Chief Financial Svcs Ofcr SOM

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (SOM) invites applications for the position of Chief Financial Services Officer (CFSO), a senior executive leadership role responsible for providing strategic financial leadership and oversight for the School of Medicine.

Reporting directly to the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Chief Financial Services Officer serves as the School's senior financial leader and strategic advisor. The CFSO works in close executive partnership with the Dean and the System Vice President for Finance and Administration to advance the School's priorities through coordinated financial planning, resource allocation, and shared stewardship. The CFSO works closely with Department Chairs and Administrators, Senior Associate Deans, Health Sciences leadership, UNM Hospital, and university administrative offices to ensure fiscal stewardship, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and long-term financial sustainability.

The CFSO reports to and is accountable to the Dean for advancing the School's financial and operational objectives. In carrying out these responsibilities, the CFSO works in close coordination with the System Vice President for Finance and Administration to support the integrity of financial planning and reporting, alignment with institutional fiscal standards, and coordination of financial commitments and funding arrangements affecting the broader Health Sciences and Health System enterprise.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and collaborative leader with extensive experience managing complex financial operations and leading organizational change within higher education, academic medicine, healthcare, government, or similarly complex organizations.

This position offers a unique opportunity to serve as the School of Medicine's senior financial leader and trusted advisor to the Dean during a period of significant organizational growth, transformation, and innovation. The CFSO will help shape the School's financial strategy, strengthen business operations, support research and educational excellence, and contribute to the long-term success of the institution and the communities it serves throughout New Mexico.

About the School of Medicine

The UNM School of Medicine is New Mexico's premier academic medical institution and a critical component of the UNM Health Sciences Center. The School supports a diverse portfolio of educational, research, and clinical programs, including nationally recognized research initiatives, graduate medical education programs, faculty practice activities, and broad partnerships across the state's healthcare system.

The School of Medicine is undergoing significant transformation and growth, including initiatives related to clinical integration, faculty compensation modernization, research expansion, operational excellence, and administrative transformation. The CFSO will play a central role in advancing these strategic priorities.

Position Summary

The Chief Financial Services Officer serves as the School of Medicine's senior financial officer and strategic advisor to the Dean on all matters related to financial planning, budgeting, resource allocation, financial compliance, reporting, and fiscal stewardship.

The CFSO provides executive leadership for financial operations and services across the School of Medicine and partners with academic, research, clinical, and administrative leaders to develop financial strategies that advance institutional priorities while ensuring responsible management of public, clinical, research, educational, philanthropic, and other institutional resources. This includes leadership for clinical funds flow, faculty compensation modernization, effort allocation, research investment, educational program economics, multiyear operating forecasts, liquidity planning, and financial commitments associated with major facilities and other strategic investments.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Serve as a principal advisor to School of Medicine leadership on financial strategy, fiscal planning, resource allocation, and organizational sustainability.
• Lead development of short- and long-range financial plans aligned with institutional goals and strategic priorities.
• Provide executive-level financial analyses, forecasts, performance metrics, and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
• Participate as a member of senior leadership teams, committees, and strategic planning initiatives.
• Lead financial strategy for clinical funds flow, faculty compensation, and the financial implications of facult effort allocation across missions.

Financial Operations & Administration

• Direct and oversee the school's financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, compliance, internal controls, and fiscal management.
• Ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in financial processes and reporting.
• Establish and monitor fiscal controls to safeguard institutional assets and resources.
• Lead development of financial policies, procedures, and operational standards.

Research & Sponsored Programs Collaboration

• Partner with research administration and departmental leadership to strengthen post-award financial management and sponsored project compliance.
• Support efficient administration of grants, contracts, and other externally funded activities.
• Promote continuous improvement in research financial processes while maintaining compliance with federal, state, sponsor, and university requirements.
• Provide financial leadership for research investment decisions, including startup packages, bridge funding, cost sharing, indirect cost recovery, and institutional commitments.
• Partner with educational leaders to assess program economics and plan for the resources required to support educational growth, accreditation needs, and learner success.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Provide leadership for financial systems strategy, implementation, optimization, and reporting capabilities.
• Collaborate with institutional stakeholders to modernize business processes and leverage technology to improve efficiency and decision support.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, reporting tools, and financial management solutions that support organizational excellence.
• Develop and maintain multiyear operating forecasts, liquidity assessments, and financial models for major facilities, program growth, and other long-term institutional commitments.

Organizational Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing financial teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, customer service, and continuous improvement.
• Design and maintain organizational structures that support evolving business needs and strategic goals.
• Direct recruitment, professional development, performance management, and succession planning activities.

Compliance, Audit & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, university policies, accounting standards, and reporting requirements.
• Oversee financial audits and related regulatory reviews.
• Identify fiscal risks and implement strategies to strengthen internal controls and institutional resilience.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• Employees in this job title are subject to the terms and conditions of an employment contract. Employment contracts are typically subject to review and renewal on an annual basis.
• Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or an equivalent field; at least 9 years of directly related duties and responsibilities specified, including progressively responsible senior financial leadership experience managing complex, multi-source budgets in academic medicine, higher education, healthcare, or a similarly complex organization.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
  
• CPA or other relevant professional certification.
  
• Significant senior financial leadership experience within academic medicine, higher education, healthcare, or similarly complex organizations.
  
• Experience overseeing large, multi-source budgets that include state, clinical, research, philanthropic, and other funding streams.
  
• Experience supporting faculty-led organizations and partnering effectively with department chairs, senior academic leaders, and executive administration.
  
• Experience leading financial systems implementation, process improvement, and organizational transformation initiatives.
  
• Demonstrated success balancing strategic planning with operational execution.
  
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.

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Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.