Background: 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a 1,100-institutions membership-driven organization dedicated to safeguarding student-athlete well-being and equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom, and throughout life. Founded in 1906 on the principles of regulating the rules of college sport and protecting young athletes, the NCAA has grown to nearly half a million college athletes in 2022. These student-athletes make up 19,886 teams, and 90 championships in 24 sports across 3 divisions each year which has unanimously positioned the NCAA as the premier college sports organization in the United States.

Headquartered in beautiful and quaint Indianapolis, Indiana, this midwestern city is generationally known for its fast cars and blockbuster events but has gained acclaim in recent years for its flourishing culinary and brewing scene and thriving cultural institutions. Favored activities include gondola rides on the canal which capture the city's diversity, mystique, and charm. Or strolling through the White River State Park which is situated across 267 acres and is a popular activity for family recreation and relaxation. As America's only cultural urban state park, this green space provides a unique blend of cultural attractions such as the Indianapolis Zoo, NCAA Hall of Champions, and premier outdoor concert venues.

The NCAA has stayed at the forefront of the changing trends and opportunities regarding health, safety, and gender equality. The NCAA has allocated several resources to the NCAA Sport Science Institute which opened back in 2013 with a mission to spearhead health and safety efforts for student-athletes. In 2014 the Association partnered with the Department of Defense to conduct the most comprehensive study in the history of concussion research, work that continues and is expanding the understanding of how to prevent mild traumatic brain injuries. The Association also took a stand against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity after several states passed laws that permitted such discrimination in accordance with religious beliefs. In 2016, the Board of Governors announced new requirements for championship host cities that expanded protections against discrimination.

With sights set on the future of college athletics, the NCAA’s biggest priorities are modernizing rules surrounding student-athletes’ use of their name, image, and likeness. In June 2021, governance bodies in all three divisions adopted a uniform interim policy suspending NCAA name, image, and likeness rules for all incoming and current student-athletes in all sports. NCAA leaders are committed to continuing to work alongside Congress to adopt federal legislation to support student-athletes.

NCAA Core Ideologies:

Core Purpose

• Govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.

Core Values

• The collegiate model of athletics in which students participate as an avocation, balancing their academic, social and athletics experiences.

• The highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship.

• The pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics.

• The supporting role that intercollegiate athletics plays in the higher education mission and in enhancing the sense of community and strengthening the identity of member institutions.

• An inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for coaches and administrators from diverse backgrounds.

• Respect for institutional autonomy and philosophical differences.

• Presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics at the campus, conference, and national levels.

NCAA Mission and Priorities:

Academics

• To get the most out of college, student-athletes must succeed on the court and in the classroom. The NCAA provides opportunities to learn, compete and grow on and off the field. The goal of the college experience is graduation, and college athletes are graduating at rates that are higher than ever.

Fairness

• With so much changing in college sports, rule changes are focused on improving the student-ath­lete experience. The NCAA is committed to providing a fair, inclusive and fulfilling environment for student-athletes and giving them a voice in the decision-making process.

Well-Being

• In 1906, the NCAA was founded to keep college athletes safe. The Association is still working hard to protect them physically and mentally. Through its Sport Science Institute, the NCAA provides recommendations and guidelines to ensure college athletes are getting the best care possible.

NCAA Inclusion Statement:

As a core value, the NCAA believes in and is committed to diversity, inclusion and gender equity among its student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. We seek to establish and maintain an inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for coaches and administrators from diverse backgrounds. Diversity and inclusion improve the learning environment for all student-athletes and enhance excellence within the Association.

The NCAA will provide or enable programming and education, which sustains foundations of a diverse and inclusive culture across dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to age, race, sex, class, creed, educational background, religion, gender identity, disability, gender expression, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, and work experiences. Programming and education also will strive to support equitable laws and practices, increase opportunities for individuals from historically underrepresented groups to participate in intercollegiate athletics at all levels, and enhance hiring practices for all athletics personnel to facilitate more inclusive leadership in intercollegiate athletics.

Any interested candidates should contact TurnkeyZRG directly. 

Contacting NCAA will only delay consideration of your qualifications. 

Position Summary: 

Reporting directly to the SVP of Administration and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Vice President of Accounting and Insurance Operations – Controller (“Controller”) will be a transformative leader, evaluating and improving existing accounting, insurance, investment, and financial risk management operations with the goal of developing a highly efficient, effective, collaborative and transparent team capable of partnering across the various business lines to drive organizational goals and supporting future initiatives. The Controller will provide innovative and purpose-driven leadership to assist the Association in achieving its financial and operational goals.

The Controller will be responsible for overseeing, organizing, planning, and directing the accounting, insurance, financial risk management strategic plan for the NCAA, and ensuring that its varied goals and objectives are met. The Controller will anticipate, and maintain a vision for the future accounting, insurance, investment, and financial risk management operational needs, and recommend strategies, priorities, and projects that will best achieve the NCAA’s strategic goals and objectives. The person will also oversee the vital insurance operations and serve as the President of the Association’s captive insurance company, the 1910 Collective.

