brill neumann

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chief Business Officer

Position Description

 

July 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The University of Utah seeks candidates with exceptional strategic, business, technical, and interpersonal capabilities for this newly created opportunity, Chief Business Officer (CBO).  Reporting to the President, the CBO is a key university leader, member of the President’s cabinet, and will be entrusted with providing strategic financial and business planning and business support in line with the University of Utah’s growth, goals, and mission.  The CBO will provide comprehensive financial oversight for the university, and current responsibilities will include managing the offices of the controller, purchasing, post award research accounting, accounts payable and receivable, debt and treasury management operations, internal banking and financial analytics, tax services, travel, and endowment and investment functions. The CBO will be a strategic advisor on the university leadership team and will have strong working relationships with other financial functions on campus including internal audit, the budget office, Health Sciences and the Hospital Finance organizations. 

 

University of Utah - Highlights

The University of Utah, also known as “The U”, is a Salt Lake City center of academics, powerhouse sports, entrepreneurship, and research.  Founded in 1850, “The U” is the state’s flagship, and Utah’s oldest institution of higher learning, offering more than 100 undergraduate majors and more than 90 graduate degree programs.  “The U” ranks among the top 100 public universities in the world, and has top ranked programs in many areas.  Building on a foundation of academic excellence and superior athletic performance, in 2011 The University of Utah accepted an invitation to become a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

 

A preeminent public research and teaching university with national and global reach, the university offers students a transformative education that sets the foundation for a lifetime of appreciation, mindfulness, and participation in a global community. The mission of the university is to serve the people of Utah and the world through the discovery, creation, and application of knowledge by teaching, publication, artistic presentation, and technology transfer. The University runs a variety of research centers and institutes, including The Brain Institute, the American West Center, and the Center for High Performance Computing.

 

The University of Utah has a student body of over 31,000 students and offers instruction in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degree programs. It’s colleges, graduate and professional schools include architecture, business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, law, medicine, mines and earth sciences, nursing, pharmacy, science, social and behavioral science and social work.  The University’s well regarded S.J. Quinney College of Law, College of Engineering, College of Education, and David Eccles School of Business all offer degree programs for graduate students.  The University of Utah School of Medicine, which is particularly well regarded for its primary care program, is the only medical school in the state.

 

The University of Utah is proud to have a committed and loyal base of alumni, and notable members of this proud group include author Stephen Covey, Alan Ashton, cofounder of WordPerfect; Nolan Bushnell, founder of both Chuck E. Cheese’s and video game Atari Inc.; animation innovator Ed Catmull, and John Warnock, cofounder of Adobe Systems, Inc. 

 

Economic Impact

 

Research Park

University of Utah Research Park lies adjacent to the campus on 320 acres of ancient Lake Bonneville shoreline. A master plan has been developed with emphasis on preservation and enhancement of land contiguous to the University.

The Research Park houses companies and academic departments and provides a special environment for entrepreneurial growth. It is a reservoir of practical research and business opportunities for University faculty and both graduate and undergraduate students, giving new challenges and opportunities. These opportunities are created in a community that values technological innovation and commercial enterprise. 

The University of Utah is tops in the country for creating start-up companies from university research, according to a ranking by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).  For more information please visit the Research Park website and the Technology and Venture Commercialization website: 

 

Economic Development, Research Park

 

Technology and Venture Commercialization

 

University of Utah Healthcare

The University of Utah Health Care recently ranked first in the nation in a prestigious national study.  The health sciences complex includes the University of Utah Medical Center, Primary Children’s Medical Center, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Moran Eye Center and the Spencer Eccles Health Sciences Library.  University of Utah Health Care is consistently ranked among US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals, and its academic partners at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health are internationally regarded research and teaching institutions.

 

University Hospitals & Clinics relies on more than 1,100 board-certified physicians who staff four University hospitals (University Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Hospital, University Orthopedic Center, and the University Neuropsychiatric Institute); 10 community clinics; and several specialty centers including the John A. Moran Eye Center, the Cardiovascular Center, the Clinical Neurosciences Center,  and the Utah Diabetes Center.

