Vice President Finance/CFO   Email     Print   PDF

Reporting directly to the President and Director, the CFO will be a thought partner and critical advisor to the President and work closely with the Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Vice President for Marine Facilities and Operations, Vice President for Academic Programs & Dean, Department Chairs, senior staff and members of the Board of Trustees to define short, medium, and long-term strategic budget planning and resource allocation for science, engineering, and education at WHOI.

Strategy and Business Planning

▪Partner with and support the President in planning initiatives through financial and management information analyses, reports, and recommendations. Anticipate organizational needs and provide strategic recommendations to the President, Board and senior leadership team on financial analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, and revenue/expense analysis

▪Collaborate with the Vice Presidents and Department Chairs throughout the strategic planning and budgeting processes; devise and formulate policies to ensure integration, consistency and transparency between departments

▪Play a critical role in the development and short and long-term strategic planning by engaging the President and Board around issues, trends and changes in the financial and operations models

▪In conjunction with the President, identify, champion and think creatively about leveraging and commercializing WHOI’s intellectual property and licensing

▪Collaborating closely with other members of the Directorate and the Board, provides leadership in systematically evaluating risk to the Institution, assessing both opportunities and downside of risk, and the total cost of risk; helps to develop a culture of evaluating, identifying and prioritizing risk at multiple levels

Finance & Accounting, Board, Bank, and Investor Operations

▪Lead the Institution’s finance and control functions including reviewing budgeting and control systems ensuring consistency in all aspects of its financial operations.  Evaluate and modify financial programs and supporting systems as needed, with the goal of creating clear, accurate and timely revenue forecasts and financial reports

▪In collaboration with the Controller and the EVP and Director of Research, create and manage effective financial processes and controls; work towards solutions to streamline the grants and contracts process in order to achieve accurate budget projections and increase overall efficiency

▪Represent the Institution in business/finance related issues by building relationships internally with the scientists, as well as the external agencies, institutions and local community organizations

▪Monitor the state of WHOI’s assets and analyze financial statements to proactively identify solutions to potential financial challenges

▪Manage and provide critical guidance regarding the Institution’s operating cash position as well as the cash requirements of the retirement plan

▪Present and convey the financial, operational, and business development strengths of the Institution to Standard & Poor’s to maintain an investment grade bond rating

▪Present and interpret financial reports to the President and Board, including the Audit, Finance and Budget, Investment, Executive, and Retirement Trust Committees

▪Work closely with the Finance, Audit, Retirement Trust and Investment Committees of the Board and its investment managers to monitor the investment of funds and to achieve the organization’s financial goals

▪Strong financial and operational experience having worked in a senior financial and administrative management role for a minimum of 15 to 20 years

▪MBA preferred; CPA a plus

▪Strong strategic planning skills and a background in financial analysis, modeling and projections a must; experience managing large government grants and contracts essential

▪Non-profit financial management and endowment management experience is desirable

▪Track record of success in representing organizations to the rating industry and strong familiarity with the capital markets

▪Demonstrated ability to interact, communicate, and build consensus with a very independent, research-oriented constituency. Ability to translate complex financial concepts and goals to individuals at all levels including finance and non-finance managers

▪Track record of success in developing a collaborative working environment and implementing integrated systems within Finance & Administration that promote accountability and streamline processes

▪Excellent leadership skills; confident in working collaboratively with diverse groups of people in a multi-site environment

▪Keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills which support and enable sound decision making in a multifaceted, rapidly changing organization

▪Sound judgment and resourcefulness in setting priorities and guiding investment in people and systems

▪Advanced written and oral communication skills