial systems and administrative processes. This work will be carried out with a clear focus on efficiency, effectiveness, and alignment with the College’s mission and culture.

Key Opportunities and Challenges:

• Address the College’s Structural Deficit and Strategically Deploy the College’s Resources
• Strategically Work to Address the College’s Facility Needs
• Assess New Opportunities and Develop New Sources of Revenue
• Develop a Collaborative, Transparent Budget Process which involves the Campus
• Implement a New Enterprise Resource Management System
• Improve Efficient, Cost-Effective Operation of the College
• Foster and Strengthen Public/Private Partnerships and Partnerships with the City and Nearby Colleges
• Facilitate Advancement and Fundraising Activities and Provide Support to the Planned Comprehensive Capital Campaign
• Work in Partnership with the VP of Enrollment
• Develop a Strong, Collaborative Team

Requirements

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will demonstrate unquestioned integrity, be an outstanding communicator, a strategic thinker and possess strong and effective interpersonal skills that engender trust and cultivate collaboration. They will be respectful of others, will value diversity and inclusion, will have a positive attitude, and will be student-centered. The new CFO will be an exceptional financial and administrative leader with superior analytical and management skills and a willingness to explore new and creative opportunities for ensuring the College’s financial health. The successful candidate will be willing to roll up their sleeves and get the job done, be adept at managing multiple priorities simultaneously, be entrepreneurial in spirit, willing to think outside the box and take prudent risks. The new CFO will possess a keen understanding of the higher education landscape, and the challenges that higher education is currently facing. They will be able to understand and negotiate complex financial transactions and be able to achieve goals using influence and negotiation skills. The successful candidate will have the fortitude to make difficult choices when necessary and the ability to convey decisions with clarity.

The new CFO will be knowledgeable about the critical areas in the portfolio and will have experience working with boards of trustees. They will have at least ten years of a progressively increasing responsibility with an expanding portfolio in finance and administration; experience in human resources and systems implementation a plus. Higher education experience is highly desirable as well as experience in business, non-profits, and/or other sectors. A bachelor’s degree is required, and an MBA or other

advanced degree is preferred. For more information on the College and the position, please download the position profile .

Nomination and Application Process:

Nominations and applications are invited for this position. Review of applications will begin immediately, and candidate material received by July 11, 2025, will be assured full consideration, although recruitment will continue until an appointment is announced. Applications (including a cover letter and resume) must be uploaded to: http://lapovsky.hiringthing.com . 

Lapovsky Consulting is assisting Stephens College in this search. For nominations, questions, or additional information, please contact:

Lucie Lapovsky

[email protected] 

917-690-1958

Stephens College adheres to all federal, state, and local civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and education. The College does not discriminate in its admissions practices (except as permitted by law), in its employment practices, or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of age, color, disability, gender expression and identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status and all other classifications protected by law.