Position Description Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration University of Virginia May 6, 2013 The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia ( Darden School ) is one of the leading graduate schools of business in the country and has a special place within the University of Virginia community with an independent foundation that funds the operations of the business school and also contributes operating funds to the University of Virginia itself. Since its founding in 1955 by former University of Virginia President, Colgate W. Darden, Jr., the Darden School has developed a very strong reputation as a rigorous training ground of future business leaders. The Darden School Foundation (the Foundation ) has an endowment today of approximately $300 Million. The School itself benefits from an additional $100 million in endowment funds held by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. The Foundation manages endowment funds for the exclusive benefit of the Darden School, is the fiscal agent for the School s top-ranked Executive Education program and promotes philanthropic support by alumni, friends, and corporations. An elected Board of Trustees manages the Foundation s affairs and gives time and advice, providing an important link between the academic and business communities. The Hospitality organization also generates substantial operating funds to run the business school. Under the leadership of Dean Robert Bruner, who was appointed Dean in 2005, the Darden School has placed renewed emphasis on the aggressive outreach for top students, recruitment of exciting new faculty, increased production of research, and stepped up development. Darden s aim is to reach and maintain a strong position in the Top 10-ranked business schools in the U.S. The six elements of its Top Ten strategy include Top Students, Top Faculty and Research, Top Programs, world-class Infrastructure, a Top Brand, and Top Resources. The Position Reporting to the Dean and working in close concert with Senior Associate Deans of the School and of the Darden School Foundation, the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the financial affairs of all divisions of the Darden School and Foundation, including auxiliary enterprises (including Executive Education, the Inn at Darden, and Darden Business Publishing), as well as several key operational and administrative areas such as human resources, legal, hospitality and facilities. The COO enables the Dean and other Senior Associate Deans to focus on their areas of strategic importance by sustaining the administrative support systems of Darden.
Key Relationships Reports to: Dean Direct reports: Assistant Dean for Finance, Darden School Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Darden School Foundation Director of Human Resources, Darden School Director of Human Resources, Darden School Foundation Facilities Manager, Darden School General Manager of Hospitality, Darden School Foundation Legal adviser for compliance, Darden School. Other key relationships: Senior Associate Deans of the Darden School and the Executive Director for the Darden School Foundation and Strategic Relations. This group, plus the Dean, constitutes the Operating Team, or senior management team that meets weekly to align and direct the activities of the entire organization. The Strategy Team of all Senior Associate Deans and Associate Deans of the Darden School, and the Executive Director for the Foundation and Strategic Relations, who meet monthly to set strategy and review progress toward goals. The Leadership Team of some 65 unit leaders, which meets quarterly to discuss progress and important new initiatives. Trustees of the Darden School Foundation. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the University. Provost of the University. Vice Presidents of Finance and Administration of the University. Deans and Associate Deans for Finance and Administration of the University. Architect of the University. Chief Audit Executive. Faculty, Students and Staff members. Local, State, and Federal officials and agencies. Development Leadership University Spokesperson UVIMCO (The University of Virginia Investment Management Company, a University-related foundation that provides investment management services to U.Va.) Various U.Va. foundations. Donors. Key Charlottesville community members. The following diagram indicates the position of the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer relative to the Darden organization.
Major Responsibilities Serve as a financial and business partner and advisor to the Dean, Senior Associate Deans, and Executive Director of the Darden School Foundation; Ensure that Darden s financial, capital, and operational resources are deployed with integrity and are aligned with the School s, Foundation s and University s goals; this will entail oversight of audits, I.R.S. filings, and compliance with UVA and Commonwealth regulations. Lead all phases of Darden s financial and capital planning and budgeting processes, including the implementation of a responsibility-based budgeting paradigm; Collaborate with the Dean and Chairman of the Board of the Darden School Foundation to develop and adopt an integrated and streamlined set of administrative processes and procedures that promote simplicity, job satisfaction, and prudent use of financial and human resources; Drive the development of financial and operational policies and procedures that integrate space, fiscal, and human resource considerations to advance the Darden School s instructional, research, and public service missions; and, Create a high-performance service culture within the financial and operational functions of the Darden enterprise, ensuring that stakeholders view centralized services as responsive and value-added.
