Vice-President, Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer

MacEwan University

$160K — $200K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • University degree and CPA designation preferred; equivalent experience considered.
  • Extensive leadership experience in finance within large, complex organizations, preferably in higher education.
  • Successful track record in enterprise transformation and organizational redesign.
  • Proficient in financial stewardship, budgeting, forecasting, and enterprise risk management.
  • Experience managing multidisciplinary teams across finance, HR, and IT functions.
  • Strategic advisor experience for executive leaders and boards in complex governance settings.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a strategic advisor to the President and Board of Governors.
  • Lead and enhance the University's financial sustainability and operational excellence.
  • Drive transformative initiatives across finance, HR, IT, and facilities services.
  • Oversee financial stewardship and enterprise risk management.
  • Contribute to capital planning and strategic resource allocation.
  • Foster collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and community partners.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to shape the financial strategy of MacEwan University.
  • Potential to influence institutional growth and academic priorities.
  • Leadership role with broad impact across multiple administrative functions.
  • Engagement in a collaborative environment with diverse stakeholders.
Full Job Description
Reporting directly to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Vice-President, Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer (VPFA & CFO) is a key member of the Executive Council and a strategic leader.

As a trusted strategic advisor to the President, the Board of Governors, and the executive leadership team, the VPFA & CFO plays a central role in shaping MacEwan University's future by providing strategic financial leadership that enables institutional growth, advances academic priorities, and strengthens long-term sustainability.

As the University's senior finance executive, the Vice-President, Finance & Administration provides strategic leadership that strengthens financial sustainability, drives enterprise transformation, and enables long-term institutional growth.

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a broad and impactful portfolio spanning finance, information services, human resources, and facilities and sustainability services. As MacEwan's senior financial executive, the VPFA & CFO will contribute to enterprise-wide strategy, champion operational excellence, lead transformative initiatives, and identify innovative approaches to revenue generation, resource optimization, and long-term financial resilience. With responsibility for financial stewardship, enterprise risk management, capital planning, strategic resource allocation, and the systems that support these functions, the VPFA & CFO will help position the University for its next phase of growth and success.

Working closely with students, faculty, staff, government, unions, and community partners, the VPFA & CFO will help shape an institution with significant momentum, ensuring MacEwan University continues to deliver an exceptional student experience while achieving its bold ambitions for the future.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Success in this role requires more than financial expertise. It calls for a collaborative, forward-thinking leader who thrives in complex environments, builds trusted relationships across diverse constituent groups, and inspires innovation and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished executive who combines strategic vision with sound judgment, collaborative leadership, and exceptional relationship-building skills. They will bring deep financial expertise, a strong record of leading complex organizations through growth and change, and the ability to serve as a trusted advisor on financial stewardship, enterprise risk, governance, and institutional strategy. They combine strategic vision with exceptional financial acumen and are recognized for challenging assumptions, identifying opportunities, and delivering meaningful organizational change.

They have demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide transformation across finance, human resources, information technology, and other administrative functions, building integrated teams that work collaboratively toward shared institutional outcomes rather than operating in functional silos.

A confident and forward-thinking leader, they inspire trust through integrity, transparency, and accountability while fostering a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and evidence-informed decision-making. They are an effective collaborator who builds strong relationships across diverse constituent groups and thrives in complex, highly regulated environments.

The successful candidate will be passionate about developing people, building organizational capacity, and helping position MacEwan University for continued success and long-term impact.
Experience & Qualifications

Recognizing that no one candidate is likely to meet all of the following qualifications in equal measure, the following experience and qualifications are desirable and will be used in the assessment of candidates for the position:
  • Relevant university degree required and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation highly preferred. Equivalent senior financial leadership experience as the organization's chief financial executive may be considered.
  • Significant executive leadership experience leading finance within a large, complex organization, preferably in the post-secondary sector.
  • Demonstrated success leading enterprise transformation, organizational redesign, technology-enabled modernization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Demonstrated success leading finance and administrative functions, including financial stewardship, budgeting, forecasting, enterprise risk management, and organizational transformation.
  • Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary portfolios that include finance, human resources, information technology and other corporate services.
  • Experience providing strategic advice to executive leadership and boards within complex governance environments.
  • Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary portfolios and build high-performing teams through periods of growth and change.

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