VP Finance & Administration

Wilfrid Laurier University is seeking a highly experienced and strategic professional to serve as Vice-President, Finance & Administration.

Laurier is a comprehensive, multi-campus university that excels at inspiring lives of leadership and purpose. The university’s programs provide a broad spectrum of traditional and innovative learning across arts and social sciences, business and economics, music, science, social work and education. Laurier’s holistic approach integrates learning inside and outside the classroom. Students gain both the knowledge and skills needed to succeed and the inspiration to make their mark.

Laurier has been ranked highly in student satisfaction, thanks to its unique community-centered culture. From day one, students feel welcomed and find their place in the many faculties, clubs, teams, and associations Laurier has to offer. Students build supportive and collaborative relationships with faculty and staff, as well as lasting connections to the communities in which they live, learn and work. Thousands of engaged alumni carry the Laurier legacy throughout the world. Through its community of researchers, leaders and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as an institution known for its academic excellence and community engagement. Laurier ranks in top 13 per cent of global universities in Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings.

The university has over 22,000 students, campuses in Waterloo, Brantford, and Milton, and has a Faculty of Social Work in Kitchener and research facilities in the Northwest Territories.

Laurier is committed to partnerships and collaborations aligned with our academic priorities. Laurier’s research community consists of almost 600 researchers in nine faculties who address the most pressing local and global challenges through a highly interactive and interdisciplinary academic community. The University supports 23 research centres and institutes that stimulate innovation and attract research funding while emphasizing graduate and undergraduate research scholarship. 

Reporting to the President & Vice-Chancellor and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the Vice-President Finance and Administration (VP F&A) employs a collegial and collaborative style of decision making and leadership over a broad portfolio of financial and administrative services in support of the academic, research, and community engagement missions of the university.

The VP F&A is integral to the achievement of the university’s strategic priorities, with a focus on financial sustainability, administrative and operational effectiveness and efficiency, enterprise risk management, and a strong service orientation in providing responsive, efficient and accessible administrative support and financial services to meet the needs of Laurier’s multi-campus university. There is a focus on responsiveness to academic, administrative and student user needs across the portfolio.

The VP F&A portfolio consists of financial resources, facilities and asset management, information communication technology, risk management (including community safety, enterprise risk management and insurance), ancillary services, and internal audit.

The VP F&A co-leads with the Provost & VP Academic, the planning and implementation of the university budget, including multi-year planning and strategic resource allocation in support of institutional priorities. The VP F&A co-leads with the VP Student Affairs, the Student & Ancillary Services portfolio, focussed on campus safety (Special Constable Service), exceptional service, revenue growth and business development in the areas of Housing & Residence Services, Food Services, Laurier One Card, Conference Services, Retail Operations and Printing/Distribution.

Wilfrid Laurier University is seeking an experienced leader, with significant exposure to the functions within the portfolio, and a particular strength in collaborative leadership and change management. Applicants must have a record of accomplishment in a large, complex organization, preferably a university or equivalent broader public sector organization, and have proven ability to work collaboratively and collegially with a wide variety of constituents and community members. A consultative leadership style, a strong service orientation, a bias for action, excellent communication skills, and an approach that earns trust and respect, are essential. Possessing a university degree and additional experience, the successful candidate will exhibit a capacity for strategic leadership and innovative thinking.

The next Vice-President, Finance and Administration will possess:

• A bachelor’s degree is required, and a Chartered Professional Accountant designation or Master of Business Administration is strongly preferred, coupled with a minimum of 10 years of progressive, senior level financial and administrative experience demonstrating a high level of organizational leadership.
• Experience in an academic or comparable organizational environment with a focus on financial and administrative operations.
• Demonstrated accomplishments in a senior administrative role, strong financial knowledge and skills, and significant experience managing change in a complex environment with responsibility for strategic planning, financial and budget planning and administration.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and success in developing a vision and leading people to achieve exemplary performance and outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with broad constituent groups across a large organization, with a focus on service provision, user needs, transparency and accountability.
• Extensive experience planning and managing institution-wide budgets in a complex and comparable environment with multiple interested internal and external constituent groups, and external funders and external organizational partners.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with capital facilities and technology planning and management.
• Experience with technology infrastructure and policy oversight is an asset.
• The ability to apply an innovative and entrepreneurial perspective and leadership to revenue generating portfolios.
• Strong demonstrated verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate complex financial and capital information to constituents and partners with varying levels of subject-matter expertise.
• The ability to communicate effectively and build partnerships and rapport with constituents at all levels of the organization and partners, including the senior leadership team, the team within the finance and administration portfolio, student leaders, academic administrators, government, funders, etc.
• Innovative problem-solving abilities and a focus on operational effectiveness and continuous improvement.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavours to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility.

Wilfrid Laurier University and KBRS will provide support in the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation in order to participate as a candidate in the recruitment process, please contact accommodate@kbrs.ca or communicate your needs to the Consultant, Beth McLennan.

DO NOT APPLY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. Completed applications can be submitted online at https://www.kbrs.ca/Career/17531939347920000008KCA.

To learn more about this opportunity or to request a copy of the Executive Brief, contact Katherine Frank (kfrank@kbrs.ca) or Beth McLennan (bmclennan@kbrs.ca).