Job Details

Chief Financial Officer & Senior Associate Athletics Director, Intercollegiate Athletics (0213U) 80

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Departmental Overview

The Intercollegiate Athletics Chief Financial Officer (Athletics CFO) has a dual reporting role, reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Finance & Controller (VCF-CFO) and to the Co-Athletic Directors. The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics comprises more than 300 staff and coaches, sponsors 30 varsity sports programs, with a budget of approximately $200 million annually. These programs include more than 850 student-athletes who participate in NCAA sports. The Office of the Vice Chancellor of Finance provides financial, analytical, and administrative management to campus partners and oversees university financial services and controls, planning, development, and decision-support information.

Position Overview

The Athletics CFO will provide financial leadership to Intercollegiate Athletics, overseeing all administrative departmental functions and serving as a C-suite liaison to campus partners and key committees. The role includes serving on the Intercollegiate Athletics Director's Cabinet and leading the development of a multi-year financial sustainability plan for Athletics. Responsibilities include managing divisional financial resources across funds, developing and interpreting financial concepts for planning, and coordinating budget strategies with the VCF-CFO and Athletics Cabinet. The role liaises with the VCF-CFO, the Cabinet, co-athletic directors, the athletic department's COO, the football general manager, coaches, and donors, while maintaining strategic relationships with donor relations, capital strategies, and student affairs.

The position also involves developing, promoting, and supporting operational and strategic aspects of intercollegiate student-athlete programs, including financial planning, budget administration, and travel. It directs business operations, financial planning and analysis, budgeting, and other administrative functions, and collaborates with senior managers to establish strategic plans and objectives.

Application Review Date

Application review will begin on October 1, 2025. The position will be open until filled.

Responsibilities

• Financial Leadership:
  • Leads development and oversight of the Athletics financial sustainability plan and multi-year budget outlook, including executive- and detailed-level reports for the global Athletics budget, sport budgets, fundraising tracking, and forecasting.
  • Maintains the integrity of budget, forecast, reporting, and tracking systems; supervises budget and fiscal staff and serves as chief budget liaison for resource allocations. Responsible for in-year budget management of all funds.
• Strategic & Executive Advising & Partnership:
  • Analyzes organization-wide funding issues, budget processes, resource allocations, and funding models; produces ad-hoc analyses for gifts, spend, capital projects, and endowment planning.
  • Engages with senior management and executives, develops and delivers regular budget materials, and communicates with coaches, staff, and Athletics personnel.
• Functional Management:
  • Manages the Business and Finance unit within Athletics, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Financial Data Analytics, Procurement, Budgeting, Reporting, Forecasting, and Planning & Analysis; develops internal controls to protect resources.

Required Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of financial modeling and the ability to create and maintain complex financial models.
• Working knowledge of accounting principles, including P&L statements and balance sheets.
• Public finance knowledge; strong skills in financial analysis, budgeting and reporting techniques, fund accounting, HR planning, payroll analysis, accounting and bookkeeping.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to articulate complex concepts to groups at multiple levels.
• Interpersonal and collaboration skills; ability to work across the organization and represent multiple stakeholder groups with autonomy.
• Proven track record of managing staff and leading units to achieve measurable goals.
• Client services orientation; strong listening, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize with autonomy.
• Ability to evaluate processes and maintain strong internal controls.
• Advanced skills with relevant office and accounting software.
• Undergraduate degree in a related field.
• Must maintain current knowledge of NCAA rules and standards and avoid violations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Public finance experience, preferably in higher education and/or NCAA athletics.
• Advanced degree in a related area or equivalent experience.
• Expertise in accounting and financial management at a similar level of complexity in a decentralized organization.
• Advanced knowledge of intercollegiate athletics operations and compliance needs.
• Experience in or knowledge of sports media and/or revenue.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package, visit the University's Compensation & Benefits information. The budgeted salary range is $215,000 - $265,000. The full range for the job class is $138,200 - $271,200.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter. This search is being supported by Berkeley Executive Search (BES).

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.