Vice Chancellor/Chief Financial Officer (VC/CFO)

Position Number: 40029596

Payroll Title: VC CFO (000154)

Job Code: 000154

Job Open Date: March 5, 2026

Application Review Begins: March 20, 2026

Department Code (Name): FARM (FINANCE & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT)

Percentage of Time: 100%

Union Code (Name): 99

Employee Class (Appointment Type): Staff: Career

FLSA Status: Exempt

Classified Indicator Description (Personnel Program): SMG

Salary Grade: MZ0154

Pay Rate/Range: The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $425,076-$477,000 annually.

Work Location: Onsite, CHEAD-1317

Working Days and Hours: Generally, Mon-Fri; 8-5pm; however, may be required to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Benefits Eligibility: Full Benefits

Special Instructions: For full consideration, please include a resume and a cover letter as part of your application.

This is an internal recruitment, open only to qualified applicants currently working for the University of California system.

Working at UC means being part of this vibrant institution that shines a light on what is possible. People make UC great, and UC recognizes your contributions by making this a great place to work. Excellent retirement and health benefits are just some of the rewards. Learn more about the benefits of working at UC.

Dennis Assanis is the sixth chancellor of UC Santa Barbara. He previously served as the president of the University of Delaware from 2016 to 2025. Chancellor Assanis is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science. He is a distinguished educator with a wide range of academic leadership experience and a worldwide reputation as a scholar and expert in clean energy and power systems. His scientific contributions have led to significant fuel economy improvements and emission reductions in transportation. Dr. Assanis has served on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and on the National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers.

Dr. Assanis served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Stony Brook University, and also as vice president for Brookhaven National Laboratory Affairs. Previously, he taught and conducted research at the University of Michigan, where he also served as Chair of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Automotive Research Center, and Director of the campus-wide Energy Institute. He started his academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Dr. Assanis earned his bachelor's degree in marine engineering from Newcastle University in England. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he earned three master's degrees in naval architecture and marine engineering, mechanical engineering, and management; and a Ph.D. in power and propulsion. He has received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Delaware.

UC Santa Barbara enrolls approximately 22,500 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students at the campus. With five colleges and professional schools, UC Santa Barbara offers the benefits of a premier research university with a focus on the undergraduate learning experience. Consistently recognized as one of the top research universities in the nation and a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), UC Santa Barbara is home to groundbreaking research and innovative teaching, offering new knowledge to address real-world challenges. The campus is the largest employer in the region and is responsible for the creation of more than 90 companies, bolstering the economy and contributing more than $2 billion in economic impact to Santa Barbara and California. UC Santa Barbara is renowned for its talented faculty, staff, and students, its interdisciplinary research emphasis, and its excellent academic programs. Eight of its faculty members have been awarded the Nobel Prize, including two in 2025. In 2009, a UC Santa Barbara alumna was awarded a Nobel Prize as well. UC Santa Barbara is the first member of the Association of American Universities to receive the federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

In 2015, the University of California Regents approved a plan to increase enrollment of California undergraduates in the UC system. The associated growth has encouraged UC Santa Barbara to create the necessary space and accommodations for the increased population. The current Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) lays out the blueprint for the campus to reach 25,000 students, based on a three-quarter average, by 2025. The VC/CFO will play a significant role in preparing the UC Santa Barbara campus and the surrounding community for the resulting campus development and its successful implementation.

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) seeks an experienced leader as Vice Chancellor/Chief Financial Officer for Finance and Resource Management (VC/CFO). The VC/CFO is the senior campus official responsible for leading UC Santa Barbara's financial planning and operations. The VC/CFO serves as the principal advisor to the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, and other senior campus leaders on a broad range of issues including strategic initiatives and programs; academic and budgetary planning; and allocation of campus funding, faculty, staff, space, and development resources. The VC/CFO is responsible for ensuring the highest standards of fiscal integrity, transparency, and stewardship of financial resources and capital-planning activities across UC Santa Barbara.

