Background:

The Big 12 Conference enters its 29th year as one of the nation’s premier conferences in college athletics under the leadership of Commissioner Brett Yormark. Since joining the Conference in August 2022, Yormark has elevated the Big 12 to new heights, emphasizing marketing, brand building and instilling an innovative strategy that has resonated across the college athletics landscape.  
 
Starting Aug. 2, 2024, the Conference is composed of 16 universities spanning 10 states and four time zones. The Big 12 members include Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah and West Virginia.
 
The Big 12 began play in 1996 and is the home of 87 team NCAA national championships, and 764 individual national champions. The Big 12 Conference office is located in Irving, Texas. 

Any interested candidates should contact TurnkeyZRG directly.

Contacting Big 12 Conference will only delay consideration of your qualifications.

Position Summary:

A member of the Conference Leadership team, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will guide all finance, accounting, tax, and treasury functions for the Big 12 Conference. In partnership with the Commissioner and Executive Team, the CFO will drive the evaluation of opportunities, new initiatives, and evolving landscapes through the financial lens, including financial modeling, strategic analysis. The CFO will work to identify and mitigate business and financial risks, provide for the safeguarding of Big 12 Conference assets, support and help manage strategic growth initiatives, evaluate new business models, and improve operating results within the complex and evolving landscape of college athletics. Reporting to the Commissioner, the CFO will serve as a strategic thought partner to senior management, and a principal liaison to the Big 12 Conference's member institutions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Executive & Strategic Leadership

• Serve as a member of the Conference Executive and Leadership Teams, driving overall organizational goals and new initiatives in a highly inclusive and collaborative manner.

• Drive the overall strategic financial vision for the entire organization; build the internal infrastructure to connect financial performance to the overall strategic plan and Big 12 Mission.

• Create and maintain a corporate financial plan which ties together important financial criteria and strategic objectives, as well as operating and financial plans. 

• Utilize key financial data as a management tool to create a more efficient and effective organization. 

• Participate in important business transactions, including vendor negotiations, buy vs. lease decisions, etc. 

• Serve as a strategic and financial thought leader for the organization and fellow executives and department heads; support and promote strong business management while also considering new initiatives and/or opportunities for growth.

Functional Leadership

• Ensure proper accounting, budget processes, procedures, and internal controls are in place to enable sound business judgment. Maintain that a disciplined, rigorous process is in place to fully understand the "what if" implications of important decisions and opportunities. 

• Lead the development of future financial strategies; establish annual financial goals; and monitor and analyze ongoing performance against these objectives. 

• Oversee regular budget planning and reforecasting process with executives and department heads; serve as a business partner to these stakeholders and promote a departmental approach of transparency, collaboration, communication, and partnership. 

• Ensure and maintain best-in-class standards in financial control, audit practices, and fiduciary responsibilities for finance/accounting team and company executives. 

• Ensure that key stakeholders are provided with timely and accurate financial reporting that both meets their requirements and expectations, as well as provide transparency and insight into business performance.

Collaboration & People Leadership

• Partner with internal stakeholders and department leads in the creation and ongoing management of annual operating budgets for all business units.

• Work closely with executives and budget/P&L owners to ensure operating efficiency with an eye toward containing cost.

• Develop, motivate, and retain top talent. Provide mentorship to support the further development of a best-in-class finance team. 

• In partnership with the Big 12 leadership, communicate with the Presidents, Athletics Directors and CFOs of the Big 12 Universities to keep them apprised of financial performance and issues. 

• Manage and supervise the Big 12 Conference Controller and staff accountant, while also overseeing and supervising the IT department. 

 Desired Outcomes:

• Play a key role in the financial evaluation of new business ventures and business models 

• Share best practices with Conference member CFOs to identify and enhance efficiencies. 

• Establish credibility as a trusted resource across the organization and broader membership, providing counsel to senior leadership on all business matters. 

• Review the current controls environment and ensure proper accounting and safeguards are in place. 

Qualifications, Skills and Education Requirements:

• Experience in professional or collegiate sports, higher education and/or live entertainment; experience/working knowledge of higher education and/or college sports financial governance strongly preferred.

• Proven experience in successful functional and people leadership. 

• Experience managing internal audit process and controls. 

• Strong leadership capabilities in managing and developing direct reports and working with executive leaders.  

• Proven success in a highly entrepreneurial environment; nimble and imaginative in identifying, analyzing and/or evaluating new and evolving opportunities and initiatives.

• Ability to build relationships, trust and credibility with numerous internal and external constituents.

• Communicative; collaborative; service-oriented; humble; mission-driven; high integrity; and high EQ; establish and model a culture reflective of those qualities within the finance department and the broader organization.

• CPA and/or advanced degree preferred, but not required.

• Passion surrounding the role and impact that collegiate athletics provides and embodies.