Job Description

The University of Nevada, Reno seeks an experienced and forward-thinking professional for the Senior Associate Vice President for Strategy, Planning, and Decision Support (Senior AVP).

Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance (VPAF), the Senior AVP serves as the principal deputy and second-ranking executive officer of the Division of Administration and Finance. The position carries delegated line authority across the division and serves as Acting Vice President for Administration and Finance during the VPAF’s absence.

The Senior AVP leads campus-wide strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, and decision support in partnership with the Office of the Provost and academic leadership, advancing the University’s mission as a Carnegie R1 land-grant institution. The position directly supervises the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis and the Office of Decision Support, providing executive leadership over the University’s $869 million annual operating budget development process and integrating budget, institutional research, business intelligence, and analytics functions into a unified planning and decision support capability. The Senior AVP ensures alignment of University planning and resource allocation with the strategic plan, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) requirements, and Board of Regents priorities.

The role demands a senior leader with proven experience directing large and complex initiatives in a research-intensive university environment, deep fluency with budget and analytics, sound judgment on politically and financially significant matters, and a record of delivering results through teams of professional staff.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic Judgment — translating institutional priorities and external requirements into actionable plans, weighing competing demands across academic and administrative units, and exercising sound judgment on politically and financially significant matters.

• Financial and Analytical Fluency — reading, interpreting, and acting on complex budget, financial, and operational data; translating analytics into clear executive recommendations; integrating planning, budget, and institutional research into unified decision support.

• Executive Presence and Political Acumen — representing the VPAF and the University with credibility before NSHE, the Board of Regents, the Legislature, donors, and community partners; reading political and institutional dynamics accurately; maintaining confidentiality and discretion in sensitive matters.

• Collaborative Leadership — building productive working relationships across the Division of Administration and Finance, the Office of the Provost, academic leadership, and external stakeholders; leading through influence as well as line authority.

• Change Management and Operational Execution — leading cross-functional initiatives through completion; designing and implementing process improvements; bringing discipline to the planning, decision, and follow-through cycle in a complex public-sector environment.

• Team Development — recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing professional staff; setting clear expectations and accountability; fostering an inclusive, service-oriented culture across reporting units.

Division of Administration and Finance

For more information about the Division of Administration and Finance, please visit:

Bachelor’s Degree and seven (7) years OR Master’s Degree and five (5) years of progressively responsible managerial and/or related professional work experience.

Related Experience:

• Leading strategic planning or institutional effectiveness; or developing, implementing, and managing budgets for complex organizations, including supervisory oversight of a budget office; or business intelligence, institutional research, or data-informed decision-making, including supervisory oversight of an analytics or institutional research function; or combination of the above.

• And

• Leading professional staff at the AVP, Director, or comparable level.

• And

• Higher-education experience or equivalent public-sector experience working with a board, system office, or legislative body.

• Experience at a Carnegie R1 or land-grant institution.

• Direct experience with strategic and institutional planning at a research university.

• Experience with the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the Nevada Board of Regents, or comparable state higher-education systems.

• Experience overseeing or partnering with business intelligence, institutional research, or analytics functions.

• Master’s degree in public administration, business administration, public policy, higher-education administration, finance, or a related field.

Driver’s License

Schedule or Travel Requirements:

Within state, regionally, or nationally as needed

Comp Grade E

Salary Range: $194,200-$291,300

Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Remarkable Retirement

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University.   With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow!  All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada. 

Perks of Working at UNR

• Health insurance options including dental and vision -

• Generous annual, sick leave, long-term disability and life insurance –

• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options. 

• supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.

• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University.

• No state income tax

Grants-in-Aid for Faculty Employees

The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner. 

Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada.

Exempt

Full-Time Equivalent

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review.