Associate Vice President for Budget and Finance

Associate Vice President For Budget And Finance

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) seeks a seasoned, strategic, and collaborative Associate Vice President for Budget and Finance (AVP) to join the University's Finance and Business leadership team. The AVP will play a key role in achieving Penn State's strategic goals and have the opportunity to advance significant new initiatives by transforming and modernizing the University's budget and finance functions, shaping culture, and guiding critical decisions that impact long-term planning for the University.

Penn State is an internationally renowned public research university. With total research expenditures reaching a record high of $1.337 billion in FY24, the University is classified as a Research 1 institution and is a proud member of both the Association of American Universities and the Big Ten Academic Alliance. Penn State ranks 30th among U.S. public universities and 63rd overall by U.S. News & World Report for 2025. It is the premier public university and the flagship institution of Pennsylvania and is home to approximately 7,800 faculty, over 30,000 staff, and 89,000 undergraduate and graduate students across its 24 campuses. Penn State's 2025-26 operating budget is approximately $9.9 billion, including a $2.9 billion Education and General budget.

The AVP will join Penn State at a pivotal moment in the University's history. Over the past two years, the University has undergone significant changes to its budget model, moving away from a traditional incremental approach to a data-driven, flexible allocation system that provides a more dynamic, responsive, and strategic approach to financial management. Additionally, the University has recently embarked on a multi-year shared services initiative, which will provide high-quality financial services, streamlined processes, and role clarity and professional growth for finance team members. The overarching structure of this new finance organization, known as the Optimized Services Teams (OST), has already been established and will formally launch in Fall 2025, with the AVP playing a significant and immediate leadership role to ensure smooth implementation.

The AVP will report to the Senior Vice President for Finance & Business / Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, and serve on the Finance and Business Leadership Team. The AVP will develop and implement comprehensive financial strategies that support Penn State's mission, strategic goals, and core educational and administrative objectives. The AVP will provide university-wide leadership and strategic oversight in financial planning, budgeting, and data analytics, in addition to prioritizing the continued rollout of the OST. The AVP will be expected to foster collaborative relationships with stakeholders and constituents across Penn State's campuses, and work with faculty, staff, and senior administration to establish, implement, and enforce policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures designed to minimize the practical impact on University operations while maximizing the efforts of the Office of Budget and Finance.

The AVP will serve as a thoughtful, strategic leader and key advisor for important university decisions. They will ensure that long-range strategic goals of the University are translated into high-quality multi-year financial plans, annual operating and capital budgets, and associated forecasts. Working in partnership with academic and administrative leaders on each of Penn State's 24 campuses, the AVP will ensure the budget and supporting processes are helping to advance the University's mission and doing so in an effective and efficient manner. The AVP will also play a key leadership role in providing timely, accurate, high-quality financial analysis to senior leaders at Penn State, setting a new standard for the quality of budgeting and finance in higher education.

Experience and Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline; Master's degree preferred

CPA highly preferred

Minimum of 10 years of senior-level accounting, finance, and reporting experience with increasing levels of responsibility, preferably in a higher education environment. Alternatively, leadership experience within a highly decentralized non-profit, corporate, or government setting

Prior experience serving at a large research university preferred

Interested candidates should contact Isaacson, Miller directly

Penn State has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in conducting this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and application materials should be submitted electronically to the Isaacson, Miller website.

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Due to the financial and fiduciary responsibilities of this position, successful completion of a credit history check will be required in addition to standard background checks. This position requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver's license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks.

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.