Vice-President, Finance and Operations (VPFO)

The Organization

The University of Windsor is situated on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations: the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi.

The University is a comprehensive research and teaching institution with more than 16,000 students. Located in the heart of Canada's Border City, the University of Windsor combines excellence in teaching, research, and professional practice with a commitment to build stronger communities, treat people with respect and dignity, and address pressing societal needs.

The Role

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Vice-President, Finance and Operations (VPFO) provides strategic, ethical, and people-centred leadership across the University’s administrative and operational portfolios. These include finance, facilities, information technology, ancillary services, environmental sustainability, enterprise risk management, and campus safety.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, the VPFO works in close partnership with the Provost to advance integrated planning and decision-making that aligns resources with academic priorities and long-term institutional aspirations. The VPFO plays a critical role in enabling the academic mission of the institution, ensuring that financial and operational decisions support the long-term success of the University, its students, employees, and the Windsor community.

The University is at an important moment of transition and renewal. The VPFO will be a builder and change leader who can move the institution from short-term, siloed decision-making toward integrated, future-focused resource planning. This leader will foster trust, curiosity, and a culture of creativity, helping teams move beyond entrenched practices and toward sustainable ways of working that support teaching, research, and community impact.

Key areas of oversight and responsibility include:

Strategic Leadership & Governance – They will offer forward-looking leadership across portfolios, strengthening integrated institutional planning processes, and supporting effective governance practices. The VPFO will be a key part of leading transformational change and help ensure that long-term aspirations-not just in-year pressures -shape financial and operational decisions.

Financial Stewardship – The VPFO will lead financial operations, long-term planning, and financial risk management with rigour and transparency, while advancing financial sustainability through thoughtful business planning and responsible revenue development. They will engage academic leaders as partners in financial decision-making and recognize the diversity and administrative complexity of academic programming, regulatory frameworks, and professional obligations.

Operational Management – The VPFO will oversee facilities, information technology, ancillary services, sustainability, and campus safety, ensuring service excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement. A particular priority will be modernizing and streamlining.

People-Centred Leadership – They must foster a supportive workplace culture rooted in reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. The VPFO will lead change with empathy and clarity, creating a supportive space for teams to learn, adapt, and take considered risks in service of the institution’s future.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a collaborative, curious, and future‑oriented leader with a demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a complex, unionized, and values‑driven community. You bring strong financial and operational expertise, paired with humility, empathy, and a genuine commitment to learning the academic context.

You are known as a builder and change-maker who asks questions, listens carefully, and resists defaulting to ‘the way things have always been done.’ You understand that financial and operational leadership in higher education is not about imposing control, but about enabling people, programs, and research to thrive.

Qualifications and experience:

While the Search Committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all qualifications in equal measure, those listed below are desirable and will be used to compare candidates.

• A degree in business, finance, public administration, or a related discipline.
• A CPA designation is preferred.
• Additional professional designations (e.g. finance, human resources, information technology, or engineering) would be an asset but not required.
• Significant senior leadership experience in a complex organization.
• Demonstrated success in financial leadership, including strategic forecasting, budgeting, and integrated resource planning.
• Experience successfully managing large operational portfolios in a complex unionized environment, with depth in at least one non‑financial area.
• Proven ability to lead through change, including periods of fiscal constraint and organizational transition.
• A strong commitment to collegial governance, collaboration, and consultative decision-making.
• A values‑based leadership style with a clear record of advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation in organizational systems and practices.
• Demonstrated experience leading modernization initiatives, streamlining process, and implementing system upgrades is preferred.
• Experience in the public sector (e.g. government, healthcare, non-profits) or post‑secondary sector is considered an asset but not required.

You are someone with:

• A courageous and future‑focused leadership style, and a commitment to meaningful change and innovation.
• Superior skill in financial analysis and planning, with the ability to connect financial and operational decisions to academic priorities.
• Exceptional relational skills, with the capacity to build trust and mobilize action in decentralized environments.
• Integrity, creativity, and empathy in leading people and teams.
• Sound judgment and the ability to assess complex inputs and make timely, well‑reasoned decisions.
• The ability to clearly explain complex financial and operational issues to diverse audiences.