Responsibilities of the Position
Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration, the Assistant Vice President for business services (AVP) provides leadership and direction for the office of business services, including strategic planning, budgeting, and staffing. The AVP ensures the appropriate execution of objectives and priorities across all areas, including personnel, financial, planning, policy development, resource allocation, budget development, and operational oversight. In addition, the AVP provides leadership and oversight for a broad portfolio of well-respected contracted and internal operations that support the campus community, including dining services, pouring rights, vending, the bookstore, golf course, civic center, FSUID card services, postal services, copiers, laundry, and transportation and parking. In this role, the AVP ensures these essential services operate efficiently and effectively, in alignment with the university’s strategic priorities.
The AVP directs all contract negotiations and procurement initiatives to ensure high-quality services are delivered to the university community in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. This role includes serving on internal and external committees and developing collaborative partnerships with other university departments and external organizations. Through these partnerships, the AVP helps develop, organize, and implement operational and strategic plans that advance divisional priorities and departmental initiatives.
Another key responsibility of this role is to identify, develop, and implement new services and operational strategies, providing leadership, guidance, and direction to ensure the successful completion of initiatives and projects. This includes assisting with complex problem-solving related to business processes, technology integration, and operational challenges, with an emphasis on continuous improvement and service excellence.
In addition, the AVP provides direction related to policies, programs, and procedures, ensuring that the financial and administrative needs of a dynamic campus community are met. This role requires maintaining legal compliance while safeguarding the university’s financial health and integrity. The AVP also serves on the university’s emergency management response team and supports the Associate Vice President for finance and administration on additional projects and initiatives as needed.
The AVP manages a budget of $100 million and a dedicated team of over 70 professionals and additional contracted vendors.
Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate
The successful candidate will have either a master’s degree and a minimum of six years of experience in public administration, business administration, finance, accounting, or similar specialization. Candidates possessing a bachelor’s degree and eight or more years of experience in the same areas as noted will also be considered. A minimum of four years of experience at the director level or above is required. Additional education may substitute for experience.
In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:
- Demonstrates strong project management abilities—possesses documented talent for uniting stakeholders, bringing clarity to complex challenges, and aligning teams around common goals to achieve the best possible results.
- Advances institutional impact by integrating operational leadership with skilled contract, facility, construction, and event management—displaying a strategic, mission-driven approach to business services.
- Exercises strong leadership in emergency management, translating evolving community needs into coordinated action and responsive solutions.
- Leads with authenticity and transparency, building relationships and supervising in a way that values, supports, and develops staff.
- Navigates institutional realities as a politically savvy leader who collaborates effectively to move initiatives forward.
- Prioritizes the campus experience for all stakeholders and recognizes how effective business services strengthen campus operations, institutional reputation, and brand identity.
History of the Position
Mitch Kilcrease, the current AVP for business services, will retire in early June 2026 after serving Florida State University (FSU) in this capacity for over eight years. Under Kilcrease’s leadership, the organization built a strong reputation for high-quality service and community impact through teamwork, commitment, and a shared focus on excellence. The new AVP will inherit a solid foundation for continued success.
Florida State has partnered with Spelman Johnson to find its next AVP who will build upon the team’s achievements and advance the institution’s mission and priorities.
Opportunities and Challenges of the Role
In transitioning to Florida State, the AVP will encounter the following opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key campus stakeholders:
- The new AVP will follow a highly respected and trusted leader on whom the institution has long relied.
- The next AVP will inherit a gifted, experienced team eager to support new leadership and embrace positive change and innovation.
- The scope of this position is broad and complex. Success will require actively listening, learning the organizational culture, understanding the responsibilities of each unit within the portfolio, and building strong, collaborative relationships across the institution.
- With a major new student housing, parking, and dining development in the northwest area of main campus underway and several significant renovations planned, the AVP will need to quickly gain familiarity with these initiatives and ensure a seamless leadership transition.
- The new AVP must quickly develop an understanding of the internal and external political dynamics that influence business services operations and navigate them effectively to meet institutional expectations.
Measures of Success
The items listed below will define the AVP’s success throughout the first year of employment:
- The new AVP has built strong, trusting relationships with contractors, vendors, and campus partners and is recognized as a visible, approachable, and credible leader across the institution.
- Customer satisfaction continues to rise, contractors consistently meet expectations, and team members feel supported, valued, and empowered to deliver high-quality service.
- The leadership transition has been collaborative and seamless, maintaining continuity of services and reinforcing confidence among staff and stakeholders.
