Job Description

Wingate University, a growing university located just outside of Charlotte, N.C., is seeking a strategic, visionary, data-driven, and solutions-oriented leader to serve as the Chief Financial Officer & Vice President (CFO).

The Chief Financial Officer and Vice President

The Chief Financial Officer is a member of the President’s Cabinet and reports directly to the President. Other members of the Cabinet include Executive VP & Chief Operating Officer; SVP & General Counsel; SVP for Advancement; SVP for Partnerships & Chief Administrative Officer; SVP & Chief Strategy Officer; University Chaplain; and Chief of Staff & University Spokesperson.

Direct reports to the CFO include Budget & Forecast Manager and Controller. The total number of employees in the CFO’s scope of responsibility is approximately 10.

Responsibilities

The CFO has the primary responsibility for the overall financial affairs of the University. Specific responsibilities include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• Provide leadership, direction and management of the finance and accounting team.
• Manage the processes for financial forecasting and budgets and oversee the preparation of all financial reporting.
• Advise on long-term business and financial planning, as well as debt finance and bond management.
• Manage the cash, investment, and endowment portfolios.
• Oversee all accounting and financial reporting.
• Manage liability insurance coverage and risk management.
• Oversee the internal and external audit processes.
• Promote coordination, communication, and collaboration between and among members of the University’s senior leadership team.
• Advise the Board of Trustees regularly on finance and audit issues.
• Undertake special projects and assignments as requested by the President.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field required.
• Advanced degree in accounting or MBA/MSc preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of financial law and risk-management practices.
• 10 years (+) experience in progressively responsible financial leadership roles.
• CFO or senior-level finance position with an institution of higher education is preferred.

About Wingate University

Wingate University is a comprehensive and independent university that blends inclass learning with out-of-class application to deliver a life-changing educational experience. Enrolling more students from Greater Charlotte than any other private college or university, Wingate is a major supplier of employees to Charlotte’s biggest industries, especially healthcare.

Brief History

Founded in 1896 — the original campus is located in Wingate, N.C., with an additional campus in Hendersonville, N.C. — the university serves nearly 3,700 undergraduate and graduate students.

Wingate is a leading North Carolina university today, but it wasn’t even a college when it was founded in 1896. Formed by local Baptist associations to serve students in first grade through high school, The Wingate School was named after Washington Manly Wingate, a former president of Wake Forest University. The school thrived, but as more public schools began operating in the area, the Board of Trustees voted to start offering postsecondary degrees, and in 1923 Wingate began offering the first two years of baccalaureate education.

Wingate has never stopped adapting and changing. In 1979, the first bachelor’s degrees were awarded, and after adding more undergraduate majors and graduate programs throughout the 1980s, Wingate became a university in 1995. In the early 2000s, the University opened the School of Pharmacy, and since then overall enrollment has nearly tripled, while the addition of advanced degrees in several fields has made Wingate one of western North Carolina’s top healthcare educators.

Wingate has continued to grow in the past 20 years, as evidenced by the following:

• The School of Pharmacy opened on the main campus in 2003 to offer a Pharm.D., the school’s first doctoral degree.
• The School of Education began offering a master’s degree in educational leadership in 2006.
• In 2008, Wingate began offering Master of Physician Assistant Studies and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degrees.
• The Levine College of Health Sciences opened on the main campus in 2011 to house the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.
• The Hendersonville campus opened in 2011 and provides a PA studies program to western North Carolina.
• Wingate added the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2014.
• The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program was added in 2019.
• The master’s program in Public Health was added in 2021, followed by a Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program in 2025.

In April 2015, Dr. Rhett Brown was named the 10th president, when Dr. Jerry McGee stepped down after leading the institution for 23 years.

Take a deep dive into Wingate’s rich history at https://www.wingate.edu/about/history-and-traditions.