SOME ASPIRATIONS To the fullest extent possible, the Darden School and Foundation should harmonize administrative processes, procedures, and policies in order to reduce complexity, increase job satisfaction of employees, and use financial and human resources wisely. The Darden Enterprise should embrace a recruitment and retention culture that makes Darden the envy of other schools and units within UVA. We should strive to be an employer of choice in the Charlottesville community. We should live our values and look for ways to inspire excellence with key learnings from our classrooms. To achieve these aspirations, we should improve recruitment, personal and team measurement, our compensation structure, use of external benchmarking, invest in training and development of our employees, plan for employee successions, utilize appropriate recognition and reward for all levels of employees, measure employee success, and provide adequate resources. The Darden Enterprise should administer financial resources according to the world s best-practice standards for not-for-profit and educational institutions and to the learnings from our classrooms. We should strive to exemplify these standards for UVA and peer business schools. To achieve these aspirations, we should establish systems that simply identify and monitor our fidelity to the intentions of donors and to the regulations of the University and the Commonwealth; we should apply financial forecasting and analytic techniques to assess our outlook on a frequent basis; and we should manage cash and expenses to standards of control that reasonably balance good compliance and good decision-making. The Darden Enterprise faces new needs and opportunities in respect to its physical plant among these are the possible challenges arising from the contemplated highway bypass, the aging east wing of the Inn at Darden, and the need to accommodate the growth of faculty and programs. We should aim to maintain our top-rated facilities, one of the trophy properties of the University of Virginia and at the same time we should afford flexible response to the needs for physical space as Darden continues to develop. In this regard, we should commence a master planning process that can provide a blueprint for future facilities development. Finally, we must continue to live our deep commitment to environmental sustainability through the wise use of physical resources. Darden s hospitality operations are among the most highly-ranked among peer schools. We must maintain high customer satisfaction while containing costs. Our Inn and dining room serve the needs of Darden s degree programs, executive education programs and third-party guests. While giving priority to Darden s academic mission, we must continue to build revenues from outside guests this will require careful coordination and communication among leaders within Darden.
CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION: KEY SELECTION CRITERIA Ideal Experience The ideal candidate will be a finance and operations leader with managerial and/or executive experience in the private, public, and/or nonprofit sectors. He/she will have had positive, sustained impact in complex environments, where collaboration and influence management were critical to success. Ideally, he/she will have some knowledge of the academic environment. In addition, he/she will have a track record that includes: Working effectively as part of a senior leadership team characterized by trust, open communication, and shared goals; Optimizing enterprise performance on multiple dimensions including mission, values, and finances; Driving strategic resource planning and budgeting, operations, and risk management and developing decision support analytics and systems to support these activities; Recruiting, motivating, developing, and retaining a high-performance workforce; Building diversity and instilling values related to equity and inclusion; Setting the tone at the top for institutional integrity, transparency, and openness; Building a high-performance service culture; Working successfully with multiple constituencies and within layered governance structures; and, Developing effective communication processes and building relationships at all levels of an organization. Critical Competencies for Success Integration Management: The Darden Enterprise has been performing at a high level in recent years. To sustain this performance it is desirable to simplify policies and procedures in internal operations, organize and assign work to improve job satisfaction, and reduce the resource requirements of the administrative functions. The new COO will need to gain the trust and respect of the Enterprise s senior leadership team, Foundation Board, faculty, and staff, being respectful of the past while forging new paths. This integration effort may include an assessment and realignment of key processes and structures, as well as an evaluation and redeployment of the human and financial assets. The successful candidate will have the practical, emotional, and social skills to lead an organization through a major staff integration effort. Financial Leadership: In a climate where fiscal constraints will continue to exist, create a sustainable business model that will enable the Darden Enterprise to continue to innovate and compete successfully for the best academic talent at all levels. Develop sophisticated financial and performance management tools to enable better decision-making and planning. Provide leadership that brings innovative and creative solutions for major business issues that impact the performance of the Enterprise, including external funding, investments in academic programming, deferred maintenance, financial aid, benefits, etc. Develop collaborative, transparent processes for prioritizing activities and allocating scarce resources.
Operational Leadership: This senior leader oversees all operations within the organization and its primary location in Charlottesville, Virginia. Provide a focus on efficiency, effectiveness, and continuous improvement of operational processes. Think creatively and strategically to develop and improve operational systems, including systems that are already performing well. Ensure that diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability are key priorities that are fully considered and incorporated in the institution s operating and capital decision-making. Engage with key constituent groups, e.g. the city and the county, to collaborate and coordinate. Relationship Building: As one of the executive leaders within the Darden Enterprise, develop strong relationships internally and externally with colleagues, stakeholders, and staff. Be accessible and responsive, serve others by effectively addressing problems, and invest the time to be a presence on Grounds. Demonstrate an ability to interact effectively with people at all levels in the organization be both empathetic and motivating. Actively engage in mentorship and the development of financial and operational talent. Achieve trusted advisor status with academic leaders, the Board, and critical state agencies. Other Characteristics Strong service-orientation; Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; Strong negotiation and problem solving abilities; and, Bias for action even in the face of ambiguity and complexity. To Apply To express interest in this opportunity, please apply on-line at https://jobs.virginia.edu and search Posting 0612135 to complete a candidate profile and attach your cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. We are working with an accelerated search timeline as the Dean is eager to have someone identified before the faculty leaves for the summer, if possible. Interested candidates are highly encouraged to submit a CV as soon as possible. First consideration will be given to applications submitted by May 29th; however, applications will be considered until position is filled. The search will be carried out with full confidentiality; candidates will be notified before references are contacted. For further information, or to provide nominations, please contact Jeffrey Stafford by email at jeffrey.stafford@virginia.edu. The University of Virginia is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.