 

 

 

 

 

Research

A mid-to large research university, the University of Utah has approximately $400 million in research funding each year, with 850 principle investigators working on about 2,400 projects.  Much of this research is in health sciences and most of the funding comes from the Federal Government or Federal agencies. 

 

University of Utah – The Campus

Set in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range, spanning 1,534 acres,

The University of Utah’s educational habitat provides breathtaking views of the natural environment, which complement perspectives fostered in its educational, research, and clinical environments. Employees’ find this a great place to work, learn, and grow both personally and professionally, and have long and rewarding careers here. 

 

Cultural, educational, athletic, and entertainment venues on and around campus provide engagement opportunities for family members of all ages. Attractions include the following:

 

The Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center

A visit to the museum allows visitors to explore nature and science in ten themed galleries, and to experience nature as it’s revealed just outside the building, which rests on a series of terraces that follow the contours of the hillside, blending into the environment. The building is located along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, a popular location for hiking and mountain biking, which serves as the Museum’s “main street”.

 

Red Butte Garden

With over 100 acres including display and natural gardens, walking paths and natural areas with hiking trails, Red Butte Garden is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West. The Garden is renowned for its award winning gardens, including its springtime display of 300,000 bulbs, outstanding summer concert season and award winning educational programs.

 

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is Utah's primary cultural resource for global visual arts. It is unique in its dual role as a university and state art museum. It is Utah's only visual arts institution that collects, exhibits, interprets, and preserves a comprehensive collection of over 5,000 years of art from around the world. 

 

Kingsbury Hall

Since opening its doors on May 22, 1930, the stage of Kingsbury Hall has brought together great artists and audiences for the best of classical traditions and the boldest contemporary work. Names such as Maude Adams, Harry Belafonte, Vincent Price, Carol Channing, Keene Curtis, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Bill Cosby have appeared on the Kingsbury stage.

 

Pioneer Theatre

A fully professional theatre in-residence at the University of Utah, Pioneer Theatre Company produces a seven-play season running from September through May, including a mixture of classics, large-scale musicals and contemporary dramas and comedies. Over the past ten years the theatre has developed a reputation for Broadway-quality productions, including mounting Utah premieres as well as regional theatre premieres.

 

Rice-Eccles StadiumThe home of the University of Utah football team, the Utah “Utes”, with a capacity of 46,178, the stadium has played host to a variety of events in addition to Ute football, including the 2002 Winter Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, concerts by U2 and the Rolling Stones, world-class soccer matches, and high school football.

 

New university initiatives led by President Pershing include ambitious plans for a 400-bed residential entrepreneurship institute, proposals to further internationalize the university by establishing a campus in South Korea, and fund raising pledged to start a School of Dentistry. The 70,000-square-foot school, which will be named in honor of Ray and Tye Noorda, is to be built in Research Park and completed by late 2014, although it will admit its first cohort of 20 students this fall.

Leadership at the University

President

David W. Pershing celebrates more than three decades of service to the University of Utah. Named Utah’s 15th President in 2012, and the first selected internally in nearly 30 years,

President Pershing serves as the university’s chief executive leading a diverse team of faculty and staff at one of the world’s top research universities. He has served as the University of Utah senior vice president for Academic Affairs since 1998, was named Engineering Educator of the Year by the Utah Engineering Council in 2002 and is a winner of the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology.

 

Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs

Starting in August 2013, Ruth V. Watkins will bring her extensive experience as an educator and administrator to the University of Utah as the new Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.  In her most recent role at the University of Illinois, she was the dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of speech and hearing science, psychology and linguistics.  Watkins had a long and successful career at the University of Illinois since she joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1993.  She served as an associate dean for academic and research affairs in the college of Applied Health Sciences and in at the Office of the Provost as an associate provost and vice provost.

