Description

Vice President for Fiscal Strategy and Management

The State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz), a selective and highly regarded public, four-year university of more than 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students, seeks a visionary leader and experienced professional practitioner of impeccable integrity committed to promoting a student-focused mission in the newly created position of Vice President for Fiscal Strategy and Management.

The Position: The Vice President for Fiscal Strategy and Management (VPFSM) position was recently redesigned to reflect the institutional focus on strategic leadership and institutional fiscal sustainability. The VPFSM serves as the chief financial officer for the institution, accountable for strategic and operational processes and providing forecasting and modeling that drive comprehensive and sustainable planning and budgeting. Reporting to President Darrell P. Wheeler, the VPFSM is responsible for the University’s financial condition and integrity, overseeing its operating and capital budgets, revenues, expenditures, business activities, and debt, and assuming a significant strategic role in the overall fiscal health and management of the University. The Vice President evaluates and recommends improvements to existing financial planning processes, develops metrics and evaluative criteria to identify, report on, and/or recommends targets and specific strategies to meet strategic plan objectives and fiscal sustainability, performs and maintains in-depth variance analysis to help communicate a nuanced understanding of organizational performance, and fosters and models a culture of accountability, employee excellence, and growth mindset. The VPFSM keeps current with industry standards and best practices, bringing these to strengthen budgetary policies and processes and maintains confidentiality, according to law or policy, of information acquired in the work of the University. The VPFSM serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and works in partnership with the leadership of the University’s private Foundation.

The Institution: Founded in 1828, New Paltz is a vital part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system of higher education. The campus enrolls about 7,750 students (6,800undergraduate and 950 graduate), has more than 75,000 alumni worldwide, employs 344 full-time and 323 part-time faculty, and is the largest employer in Ulster County with more than 1,100 full-time and part-time employees. SUNY New Paltz is a highly selective admissions institution with a richly deserved reputation for its academic excellence and remarkable success in serving students from underrepresented groups, winning acclaim in several national publications.

Among New Paltz’s most prominent characteristics today are its strong and growing academic quality, its deep connections to the culture and economy of the mid-Hudson region, the comprehensiveness of its academic programs, and its diverse student population. The University aspires to offer the finest and most intellectually engaging undergraduate education in SUNY, as well as strategically selected and uniquely formatted graduate programs in areas of regional need.

SUNY New Paltz is an exciting blend of tradition and vision. The faculty and campus community are dedicated to the construction of a vibrant intellectual and creative public forum that supports and prepares students from all backgrounds to succeed during their study and after graduation. Core to the University’s educational mission is the belief in the value of a liberal education: New Paltz offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, which serve as a foundation for professional programs in the fine and performing arts, education, business, sciences, and engineering.

New Paltz’s rising reputation has been acknowledged in college rankings publications. The Princeton Review ranked SUNY New Paltz as one of the nation’s “Best Value” colleges and universities and included it among the Top 75 public, four-year institutions of higher education in the US. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked the College in the Top 100 best values in the nation and U.S. News & World Report ranked New Paltz sixth among best public regional universities in the North with both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in September 2024. New Paltz faculty members are widely recognized for excellence in teaching, including through the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Teaching and SUNY Distinguished Faculty rank and numerous research honors such as Fulbright, Guggenheim, National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. For more information about SUNY New Paltz, please visit www.newpaltz.edu.

Qualifications: The SUNY New Paltz Search Committee will be considering the following qualifications:

• mission-centered leadership;
• strategic business acumen;
• proven experience in financial and budget management;
• advance understanding and utilization of data for predictive modeling, resource prioritization and strategic planning
• advanced analytical and problem-solving skills;
• collaborative and service-oriented leadership style;
• demonstrated experience in building, implementing and sustaining an organizational culture and practices of growth, innovation and adaptability;
• focus on action and results;
• experience crafting, balancing, and managing budgets, extracting actionable insights from complex financial data, along with establishing priorities and policies to promote sound financial management as an ambassador for the collective responsibility in the fiscal health of the University;
• strong commitment to institution-wide excellence in business practices and delivery of services for students, faculty, and staff;
• demonstrated success in supervision as well as the continuous development and retention of qualified employees within the division;
• understanding of and commitment to the mission of the University;
• progressive experience in a similarly complex organization;
• demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with senior campus administration, all campus constituents, (SUNY) System administration, labor unions, the community and region, as well as other SUNY institutions as a champion for transparency, efficiencies, and innovation.

A bachelor’s degree is required for the position, and a master’s degree in finance, public administration, business administration, or a related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

The Location: New Paltz is a vibrant, historic village (pop. over 8,600 as of 2024) in New York State’s Hudson Valley region, midway between metropolitan New York City to the south and the state capital of Albany to the north. The campus offers beautiful views of the Shawangunk Mountains and easy access to outdoor recreation. The region abounds with lush foliage in the spring and summer, followed by autumn’s rich color palette and snow in the winter. The area is internationally known for its world-class rock climbing, and also offers outstanding hiking, biking, kayaking and swimming in glacial lakes, skiing, and snowboarding all within driving distance from campus. The Village is surrounded in all directions by farms, orchards, and wineries, many of which provide fresh ingredients to a diverse array of local restaurants. Neighborhoods are dotted with historic stone houses dating to the 17th century, which share streets with modern and eco-friendly constructions. The broader Hudson River Valley is home to myriad cultural attractions: fine arts museums, performing arts centers, specialty shops and boutiques, independent music venues, and annual festivals. There’s much to do in the nearby cities of Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Newburgh, and New York City is just 90 minutes away by bus, train, or car.

About the SUNY System: The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide totaled nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

www.rpainc.org About the SUNY System: The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide totaled nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

Salary: $195,000 - $220,000

Application: Interested candidates should submit only a cover letter and resume to RPA Inc. at [email protected]. For a confidential discussion about this opportunity or to make a nomination, please contact Kendra Mozug, Search Consultant, or Dana John Cohick, President, at the email address listed above. The first review of candidates will begin on September 29, 2025, and first-round interviews will commence thereafter. The new Vice President is to assume office on or about January 2, 2026.

SUNY New Paltz recognizes the unique skills, perspective, talents and passion that each employee contributes to its learning community. To work here is to accept an invitation to participate in the growth and development of all campus members—students, faculty and staff. The University's commitment to inclusive excellence is an important part of our mission of public education and our culture. New Paltz continues to work on building a community that supports freedom, mutual respect, and civility. We seek others who support these values of diversity and inclusiveness, and candidates of all backgrounds who wish to participate in our cultural aspirations are welcome and encouraged to apply.

The State University of New York at New Paltz is an AA/EOE/ADA employer.