- The new AVP has taken time to learn the people, processes, and priorities within the portfolio, developing a thoughtful understanding of its operational complexities and opportunities.
Overview of the Office of Business Services
The Office of Business Services manages key auxiliary operations that enhance campus life and support the university community. Through strategic planning, vendor collaboration, and a focus on customer service, the office delivers efficient, high-quality programs and services that help the university community thrive in its teaching, learning, and working environment.
Core Areas of Responsibility
- Banking
- Free checking account provided through Truist.
- Departmental Copier Services
- Best-in-class program of management and support of production print systems, multifunction printers, and local/network printers for our departmental office environments and in student pay-for-print areas. Provided through RJYoung.
- Departmental Postal Services
- Directly supporting university departments with incoming and outgoing mail and freight. Convenient and quality mailing services right on campus.
- Departmental Print Services
- Custom printing is made easy with FSU’s official print provider, The UPS Store.
- Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
- Home of FSU Seminole Basketball; hosting a wide variety of concerts, family shows, Broadway shows, and sporting events. Provided through Oak View Group.
- FSU Store, Bill’s Bookstore, and Seminole Sportshop
- Textbooks, supplies, computers, and more. Provided through Follett.
- FSUCard
- The official university identification card.
- Residential Laundry
- Laundry services are provided 24/7 in all FSU residence halls.
- Seminole Dining
- Offers a variety of restaurants and meal plans for all lifestyles, provided through Aramark.
- Seminole Legacy Golf Course
- Championship-quality greens and comprehensive practice facilities with PGA-certified service. Services provided by Troon
- Student Printing
- Copying and printing services. Print stations are located in campus libraries and labs.
- Student Mail and Storage Services
- Student mailboxes, shipping, custom printing, and storage offered by The UPS Store.
- Transportation and Parking Services
- Managing transit and transportation options available to the university community.
- Vending
- Refreshing, convenient, and healthy snack and beverage options from over 300 machines on campus, provided through Coca-Cola and Culinary Ventures Vending.
The Division of Finance and Administration
The Division of Finance and Administration provides strategic leadership and essential services that support the University’s academic mission and daily operations. The division oversees a broad portfolio that includes financial management, human resources, facilities, safety, business services, and campus operations. Through responsible stewardship of resources, innovative problem-solving, and a commitment to service excellence, Finance and Administration ensures a safe, efficient, and sustainable environment where students, faculty, and staff can thrive.
Kyle Clark, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, leads the division of finance and administration at FSU. He joined the university in 2013 after serving as vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer at Texas Tech University, where he oversaw the institution’s fiscal management and auxiliary operations.
Finance and Administration Organizational Chart
Institutional Overview
One of the nation’s elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. FSU enrolls over 46,000 students from every county in Florida and 130 countries, offering 274 degree programs. The university is currently celebrating its 175th anniversary.
FSU’s welcoming campus is located in Tallahassee, Florida, on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state, in a community that fosters free inquiry, championship athletics, and a prime location in the heart of the state capital.
The Student Body
Total Enrollment: 46,184
Undergraduate: 71.6%
Graduate: 23.8%
Male: 48%
Female: 57.8%
Institutional Leadership
Richard McCullough
Richard McCullough became the 16th president of Florida State University in August 2021, bringing more than three decades of academic leadership experience to the role. During his tenure, he has strengthened FSU’s foundation as one of the nation’s top public universities by investing in student and faculty success as well as academic and research excellence.
Since assuming the presidency, McCullough has recruited world-class faculty, staff, and administrators; grown the university’s research portfolio; implemented a new structure to encourage entrepreneurial endeavors among students and faculty; cultivated relationships with elected officials and community leaders; enhanced fundraising efforts; and championed athletic success.
Before joining FSU, McCullough served as vice provost for research for ten years and professor of materials science and engineering at Harvard University. He previously spent 22 years at Carnegie Mellon University, where he began his academic career as an assistant professor of chemistry and rose through the ranks to become the Thomas Lord Professor of Chemistry. He also served as the head of chemistry, the dean of science, and the university’s vice president for research.
McCullough is a first-generation college student who attended Eastfield Community College and subsequently earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas and a doctoral degree in organic chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University.
Mission, Core Values, and Vision
Benefits Overview
FSU offers a robust Total Rewards package. Visit this website to learn more about the compensation, benefits, wellness, recognition, and employee development programs.
Application
Review of applications will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position, please click the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and a position-specific cover letter. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email info@spelmanjohnson.com.
Visit the Florida State University website at www.fsu.edu
FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
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