Associate Dean for Finance, School of Architecture

The School of Architecture at the University of Virginia seeks its next Associate Dean of Finance. The Associate Dean will serve as a primary thought partner for the Dean and a key member of the Dean’s Executive Team. The new leader will have primary responsibility for oversight of the School’s Finances and will manage planning processes for the nearly $30M annual budget. Key priorities for the School of Architecture include Climate Resilience/Climate Justice; Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Making the School of Architecture Accessible and Affordable; Supporting Faculty and Staff Excellence; Creating a Dedicated Space for Collaborative Design. The next Associate Dean of Finance will bring to this work a highly collaborative spirit, building strong relationships and inspiring the confidence of stakeholders within Architecture, the larger University, and the extended alumni network. This is an opportunity to contribute to transformational change among multiple important dimensions of Architecture and the larger university.

The successful Associate Dean will join the School of Architecture at an important time of growth, and they will be tasked with creating a strategy for longer-term financial planning in a dynamic budgetary environment. They will contribute to attaining the School of Architecture’s strategic goals by encouraging and ensuring sound stewardship of its financial resources. The successful candidate will oversee a highly talented team and provide leadership, development, and appropriate delegation of duties to ensure maximal performance.

THE POSITION

Reporting Directly to the Dean, the Associate Dean of Finance serves as a key advisor and partner to the Dean and is responsible for providing strategic direction in resource management, allocation, advancing priorities in operational areas; and developing and executing a mission for the financial future of the School of Architecture. Specifically, the Associate Dean has direct oversight of the Finance and Budget team, the Information Technology team, and is expected to work with the Dean and fellow Deans managing Facilities. The Associate Dean will design, implement, execute, assess, and drive continuous improvement for these administrative activities within the School of Architecture.

Key Responsibilities

Visionary Thinking Combines with Creative Strategic Planning

The Associate Dean will understand the Dean's vision and translate that vision into a comprehensive, long-term strategic plan that includes relevant and achievable goals supported by sustainable resources. They will contribute to identifying and synthesizing creative opportunities across all areas of the School’s operations and initiatives to advance the plan and will have the ability to adapt as needs and circumstances evolve. The next leader should be forward-thinking and able to anticipate changes in the educational landscape.

Budget and Finance

The Associate Dean will Serve as the primary representative and liaison, after the Dean, between the University, Advancement, and School on financial, operating, and capital project issues. They will participate as an active thought partner with the Dean and others in decision-making roles to manage academic, research, and operational initiatives in a manner that is fiscally responsible and in support of the overall financial health of the School.  The Associate Dean will work closely with the School’s leadership to ensure the School’s financial plan is in alignment with the mission and strategy of the School. They will monitor and evaluate operating performance, match overall School sources and uses, and determine levels of private support required to maintain the School’s balanced budget.

Highly Credible

The Associate Dean will bring stature, knowledge, and skills that inspire the confidence of faculty, staff, students, and other external constituencies and garner their respect and support. They will be an excellent steward of resources and manage with transparency, humility, and creativity. Ethical considerations should guide decisions and set a positive example for all members of the institution. Trust is crucial, and will be built upon consistency, honesty, and acting with integrity.

Collaborative with Excellent Communication and Relationship Skills

The Associate Dean will build relationships and teams through trust and cultivate engagement beyond the immediate team of direct reports. They will be an effective collaborator and communicator with individuals across the School and larger university-including faculty, staff, students, and alumni-and with stakeholders both internal and external to UVA. Clear communication is vital, both in terms of conveying decisions and explaining the rationale behind them. It is equally important for the Associate Dean to listen and gather feedback from faculty, students, and staff. The next leader should be adept at fostering a sense of community, mediating conflicts, and promoting collaboration among various stakeholders.

Mission Driven

The Associate Dean will be passionate about higher education and about supporting a student experience that prepares students for lives of meaning and purpose after graduation.

A PDF of the full position description is available here.