Northeastern University — Greater Boston Area

About this job

Job description

Northeastern University is seeking an outstanding individual with exceptional strategic, business, technical, and interpersonal capabilities to join the finance team in the position of Assistant Vice President of Treasury Management (AVP). Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, the AVP is a key member of the senior financial team and will provide overall leadership and strategic direction for treasury operations, debt, cash management, endowment management, and student collections.  S/he serves as a senior liaison across the University reports to the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and supports and advises him in developing and implementing various financial strategies to support activities throughout the University. The position has been realigned along with other recent reorganizations to provide enhanced financial and analytical support for the senior leaders and across the University Community and in support of ongoing institutional change and growth. The Treasury Office has 16 staff and an annual budget of $2.6 million.

Specific responsibilities for the AVP include:

• Treasury Operations. Oversee all aspects of cash management, including:

• Service all debt financing including bonds, lines of credit, and capital leases
• Establish and maintain banking relationships
• Prepare cash flow projections
• Handle all non-endowment investments including deferred gifts
• Process and liquidate as appropriate stock and property gifts received by the University
• Handle all short term endowment cash investments

• Debt. Initiate and manage all items relating to debt financing, which includes:

• Work with the CFO and external consultants to identify credit strategies that broadly enable the University’s strategic goals, and that remain consistent with the Long Range Plan
• Manage the University’s credit portfolio that includes bonds, lines of credit, and capital leases
• Enhance treasury operations through best practices in the areas of treasury risk, assessing the financial marketplace, business environment issues and asset and liability issues in working capital 

• Endowment Management. Support the Investment Committee of the board, including:

• Work with the external investment consultant and investment managers to review practices and procedures to ensure best practices
• Oversee the preparation of detailed reports and analyses of endowment and other invested funds for the Chief Financial Officer and the Investment Committee
• Handle all non-endowment investments including deferred gifts

• Student Loans and Collections. Support the staff working with Student Services to effectively identify amounts due from students and their families, understand the challenges to payment, engage student advisers when appropriate, and run a competent service-oriented organization.

Key opportunities for the AVP will include:

• Work with leaders and executives to improve the internal banking and lending processes building strong relationships with leaders across the campus and creating opportunities for engagement and exchange. Be a leader and a resource, a good listener and collaborator to all divisions and departments creating a sense of service, support and expertise to all constituents; 

• Lead the Treasury Office through the preparation of timely and accurate reports and analyses; reviewing and developing key financial processes to ensure compliance and integrity; create and implement policies and procedures where necessary; provide support for senior leaders and the board as requested and required; 

• Work collaboratively and be a team player in the Finance and Administrative areas. Engage with colleagues and senior leaders to understand the culture of Northeastern and participate in committees and activities in support of growth and change at the University;

• Assist with the implementation and support of new technologies across the University;

• As a key member of the financial leadership team, provide project management to strategic initiatives on an as-needed basis; and

• Foster the career development of the Treasury team to meet the mutual objectives of their career plan and how those align with the University’s long term strategy. 

Desired Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will be innovative and collaborative with excellent strategic, leadership, and team-building skills. S/he will have demonstrated success and relevant experience with treasury operations, debt, and asset management at large, complex organizations.

• Proven success across broad and decentralized environments of comparable size and complexity, and the energy and interest to work with all divisions of a research university;
• Creative ability to develop fiscal policies, procedures, and programs systems in a complex environment;
• Solid technical skills and knowledge in the areas of treasury operations, debt, and asset management;
• 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 – board members, deans, faculty, staff, and students – based upon great integrity, critical thinking, outstanding operational performance, and excellent interpersonal skills and political savvy;
• Demonstrated judgment of risk management as it relates to the Treasury function;
• Success with and comfort in 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 spokesperson; and

• An MBA, CFA, or related advanced degree is preferred or the equivalent combination of education and experience is strongly preferred.

About this company

Northeastern University

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a private global, experiential research university. Grounded in its signature co-op program, Northeastern today provides unprecedented experiential learning opportunities around the world. The university’s rapidly growing research enterprise is strategically aligned with three national imperatives: health, security, and sustainability.  Northeastern has roughly 16,000 full-time undergraduates and over 12,000 graduate and professional students that hail from all 50 states and 125 countries around the world.  This year, the university received nearly 50,000 applications and the mean SAT score of the students that will matriculate in Fall 2014 is projected to be 1400.  The number of applications received and caliber of admitted students is indicative of the upward trajectory of Northeastern.

Outside of the classroom and workplace, there are more than 250 clubs and organizations for students, including about 25 fraternities and sororities. The Northeastern Huskies compete in the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Conference. An additional 9,500 students compete at the club and intramural sport level. Northeastern’s campus is spread out across 73 acres in the venerable college town of Boston. Northeastern has its own stop on Boston’s subway system, commonly called the T. The city, home to a myriad of colleges, is steeped in American history and full of activities for students.