Reporting directly to the Chancellor, the VC/CFO serves as a member of the Chancellor's Senior Officers Group and other key internal committees. The VC/CFO forges key relationships with university leaders, including the EVC's senior team and the deans and their senior staff across UC Santa Barbara's schools and colleges, as well as faculty, staff, and students. Within UC Santa Barbara's highly distributed organizational model, the VC/CFO provides broad leadership over all UC Santa Barbara financial affairs: the VC/CFO and their team work closely with the financial and business leads of the university's schools and colleges and of central administrative functions such as the Office of Research, Athletics, Advancement, Student Affairs and Administration. The VC/CFO also actively consults with campus faculty on matters of resource allocation under the principles of shared governance and seeks input and support from the leaders of the Academic Senate and the Council on Planning and Budget.

The VC/CFO's constituent units, each led by a direct report, are: Office of Budget and Planning (budget operations, program analysis, debt management/treasury, and institutional research); Strategic Asset Management (real estate, capital, physical and environmental planning, and UC Santa Barbara Community Housing Authority); Business and Finance Services (accounting, procurement, payables, payroll, tax, and payment systems); and Audit and Advisory Services. In addition to these operating units, the VC/CFO has functional responsibility for overall asset and debt strategy and for contributing strategic perspective on campus funding needs to decisions made by the UC Santa Barbara Foundation about the management of endowment and gift assets. The VC/CFO also engages the investment staff at the UC Office of the President with regard to UC Santa Barbara endowments managed on behalf of the Regents.

The VC/CFO will direct the implementation of the Financial Management Modernization project replacing the legacy financial systems with the Oracle Financials Cloud product, effectively reimplementing all financial interfaces and applications on the campus.

The VC/CFO serves on numerous systemwide committees, including serving as the Cybersecurity Responsible Executive, Responsible Executive for Contracting Out, and Convener of the Council of Vice Chancellors for Planning and Budget. The VC/CFO chairs the Campus Planning Committee and the UC Santa Barbara Parking Rate Payer's Board. The VC/CFO also serves on the Chancellor's Coordinating Committee on Budget Strategy, North Campus Open Space Task Force, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Faculty and Staff Housing, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Student Housing, Community Housing Authority, Information Technology Board, Transportation Alternative Board, Chancellor's Advisory Task Force on Childcare, and the Long-Range Planning Task Force on Enrollment.

Externally, the VC/CFO interacts regularly with senior officials in the UC Office of the President; the UC Board of Regents; officials at other UC campuses and peer higher-education institutions; federal, state, and local government officials; and members of business, labor, and civic organizations.

• Advanced degree in business, public management, finance, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum ten years of progressive leadership and management experience in finance and budget, and resources planning. High-level experience in the administration of a complex organization, preferably a research university, including significant experience in resource planning and financial and budgetary policy development in a shared governance environment.
• Demonstrated experience working with state, national, and University-wide constituencies in advancing the resource planning budgetary objectives of a complex organization.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the Mission of UC Santa Barbara.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety and well-being of all employees and students.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, either directly or through the application of persuasive influence.
• Demonstrated record of accomplishment in advocating and incorporating the policy and program needs of a complex, multi-unit organization into the broader organization-wide/corporate-wide plans and programs. Important partner units include, but are not limited to, Academic Affairs, Administrative Services, Student Affairs, Office of Research and Organized Research Units.
• Demonstrated organizational, administrative and project management skills to include the ability to diagnose critical areas for attention and translate strategies into action.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse group of constituencies on all levels within the organization and without, including city, county, state, federal agencies and community groups.
• Demonstrated interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated oral, written, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing a culture of inclusion and mutual respect.
• Demonstrated commitment to the principles of excellence in customer service.

• Management experience in an academic environment, including exposure to and knowledge of relevant issues related to higher education.

• Satisfactory criminal history background check
• Education, employment history and credit check
• Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests Filer
• UCSB Campus Security Authority under Clery Act
• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment
• Travel to the University of California Office of the President, alternate UC locations or other necessary travel as needed is required.