At a time of such monumental change within the collegiate athletic landscape, it is imperative that the Controller have experience with and draw energy from opportunities for continuous improvement and identifying areas of greater efficiency, effectiveness and contribution to the future of the Association.  The Controller must be empathetic and inspirational in times of change and will drive immense impact on the organization at large. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Leads the Association’s strategic accounting, insurance, and financial risk management planning process and develops and implements the strategic plan.

• Inspires high collaboration, accountability, and service of the accounting, insurance, and financial risk management functions, both interdepartmentally and across the NCAA to drive organizational goals and results.

• Supervises and mentors the accounting and insurance teams, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and professional development.

• Defines departmental KPIs and develops performance management metrics to measure the success of the group initiatives and utilizes these metrics to ensure continuous improvement.

• Fosters organizational awareness by maintaining positive relationships with other business units, departments, and third parties, providing exceptional customer service.

• Serves as the liaison to various governing boards and committees, internal staff, and external partners.

• Oversees daily accounting functions including payables, billings, and payroll. Identifies and manages the implementation of procedural changes designed to improve internal controls, departmental efficiency, and/or report quality.

• Ensures key accountability measures and metrics are in place to identify successes, and failures, drive new projects, and manage key accounting, insurance, and financial risk management functions.

• Communicates the Association’s strategic accounting, insurance, and financial risk management, and initiatives to the Association’s leadership, staff, and membership, and solicits their input to ensure the plan is accomplishing its strategic purposes.

• Maintains an effective and positive working environment for employees that promotes personal interactions and feedback, creative problem solving, and delivers solutions that add business value.

• Administers the revenue distribution plans approved by the Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Board of Governors.

• Owns the Association’s external financial reporting, including the NCAA annual audit, benefit plan audits, and financial reports; coordinates all state federal, and independent audit activities.

• Coordinates and administers all tax activities affecting the NCAA, including the preparation and delivery of W-2s, 1099’s, and the annual 990 report.

• Leads the Association’s insurance and risk management programs, including the management of the Association’s Captive Insurance Company, the 1910 Collective.

• Ensures financial compliance with the NCAA’s retirement plans and other NCAA benefit plans.

• Develops and implements internal control policies and procedures to safeguard assets and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Ensures compliance with all state and federal laws or standards relevant to the Association including but not limited to its non-profit status.

• Ensures resource alignment with prioritization of department initiatives, strategy, and vision, and improves the effectiveness of the deployment of department resources.

• Serves as the primary point of contact for external auditors and coordinates the annual audit process to ensure timely completion and issuance of audited financial statements.

• Manages all aspects of tax compliance, including preparation and filing of federal, state, and local tax returns.

• Serves as chair of the Policy Guiding Team.

• Keeps current on new accounting, insurance, and financial risk management operations, technology solutions, tools, and applications and shares this knowledge with the National Office staff. 

Qualifications & Skills Requirements:

• Proven experience in leading transformational change and innovation; ability to analyze current operations and identify areas of improvement and impact.

• Demonstrated leadership quotient internally and externally; inspire followership and alignment across goals.

• Strong proactive analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization; demonstrable ability to translate complex information to a variety of stakeholders.

• Collaborative team player; self-motivated and directed; reliable.

• Demonstrated leadership and development skills to properly train and develop staff to meet department objectives.

• Demonstrated ability to create and deliver engaging, clear, and impactful presentations tailored to diverse audiences, using visual aids, storytelling, and data visualization techniques to convey key messages and drive understanding.

• Proficiency in financial software, Oracle ERP and EPM and Microsoft Excel preferred.

• Thorough understanding of GAAP and financial accounting principles.

• Hands-on experience with GL and month-end/year-end closing procedures.

• Skilled in overseeing cash flow, liquidity management, and short/long-term investment strategies to maximize returns while minimizing risk. Expertise in optimizing capital structure, managing working capital, and implementing financial controls to ensure efficient use of resources and alignment with organizational goals.

• Candidate must be willing to relocate to Indianapolis, Indiana.

• Estimated Travel Required <10%

• This position will be based out of the national office in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Current work environment is hybrid; 3 days in the office and 2 days are remote.

• Politically savvy/ability to work within the NCAA environment.

• Insight into and understanding of resources and tools available to support the NCAA environment.

• Ability to appropriately handle sensitive or confidential materials and projects.

• Ability to understand third-party contracts and perform contractual-based audits.

Background Requirements: 

• 10+ years of progressive experience in accounting roles (a mix of public accounting and private preferred), with at least 3 years in a supervisory capacity.

• Certified Public Accountant designation strongly desired.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or relevant field required.