Vice President for Administrative Affairs

Vice President for Administrative Affairs

Vice President for Administrative Affairs
The College of DuPage is a comprehensive community college located 27 miles west of downtown Chicago, vitally connected to our local area for over 50 years. We prepare students for a lifelong passion for learning on our 273-acre campus which is home to nine associate degrees and a wide variety of professional and technical certificates. Many of these credentials prepare students to seamlessly articulate into the baccalaureate programs of our higher education partner institutions.


College of DuPage is committed to student success and values an inclusive and welcoming community environment. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workforce. Our connection to the larger metropolitan area is essential to our success and provides a wealth of diverse cultural and recreational opportunities.


Reporting to the President and serving as an integral member of Cabinet, the Vice President for Administrative Affairs (VPAA) is responsible for the oversight of the College's administrative support operations and related strategy to contribute to the development and accomplishment of the organization's strategic goals. The VPAA portfolio includes the central services functions of Finance, Budgeting, Business Affairs, Facilities, Campus Police Department, WDCB Radio Station, Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management, as well as certain Auxiliary Enterprises. This executive role is ultimately responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing those areas.


Additional critical functions for the VPAA are to:

• Provide strategic input on operational initiatives, which can extend to various areas of the College such as Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and a host of other departments.
• Provide the big picture view to further the success of the College in meeting district and constituency needs.
• Contribute to strategic planning, both short term and long term.
• Provide advice on all matters related to resource management.
• Operate with institutional integrity.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Directs, coordinates, and evaluates the service function directors under Administrative Affairs.
• Oversees the formulation of the long-range financial plans and annual budget process of the College.
• Oversees the coordination of the annual audit, unit cost study, and financial reporting required by state and national agencies.
• Responsible for all property, liability, vehicle, workers' compensation, and sports insurance programs and coordinates claim processing and annual review of the program through the Illinois Community College Risk Management Consortium.
• Oversees the purchasing coordination of all supplies, materials, capital equipment, and services for the institution and maintaining an adequate inventory of College assets.
• Oversees the management of College funds in accordance with Board Policy and the Investment of Public Funds Act.
• Responsible for auxiliary enterprise services to the College which includes the bookstore, dining services, and radio station.
• Provides a safe environment for faculty, staff and students and security of the College's assets through oversight of the Police Department.
• Responsible for hazardous material coordination including proper procedures for acquisition, storage, utilization and disposal of such materials.
• Serves as contract officer for the College and works with legal counsel on legal matters, litigation, contracts for clinical facilities, leases and contracts.
• Oversees the facilities function to ensure that College facilities are adequate to meet the needs of the College community, including routine maintenance, major renovation projects, and new construction.
• Provides executive leadership in the development of the Facilities Master Plan.
• Attends state and national meetings to keep the College apprised of new regulations or recent developments in areas of responsibility.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in Business, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field is required; a master's degree Business, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field is preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a corporate, educational, nonprofit or public sector organization with at least five years of experience in one or more of the functions reporting to this position. Experience in public higher education is preferred.
• Successful experience in programmatic, budgetary, and personnel management within a complex, multidepartment organization.
• Demonstrated commitment to a College's Culture of Care platform and commitment to excellence in addition to understanding and respecting the unique academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, neurodivergent and other backgrounds of students and employees in a community college setting.

Key Criteria
The successful candidate for the VPAA at College of DuPage will demonstrate the following experience and attributes:


Extensive Senior Leadership Experience in Higher Education

• Demonstrated record of progressively responsible executive leadership, preferably with direct community college experience at institutions of comparable size and complexity.
• Brings cabinet-level and board-facing experience, financial expertise, strong judgment, and a career history reflecting long-term institutional commitment.

Broad Administrative, Financial and Operational Leadership Across Diverse Functions

• Proven success overseeing a wide administrative portfolio, including facilities, procurement, publics safety/campus police, finance-adjacent operations, and multi-site or satellite campus operations.
• Demonstrated ability to modernize financial systems and processes, improve service delivery, and lead institution-wide operational change in stable, complex environments.

Expertise in Facilities Management, Capital Projects, and Long-Range Planning

• Deep experience managing multi-building campuses; executing capital projects; and leading facilities master planning, long-range capital planning, and campus infrastructure strategy.
• Includes oversight of resource allocation across multiple sites and integration of emergency management or crisis leadership relevant to campus safety.

Effective Leadership in Unionized Environments

• Demonstrated ability to work within complex labor environments involving multiple unions, including experience applying collective bargaining agreements, collaborating with HR and legal teams, and engaging in or supporting negotiation processes.
• Maintains strong, credible relationships with faculty, administration, staff, and union stakeholders.

Collaborative, People-Centered, Mission-Aligned Leadership

• Proven record to exhibit exceptional communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills intertwined with a service-oriented and accessible leadership style.
• Showcases a commitment to integrity, transparency, trust-building and a strong alignment with a people-first, student-centered public mission, supporting teaching, learning, access, and community impact through effective administrative stewardship.

Salary packages starting at a minimum of $186,142 based on experience. College of DuPage also offers a generous benefits plan. This position requires a pre-employment background and drug screen.


College of DuPage has retained Stanton Chase, an executive search and leadership advisory firm, as its search partner. Please direct expressions of interest and nominations to [email protected] . Interested candidates should submit materials by April 30, 2026 for full consideration.


Meredith Harper Bonham, PhD Nancy Fox
Director Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
Stanton Chase DC Stanton Chase DC
(O): 202-248-5088 (O): 410-528-8400


College of DuPage is an equal opportunity employer. The College of DuPage is committed to recruiting and retaining high performing talent to our institution, continuing our tradition of excellence. We encourage all people across the broad spectrum of those communities we serve to explore and apply for positions at COD for which they believe they are qualified.


College of DuPage does not discriminate against individuals in employment opportunities, programs and/or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veterans' status, marital status, disability, military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or on any other basis protected by law.



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