Fast Facts

• Founded in 1896
• Motto: Faith, Knowledge, Service
• Locations: Wingate, N.C., Hendersonville, N.C.
• The 520+-acre campus has dozens of facilities, residences halls, academic buildings and more.
• President: Rhett Brown
• Board of Trustees Chair: Carolyn Matthews
• Endowment: $151 million
• More than 290 endowed scholarships supporting 1,000+ students
• 170 full-time faculty and 302 part-time faculty; 90% of full-time faculty hold terminal degrees
• 350 full-time staff members and 115 part-time staff
• 35 graduate assistants
• 900-plus student workers
• More than 3,600 students on two campuses
• 77% of students are pursuing undergraduate degrees, 23% of are enrolled in master’s or doctoral level programs
• Overall enrollment has increased 7% over the past five years. Undergraduate enrollment has increased 14% during this same period.

Mission

Wingate University’s mission is to develop educated, ethical and productive global citizens. Following its Judeo-Christian heritage, the University seeks to cultivate the following in its students: Faith, Knowledge and Service.

Goals

To promote knowledge, the university seeks to:

• Provide programs of undergraduate, graduate and professional study.
• Provide a faculty committed to teaching and learning.
• Require an undergraduate core curriculum designed to develop:

o Aesthetic, cultural and literary appreciation.

o Analytical and problem-solving abilities.

o Critical thinking.

o Effective communication.

o Integrated perspectives on civilization, the individual and social groups.

o Wellness.

• Offer majors and programs of study appropriate for society and the university’s student population and resources that further develop students’ knowledge and skills in focused areas.
• Create opportunities for international study and travel.
• Provide opportunities to explore and develop academic, career and personal goals.
• Encourage participation in co-curricular and extracurricular educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.

To nurture faith, the university seeks to:

• Sustain a community where the bases of faith are explored and where there is a search for truth and meaning.
• Articulate the ideal of integrity in all relationships.
• Encourage ethical application of knowledge informed by Judeo-Christian principles.
• Create and support opportunities for worship and faith development.
• Attract scholars for whom Judeo-Christian values and practice are important aspects of living.

To encourage service, the university seeks to:

• Emphasize the importance of service to God and humanity.
• Facilitate opportunities to volunteer time, knowledge and labor beyond the campus community.
• Sponsor organizations that coordinate service opportunities and foster leadership and teamwork.

Academics at a Glance

• Five Schools and Colleges:

o Charles A. Cannon College of Arts and Sciences

o Thayer School of Education

o Porter B. Byrum School of Business

o Levine College of Health Sciences

o School of Sport Sciences

• 40 undergraduate majors, 9 pre-professional programs, 48 minors, 5 dual-enrollment pathways.
• Five bachelor’s degrees offered: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Music Education, and Bachelor of Liberal Studies.
• One add-on licensure program in the field of education.
• Nine master’s degrees: accounting, business administration, clinical mental health counseling, elementary education, educational leadership, teaching in elementary education, physician assistant studies, public health, social work, and sport management.
• Five doctoral degrees: education, medical science, pharmacy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
• 80% of graduate students are enrolled in health sciences: clinical mental health counseling, doctor of medical science, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, public health, or social work.

Athletics

• 30 NCAA Division II sports.
• 16 women’s sports: basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, field hockey, flag football, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, and acrobatics and tumbling.
• 14 men’s sports: baseball, basketball, beach volleyball (club), cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, rugby (club), soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon (club).
• Winner of the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 18 years.

Accreditations

• Wingate University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
• The Porter B. Byrum School of Business is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
• The Thayer School of Education is accredited by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
• The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has awarded the Wingate University School of Pharmacy full accreditation.
• Wingate University has achieved candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA) for the Master of Social work program.
• The baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
• The Wingate University MBA and MAC programs are nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
• The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Wingate University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
• The health and physical education teacher education program at Wingate University is fully accredited by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
• The Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
• Wingate University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

For more information about Wingate University, please visit: www.wingate.edu

Applications, Nominations, and Referrals

To make a nomination, provide a referral, or for additional information, please use the contact information below. While applications and nominations will be accepted until a successful candidate has been appointed, interested individuals are encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible for full consideration. The preferred start date is spring/summer 2027.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to: WingateCFO@buffkinbaker.com

Ken Carrick, Partner

980-296-5401

Janny DeLoache, Associate Partner

704-377-7828

In compliance with applicable law and University policies, Wingate University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sexual orientation or gender identity), age, genetic information, disability and veteran status and encourages qualified candidates across all group demographics to apply. At this time, we are currently seeking candidates with legal authorization to work in the U.S.