Dean of Finance & Administration

Position Description Title: Dean of Finance & Administration                              Department: Office of the President Reports to: President                                                                                Status: Full time, exempt Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), founded in 1908, is a private, non-profit college located in Boston's South End that educates urban youth and places them in good jobs in growth industries.  BFIT offers students a cost-effective pathway and equips graduates with the technical, professional, and personal skills that create a foundation for job success, civic responsibility, and life-long learning. Position Overview: Reporting to the President of the college, the Dean of Finance & Administration oversees accounting, budgeting & resource management, business services, facilities planning & operations, financial aid, grant administration, human resources, and IT infrastructure at the college. The position will start in the Spring 2020 semester and join the senior leadership team of a growing technical college with a dynamic vision for the future of higher education. This position serves as the institution’s chief financial officer and replaces position formerly titled CFO. This position will manage a team of eight staff working across three teams: Business Office, Financial Aid and HR. In addition, this Dean will oversee internal and outsourced IT work. This is an exciting senior leadership opportunity for an entrepreneurial and energetic individual with seasoned management skills to join the President in building a culture of financial sustainability and strategic planning & action across the college. The selected individual will lead efforts to continuously improvement the school’s finances and operations with a can-do attitude and solutions-oriented approaches. This Dean will be a forward-thinking, thoughtful, and flexible leader who is well-versed in the longstanding yet rapidly changing business of higher education and has knowledge of U.S. financial aid systems and regulations. Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing operational effectiveness in educational programs is strongly desired. The ideal candidate will be able to formulate long-range financial projections and plans and be able to modify them thoughtfully to address changes in a fluid environment. Active participation in the school’s efforts to diversify and generate new revenue streams will be an area of emphasis. This individual will develop a comprehensive understanding of all major internal and external programs of the school and work together with stakeholders from the Board of Trustees and college administration to manage the budget. Strong interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication skills and a collegial personality are a must. Prospective candidates for this position could have expertise in several career paths. Previous roles might include chief operating or finance officer of an ed-tech company or start-up or the chief financial administrator of an independent school, college, or company with multiple streams of income. Qualifications and Minimum Requirements: The ideal candidate will have:

• A master’s degree in finance, business administration, public administration, accounting or a related field;
• Experience as an integral member of a senior leadership team at an institution of higher education, with small college experience preferred;

• A minimum of ten (10) years building a progressive career in finance and/or higher education functions with at least four (4) years of experience at a management level or serving as a key strategic and business partner to a chief executive officer.

Financial disclosure and background checks are required. BFIT is a minority serving institution with 83% of students identifying as people of color as of 2019. In keeping with BFIT’s diverse student population and core value to build a community that welcomes and respects an array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, the college actively recruits and seeks to retain staff at all levels whose background and expertise in teaching, leadership and service has prepared them to fulfill our commitment to inclusion. As such, we encourage applicants to describe in their cover letter how their professional experiences and professional mission have contributed to diverse communities. To Apply: All inquiries, nominations, referrals, and resumes with cover letters will be held in strict confidence and should be directed to Robin Jones, Consultant to the President, at: robinlgjones@gmail.com. Applications received by December 20, 2019 will receive priority consideration. Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on any grounds protected under federal, state, or local law, including race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy, disability (including those related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected under federal, state or local law.