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

50% FINANCE & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (FARM) OVERSIGHT

• The VC/CFO's responsibilities include all functions of the chief budget officer and financial advisor, including oversight for the financial analyses and implementation of the annual campus operating budget, development of an overall system of budget and financial controls and such policies, procedures, programs, and practices as may be necessary for the effective operation of the campus' financial and budgetary operations.
• Directs the management of the Office of Planning and Budget; Business and Financial Services; Office of Real Estate Services; SB Housing Authority; and the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessments.
• Directs the management of all real estate functions for the campus, involving acquisition, disposition, leasing and licensing of University property to external entities.
• Oversees and manages financial and administrative approvals involving the Chancellor's control points. The University of California operates under the principle of "shared governance" as laid out in Regents Standing order 105.2, in which the faculty in the form of the Academic Senate has authority over all matters of educational policy, including admissions, degree programs, courses, and curricula. The Senate is authorized to advise the administration on all other aspects of administrative operations. The position requires leadership and managerial acuity to successfully direct and guide the diverse range of operations, while engaging in senior management strategic planning processes as a member of the Chancellor's cabinet.

50% CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

• Serves as the Chancellor's principal financial senior executive for campus operations and makes financial and resource decisions on behalf of the chancellor when so delegated. The VC/CFO works closely with the Executive Vice Chancellor, the Vice Chancellors and other senior administrators to address issues that cut across divisional lines, plays a leading advisory role to the Chancellor in allocation of campus resources and staff support, and coordinates strategic financial and capital planning and other strategic campus initiatives in close collaboration with the Chancellor.
• Meeting regularly with the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, and other senior managers and groups as appropriate, provides individualized briefings and advice on all matters involving campus operating budgets, capital budgets, capital financial planning, financial feasibility models, campus asset management, real estate-finance functions and the SB Housing Authority.
• Shares responsibility for representing the University in negotiations with local governmental agencies on matters relating to capital planning and development. In conjunction with Design and Construction Services, develops and oversees the financial aspects of all campus capital projects and budgets (with projects in excess of $1B).
• Advocates campus needs with the Office of the President, budget officials, and at legislative and Regental hearings.
• Establishes campus fiscal policy and financial performance measures.
• Directs the preparation of financial analyses and reports to meet campus financial information needs and prepares campus financial statements.
• Responsible for the review of all external financing proposals involving both capital and non-capital projects.
• In collaboration with the Vice Chancellor for Research, responsible for the preparation of the campus indirect cost rate proposals and for determining the administrative cost rates applied to contracts and grants.
• Oversees the assessment of costs for campus administrative support services, and analysis of costing and charging methods.
• Directs the planning and institutional analysis for the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and the campus in support of strategic and academic planning. Planning and analytical studies include admissions and enrollment, faculty workload and renewal models, policy analysis, modeling and inter-institutional comparisons.
• Oversees development of comprehensive reports to be released to federal and state governments and national institutions.
• Serves as the official campus liaison with the Office of the President, General Counsel and Treasurer's Office on all budget and financial matters involving campus operating and capital resources, and with other UC campuses and outside agencies.
• The VC/CFO has university-wide impact, and the effect of the position's decision-making authority is of immense measurable magnitude and significance. In serving as the campus chief financial officer, the incumbent is responsible for the development of long-range financial, enrollment, asset management, and institutional plans, and is a critical contributor to the development of the UC Santa Barbara Strategic Academic Plan, Long Range Development Plan, and the campus goals and objectives.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccinations Programs. As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals* must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up-to-Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt-Out Program no later than the Compliance Date (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.). Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information, please visit University of California Policy on Vaccinations - https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/VaccinationProgramsPolicy

*Covered Individuals: A Covered Individual includes anyone designated as Personnel or Students under this Policy who physically access a University Facility or Program in connection with their employment, appointment, or education/training. A person accessing a Healthcare Location as a patient, or an art, athletics, entertainment, or other publicly accessible venue at a Location as a member of the public, is not a Covered Individual.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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