Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

Position Details

Position Information

Posting date 09/04/2026 Closing date Open Until Filled Yes Position Number 0006601 Position Title Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Hiring Range Minimum Please inquire Hiring Range Maximum Please inquire Union Type Not a Union Position SEIU Level Not an SEIU Position FLSA Status Exempt Employment Category Regular Full Time Scheduled Months per Year 12 Scheduled Hours per Week 40 Schedule Location of Position

Hanover, NH 03755

Thayer School of Engineering

15 Thayer Drive

Remote Work Eligibility? Hybrid Is this a term position? No If yes, length of term in months. Is this a grant funded position? No Position Purpose

The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) provides strategic and day‑to‑day leadership for all business‑support functions-administration, facilities, finance, human resources, information technology, institutional research, and research administration. The role oversees 7-10 direct reports that collectively manage a large group of professional staff across seven functional units, and is responsible for a $100+ million annual operating budget. The CFAO partners with the Dean, senior leadership team, and the Thayer Board of Advisors and collaborates with campus colleagues to translate the school's vision into operational reality.

Description

The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) provides strategic and day‑to‑day leadership for all business‑support functions-administration, facilities, finance, human resources, information technology, institutional research, and research administration. The role oversees 7-10 direct reports that collectively manage a large group of professional staff across seven functional units, and is responsible for a $100+ million annual operating budget. The CFAO partners with the Dean, senior leadership team, and the Thayer Board of Advisors and collaborates with campus colleagues to translate the school's vision into operational reality.

Required Qualifications - Education and Yrs Exp Bachelors plus 6 or more years' experience or combination of education and experience Required Qualifications - Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Proven record as a trusted advisor to senior leadership in a complex, mission‑driven organization.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience overseeing finance, HR, and facilities.
• Demonstrated expertise in budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and capital‑project finance; experience managing a multi‑million‑dollar budget.
• Track record of delivering large‑scale initiatives on time and on budget, with measurable impact on efficiency and effectiveness.
• Experience leading and developing diverse teams of 50 + staff; commitment to inclusive leadership.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills; ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable information for varied audiences.
• Unquestioned personal and professional integrity; commitment to transparency and accountability.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPA, or related) strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, or related) strongly preferred.

Department Contact for Recruitment Inquiries Elisabeth Waltz Department Contact Phone Number 603-646-3091 Department Contact for Cover Letter and Title Dean Doug Van Citters Department Contact's Phone Number Equal Opportunity Employer

Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity employer under federal law. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications are welcome from all.

Background Check

Employment in this position is contingent upon consent to and successful completion of a pre-employment background check, which may include a criminal background check, reference checks, verification of work history, conduct review, and verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, with results acceptable to Dartmouth College. A criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

Is driving a vehicle (e.g. Dartmouth vehicle or off road vehicle, rental car, personal car) an essential function of this job? Not an essential function Special Instructions to Applicants

Dartmouth College has a Tobacco-Free Policy. Smoking and the use of tobacco-based products (including smokeless tobacco) are prohibited in all facilities, grounds, vehicles or other areas owned, operated or occupied by Dartmouth College with no exceptions. For details, please see our policy. https://policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/tobacco-free-policy

Additional Instructions

Dartmouth College has retained an external firm, Isaacson Miller, to manage the search for the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. For more information and to apply for this role, please click hereto visit Isaacson Miller's website.

Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Kristen Andersen at kandersen@imsearch.com

Quick Link https://searchjobs.dartmouth.edu/postings/87113

Key Accountabilities

Description

Executive Leadership

• Partner with the Dean and the Senior Leadership Team to advance Thayer's strategic agenda
• Shape and implement Thayer's strategic objectives, priorities, plans and initiatives
• Lead the development of Thayer's finance and administration vision and strategy, with a focus on infrastructure improvement, risk management, financial impact, and operational efficiency
• Deliver concise financial and operational updates to the Thayer Board of Advisors
• Represent the Dean and/or the School on institutional committees and policymaking bodies
• Lead and coordinate school-wide events, such as the Investiture Ceremony

Percentage Of Time 25 Description

Financial Management

• Partner with the Finance Director to lead the development of annual operating budgets, capital budgets, quarterly projections and long range forecasts for academic, research and administrative units
• Deliver regular consolidated financial reports and various analyses to internal and external stakeholders
• Drive revenue‑generation strategies while rigorously controlling costs
• Oversee a robust internal controls framework to ensure compliance with Dartmouth policies and external regulations
• Engage with other Dartmouth schools and, more broadly, peer institutions to share best practices and develop a timely framework for making financial decisions.

Percentage Of Time 25 Description

Human Resources and Staff Development

• Partner with the HR Director to oversee recruitment, promotion, compensation, performance management, professional development, and succession planning for Thayer staff
• Partner with the Dean on faculty hiring, retention, annual faculty letters, and workload management
• Establish clear performance metrics, identify skill gaps and create targeted training programs, provide coaching/mentoring, and implement professional development plans
• Assist with mediation of employee relations issues
• Recruit, retain, and develop a high‑caliber administrative operations team

Percentage Of Time 10 Description

Administrative Operations

• Provide support, guidance, and accountability to direct reports, and coach them to provide the same for their teams
• Work with Facilities Director to set policies for building operations, space planning, and capital projects; manage space inventory and coordinate renovations and maintenance with Campus Services
• Partner with Research Administration Director and faculty to grow research funding; negotiate/approve contracts; supervise award lifecycle from award to close‑out
• Collaborate with the Computing Director to define the IT roadmap; ensure secure, reliable, mission‑aligned technology for teaching, research, and administration
• Leverage Institutional Research to develop and track metric dashboards, benchmark against peers, and manage survey‑response processes
• Collaborate with Administrative Manager to oversee academic support services for Thayer faculty and ensure high‑quality service delivery
• Align school initiatives with Dartmouth HR, Campus Services, and IT; drive data‑informed continuous improvement across all functions
• Respond to more complicated inquiries escalated from other groups, connecting the right people and policies; determining when issues should be made into policies

Percentage Of Time 40

• -- Demonstrates professionalism and collegiality through actions, interactions, and communications with others appropriate to an environment that is welcoming to all. -- Performs other duties as assigned.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • How did you learn about this employment opportunity?

• Current Dartmouth employee (Please specify full name below)

• Word of mouth

• Mentioned on social, digital, or print media (e.g. LinkedIn feed, VOX, Valley News, listserv)

• jobs@dartmouth.edu email outreach (includes Job Alert notifications, marketing emails from Talent Acquisition)

• Recruiter (Please specify full name or event below)

• abilityJOBS

• Chronicle of Higher Education

• Glassdoor

• Handshake

• HigherEdJobs

• HigherEdMilitary

• Indeed

• Inside Higher Ed

• LinkedIn's Job Board

• RecruitMilitary

• Dartmouth's Job Board (searchjobs.dartmouth.edu)

• Other (Please specify below)

• If you would like to add more information to your answer, please specify here:

(Open Ended Question)

Documents Needed to Apply

Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Optional Documents