 

Senior Vice President, Health Sciences

Since 2011, Vivian S. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., an accomplished MRI radiologist and scientist has served as the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, CEO for the University of Utah Healthcare and Dean of the University of Utah School of Medicine.  In this position she is responsible for an annual budget of more than $2.3 billion; a healthcare system comprising four hospitals, numerous clinical and research specialty centers like the Huntsman Cancer Institute and John Moran Eye Center, a network of 10 neighborhood health centers, an insurance plan, and over 1,200 board certified physicians; and five colleges including the School of Medicine, of which she also serves as Dean, the College of Nursing, Pharmacy, Health, and most recently, Dentistry.

 

Board of Trustees

In 2011, the Trustees elected Clark Ivory, CEO of Ivory Homes, as the chair of the board.  This is Ivory’s second term on the 11-member board replacing Randy Dryer as chairman. Ivory’s company is one of the largest homebuilders in Utah, and his strong commitment to the university is evidenced in several ways.  He established an Ivory Homes Scholarship Program in 2004, which has been ongoing and is designed to help first generation students. Another initiative is an organization called U Community Leaders, which focuses on increasing the number of scholarships and internships available for both undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Utah.

 

State of Utah – Quality of Life

If your idea of an office with a view includes looking out over the majestic mountain ranges or an impressive city skyline, then Utah is the place for you. The State of Utah offers year-round activities, whether you are an explorer, a skier or seeking tranquility, the vast and varied landscape of Utah has something for everyone to enjoy.

 

Utah is not only the perfect summer destination for backpacking, biking, golfing and

fishing, it is also home to several famous National Parks including Arches, Canyon lands and Zion.  Autumn in Utah boasts amazing scenery, and winter brings a full array of holiday activities, including the lights at Temple Square. Utah is also home to 13 world-class ski and snowboard resorts; 11 located within an hour of Salt Lake City.

 

It’s easy to see why Forbes ranked Salt Lake City among the top places to retire. If you are looking for a place where you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon, on the same day, then come check out the perks that come with working and living in Utah, and you will understand why Utah's community and economy are flourishing.

 

The Opportunity

 

The Chief Business Officer is an exciting opportunity and the expectations of the leadership team for this person are broad and expansive. With student enrollment growth, rising research dollars and increasing visibility at the university, a restructuring of the F&A organization has necessitated this new role.

 

Reporting to the President, the Chief Business Officer, a newly created university leadership position, will be a member of the President’s cabinet. The CBO is entrusted with providing strategic financial and business planning, and business support in line with the University of Utah’s growth, goals and mission.  The CBO will provide comprehensive financial advisory oversight for the university as a whole entity, and manage employees in the offices of the controller, purchasing, post award research accounting, accounts payable and receivable, debt management operations and financial analytics, tax services, travel, and endowment and investment functions.

 

The CBO will play a strategic financial advisory role on the university leadership team and will have strong working relationships with other financial functions on campus including internal audit, the budget office, Health Sciences and the Hospital Finance organizations. 

 

The CBO’s office is comprised of employees in the areas of accounting and finance operations. Additionally, the CBO’s office oversees post-award administration of sponsored research and federal appropriations; this includes analysis of expenditures, sponsor billing, and sponsor financial reporting, and systems oversight of the new system PAM.  With the success of the CBO and as the president’s organization evolves, the CBO will take on progressively more responsibility.

Key opportunities and current responsibilities for the CBO will include:

 

·         Lead the continuing development and planning for an internal bank at the university, and help define the central banking model most appropriate for the organization’s needs. Act as a change-agent in moving the organization from the current highly decentralized structure to one that supports the future financial and capital planning needs of the University. 

·         Determine business requirements, and resources required to guide and support the transition for the university to do all funds budgeting and forecasting.

 

·         Build strong university relationships by making accounting and finance functions more transparent and accessible. Create opportunities for ideas and best practices to be exchanged at all levels of the organization including the health sciences and hospital organizations. 

