AVP for Financial Operations & Controller

Executive Summary

The University of Texas at Arlington seeks an experienced and innovative Associate Vice President for Financial Operations and Controller (AVP) during a pivotal period. As the University advances an ambitious strategic plan, UTA 2030, the AVP will be instrumental in supporting key strategic initiatives and operational excellence. As a key member of the finance leadership team, the AVP will provide strategic oversight for UTA’s core financial, transactional, and compliance functions. In doing so, the AVP will focus on modernizing operations, leading positive change, fostering team culture, and leveraging technology to improve overall efficiency, accuracy, and service delivery. In this highly visible role, the AVP will serve as a trusted advisor and collaborative partner to key internal and external stakeholders in helping further institutional goals and outcomes. Success in this role will be measured by effective financial stewardship, general operational oversight, strong collaboration, and excellent interpersonal skills.

Reporting to the Vice President of Business Finance and Chief Financial Officer, the AVP will be responsible for providing strategic oversight to all facets of financial operations including student financial services, accounting operations, financial reporting, payroll, grant accounting, and supply chain management. With a focus on strong controls and enhanced customer service for students, faculty, staff, and business partners, the AVP will be supported by an experienced team and well-established practices. With a strong foundation in place, the AVP will have the opportunity to advance modernization efforts aimed at accelerating infrastructure development and optimizing financial sustainability to support the University's overarching vision.

Successful candidates will bring significant senior-level leadership experience in financial operations, accounting, and/or related disciplines, with demonstrated success leading complex teams and enterprise-wide change management. The ideal candidate will also be an effective communicator who can translate strategy into operational execution and build strong partnerships across the institution. Candidate must possess deep knowledge of financial stewardship, internal controls, compliance, GAAP/GASB, and risk management coupled with the ability to champion automation, process improvement, and data-driven decision-making in a large, complex organization.

About the University

Located on a 420-acre campus in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro Area (population 8.4 million), The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work.

The University is committed to providing access and ensuring student success, and to a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization of discoveries by our community of scholars.

The University promotes lifelong learning through its academic, continuing education, and experiential learning programs. The faculty, staff, and student community share diverse cultural values that foster inclusivity and cultivate mutual respect.Founded in 1895 as a private liberal arts institution, UT Arlington today enrolls over 46,000 students and employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff. In addition to nurturing student success, UT Arlington is focused on making an impact through innovative research. The University’s research portfolio has seen significant growth over the past decade, with expenditures reaching $180 million in 2025. Faculty work in state-of-the-art facilities to make important breakthroughs in areas such as sustainable infrastructure, healthy aging, high-energy physics, cardiovascular disease, machine-learning systems, and more.

UTA’s combination of outstanding academics and innovative research contributed to the University’s Carnegie R-1 designation. By providing exceptional educational opportunities and addressing important societal challenges, UT Arlington enhances the quality of life in Texas and beyond.

Notable Facts About UTA

• UTA places among the top 5% of research institutions nationwide as a Carnegie R-1 university.
• UTA has one of the nation’s most successful adaptive sports programs. The Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team has won eleven national championships, while the Lady Movin’ Mavs have won two.
• UTA’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation is the No. 1 producer of baccalaureate-degreed nurses in Texas.
• UTA and its 300,000 alumni contribute $28.8 billion annual economic impact to Texas.
• UTA was one of 251 colleges and universities recognized on the Phi Theta Kappa 2025 Transfer Honor Roll.
• UTA was awarded the 2026 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and the 2025 Texas Environmental Leadership Award for outstanding achievements in higher education sustainability.
• UTA ranked first in North Texas for Social Mobility and Graduate Salaries by The Wall Street Journal in 2026.

About the Position

Reporting to the Vice President for Business Finance and Chief Financial Officer, the Associate Vice President for Financial Operations and Controller serves as the University’s chief steward of financial integrity while acting as a change leader responsible for transforming financial operations into a streamlined, data-enabled, customer-centric function. The AVP oversees core transactional, compliance, and financial execution functions and partners broadly across campus to deliver reliable service and strong controls.

The Division of Financial Operations is responsible for properly accounting for and managing institutional assets, ensuring accurate financial reporting, safeguarding compliance, and providing excellent service to campus constituents. Financial Operations represents the university’s primary transactional, compliance, and financial execution environment, supporting teaching, research, and public service through reliable, customer-focused financial services. The Division benefits from a strong foundation of core processes, controls, and service expectations, supported by experienced teams who partner closely with academic and administrative units. This foundation enables the organization to maintain day-to-day reliability while pursuing thoughtful improvements in efficiency, transparency, and the overall customer experience.