 

·         Be a credible leader and knowledgeable business resource, a good listener and collaborator to all departments and divisions and create a more comprehensive view of the university’s financial picture. Create a finance department with a focus on customer service, and support to build stronger relationships across the University.

 

●     Provide financial and analytical support for the multifaceted missions of the university; Provide leadership in financial planning and decision-making.

 

●     Establish and maintain financial infrastructure and systems including policies for divisions, colleges, and departments of the University; Design and coordinate a wide variety of accounting and statistical data and reports needed for decision support

●     Oversee processing of the following financial transactions: registration fee billings and collections; receivable billings and collections; general cashiering services; student aid disbursements; travel claims processing; and general University disbursements.

●     Perform the following treasury responsibilities: investment management of short-term, endowment and bond trustee funds; cash management; obtaining of financings and development of repayment alternatives.

●     Develop tax policies and coordinates compliance.

●     Manage, mentor and develop a large customer service oriented team and oversee management of multiple accounting, financial and treasury functions in a dynamic and fast-paced environment

●     Build effective and collegial collaborations and relationships with research, clinical and administrative groups as well as external relationships with regulatory bodies, other hospitals, and universities; Necessary to develop in depth knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the organization.

●     This position will have dotted line strategic relationships with other financial functions on campus including internal audit, Health Sciences CFO, and Hospital CFO

●     This position will interact with and make presentations to the University Board of Trustees, Audit Committee, Utah State Board of Regents and other relevant agencies and constituencies

●     This person will be a member of many key university boards and committees

 

Leadership Characteristics and Accountability

 

The successful candidate will be an innovative, proactive and entrepreneurial thinker and have a collaborative style with excellent strategic, leadership, and team-building skills. S/he will have demonstrated success in progressively responsible leadership roles and relevant management experience with business, accounting and financial teams and systems at large, matrixed and complex research oriented organizations.  The best candidates will have demonstrated skills and characteristics in many of the following areas:

 

·         Proven, seasoned leadership success across broad and decentralized environments of comparable size and complexity, and the energy and passion to work with all divisions of a major research university with a health system

·         A proven record of success in leading and facilitating change management initiatives

·         Proven leadership skills in working effectively at building relationships with a wide range of internal and external constituencies, including faculty members, administrative and business staff, research, the hospital and health system, university and community leadership, and public agencies

·         Creative ability to develop appropriate fiscal policies, procedures, and business processes and systems in a complex environment;

·         Solid technical skills and knowledge in the areas of financial reporting, taxes, and accounting;

·         A strong and confident listener and communicator who brings integrity, a calm presence, builds consensus, and engenders trust;

·         Demonstrated ability to lead strategically, with vision, energy, and passion;

·         Distinct appreciation for the mission, traditions, and culture of the University;

·         Demonstrated ability to establish credibility with all constituencies – executives, board members, deans, faculty, staff, and students – based upon great integrity, critical thinking, outstanding operational performance, and excellent interpersonal skills and political savvy;

·         Success with and comfort in leading cultural change and re-engineering processes;

·         A persistent and persuasive approach to challenges and people, an ability to work in environments with ambiguity and uncertainty;

·         A manager who mentors and leads by example;

·         An articulate and engaging university spokesperson

 

Qualifications and Desired Experience

 

Candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or other relevant degree and, Twelve (12) years relevant functional and management experience, including a minimum of five (5) years of executive leadership experience; or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.  Master's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related area preferred; CPA or other related certifications and professional credentials, and experience in academic healthcare organizations is preferred.

 

Applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter discussing their accomplishments in light of the listed qualifications as well as their interest in the position. Confidential review and screening of materials will continue until the position is filled.

 

Interested applicants and nominations should be sent to:

 

UtahCBO@brillneumann.com

Elizabeth Neumann, Principal

Beth Schaefer, Consultant

Brill Neumann
Associates, Boston, MA 02116

 

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The University of Utah is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educator. Minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Veteran’s preference. Reasonable accommodations provided. For additional information: http://www.regulations.utah.edu/humanResources/5-106.html.