Financial Operations’ responsibility is to provide excellent financial services to our campus constituents; to ensure the proper stewardship of institution’s assets; to accurately report the institution’s financial status; and to ensure value and opportunity through fair and open competitive procurement practices. Our foremost objective is to support and enhance the institution’s primary mission and reflect its core values.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Executive leadership and change management: drive large-scale operational change; lead transformation focused on process simplification, standardization, and service excellence; build a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and professional development.
• Operational excellence and efficiency: ensure accurate, timely, and compliant execution; eliminate redundant/manual processes; redesign workflows to improve cycle time and quality; establish and monitor performance metrics and service expectations.
• Technology, automation and innovation: lead financial systems optimization, automation, and digital workflows (e.g., transactional automation, approvals/workflow redesign, self-service tools, data quality and integration improvements) in partnership with IT leadership.
• Financial integrity, compliance and risk management: ensure compliance with GAAP/GASB, UT System policies, and state/federal regulations; oversee annual financial reporting and required filings; liaise with auditors and regulators; maintain strong internal controls and proactively manage risk.
• Leadership and talent development: lead, mentor, and evaluate leaders across the portfolio; build

succession plans and modern skill sets; promote cross-training, collaboration, and shared accountability across functional areas.

• Policy, governance and institutional collaboration: modernize financial policies and procedures; advise senior leaders on operational risks, compliance, and strategic improvements; represent UTA in UT System and external business operations forums as appropriate.

Opportunities

UT Arlington offers the Associate Vice President for Financial Operations and Controller a compelling opportunity to lead enterprise-wide modernization of core financial services. The AVP will help shape a streamlined, technology-enabled, service-oriented operating model that maintains strong controls, improves transparency, and enhances the experience of students, faculty, and staff.

Leading a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and service excellence across financial operations.

The AVP will partner with campus leaders to simplify and standardize processes, establish clear service expectations and performance metrics, and strengthen end-to-end ownership across teams. This work will support UTA’s goal of being a well-managed institution with strong controls, high-quality customer service, and an engaged workforce. The AVP will create and maintain a culture of change and improvement that aspires to excellence.

Modernizing financial systems, automation, and digital workflows to improve speed, quality, and transparency.

The AVP will champion modernization initiatives such as transactional automation, workflow and approval redesign, self-service capabilities, and improved data quality and integration. In close partnership with UTA’s technology and analytics leaders, the AVP will help enable timely insights, reduce manual effort and risk, and increase scalability across financial services.

In support of the University’s strategic goals, the AVP will collaborate with academic and administrative partners to strengthen governance, clarify roles and service models, and ensure policies and controls support both compliance and excellent customer experience.

Serving as a key strategic advisor on financial operations, compliance, and risk.

The AVP will be a trusted advisor on operational risks, compliance issues, audit readiness, and strategic improvements, and will bring experience communicating with senior leaders and stakeholders across a complex organization. The AVP will offer sound financial data, analysis, and observation to inform and support the university’s strategic and operational position as well as ensure resources are strategically aligned to meet UTA’s priorities and objectives through effective financial stewardship and analysis.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in financial operations, accounting, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex organizations, large teams, and enterprise-level change initiatives.
• Strong executive communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to translate vision into operational execution.
• Possess the ability to explain complex financial concepts in simple and understandable terms.
• Exhibit keen strategic vision, keeping institutional core values at the forefront of decision-making.
• Provide excellent service to internal and external stakeholders.
• Ascribe to the highest standards of honesty, quality, and integrity.
• Serve as a technical expert and advisor, especially regarding financial accounting and reporting matters.
• Be an engaged and committed leader who respects diversity in people, opinions, and experiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• CPA or equivalent professional certification.
• Experience in a large, complex public university or research institution.
• Demonstrated success implementing financial system improvements, automation, or shared services models.

About Leadership

Vice President for Business Finance and CFO, John Davidson has served for 20 years in government and higher education finance leadership positions, including the last eleven years at UT Arlington. As CFO, John is responsible for not only the financial operations of the University, but also for information technology, data analytics, information security, and resource planning. He earned both an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University.

About Arlington

Arlington, Texas is one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation. Located in North Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth, the city is home to more than 400,000 residents, making it the seventh largest in the state. It’s also the hometown of three professional sports teams: the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Dallas Wings, the latter of whom plays its home games at UTA's College Park Center. Residents, athletes, and visitors alike enjoy hot summers and mild winters and fill their days with good food, good company, and good entertainment.

The University of Texas at Arlington is in Tarrant County, home to more than 2 million residents. Arlington is easily accessible, located 30 minutes from both DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field. Situated less than two miles from AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field home to the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers and less than three miles from Six Flags Over Texas, UTA is ideally positioned near many of the region’s top attractions.

Procedure for Candidacy

The search committee will begin reviewing applications immediately. For best consideration, please reach out to Jane McMahon, Managing Consultant, Korn Ferry at ***email_hidden***.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is committed to providing equal employment and educational opportunities for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities, pregnancy, genetic information, and/or veteran status.

Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. See the University of Texas at Arlington’s Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

Campus Safety and Security

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report with policy statements, crime, and fire statistics is available online. A hard copy may be obtained by contacting the Office of Legal Affairs, University Administration Building, 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX 76019, 817-272-2141.

Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in connection with the recruitment process for this position.