The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.
If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or [email protected] . For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.
Job Description
The University of Nevada, Reno seeks an experienced and forward-thinking professional for the Senior Associate Vice President for Strategy, Planning, and Decision Support (Senior AVP).
Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance (VPAF), the Senior AVP serves as the principal deputy and second-ranking executive officer of the Division of Administration and Finance. The position carries delegated line authority across the division and serves as Acting Vice President for Administration and Finance during the VPAF’s absence.
The Senior AVP leads campus-wide strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, and decision support in partnership with the Office of the Provost and academic leadership, advancing the University’s mission as a Carnegie R1 land-grant institution. The position directly supervises the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis and the Office of Decision Support, providing executive leadership over the University’s $869 million annual operating budget development process and integrating budget, institutional research, business intelligence, and analytics functions into a unified planning and decision support capability. The Senior AVP ensures alignment of University planning and resource allocation with the strategic plan, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) requirements, and Board of Regents priorities.
The role demands a senior leader with proven experience directing large and complex initiatives in a research-intensive university environment, deep fluency with budget and analytics, sound judgment on politically and financially significant matters, and a record of delivering results through teams of professional staff.
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
Strategic Judgment — translating institutional priorities and external requirements into actionable plans, weighing competing demands across academic and administrative units, and exercising sound judgment on politically and financially significant matters.
Financial and Analytical Fluency — reading, interpreting, and acting on complex budget, financial, and operational data; translating analytics into clear executive recommendations; integrating planning, budget, and institutional research into unified decision support.
Executive Presence and Political Acumen — representing the VPAF and the University with credibility before NSHE, the Board of Regents, the Legislature, donors, and community partners; reading political and institutional dynamics accurately; maintaining confidentiality and discretion in sensitive matters.
Collaborative Leadership — building productive working relationships across the Division of Administration and Finance, the Office of the Provost, academic leadership, and external stakeholders; leading through influence as well as line authority.
Change Management and Operational Execution — leading cross-functional initiatives through completion; designing and implementing process improvements; bringing discipline to the planning, decision, and follow-through cycle in a complex public-sector environment.
Team Development — recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing professional staff; setting clear expectations and accountability; fostering an inclusive, service-oriented culture across reporting units.
Division of Administration and Finance
For more information about the Division of Administration and Finance, please visit: https://www.unr.edu/administration-and-finance
Bachelor’s Degree and seven (7) years OR Master’s Degree and five (5) years of progressively responsible managerial and/or related professional work experience.
Related Experience:
Leading strategic planning or institutional effectiveness; or developing, implementing, and managing budgets for complex organizations, including supervisory oversight of a budget office; or business intelligence, institutional research, or data-informed decision-making, including supervisory oversight of an analytics or institutional research function; or combination of the above.
And
Leading professional staff at the AVP, Director, or comparable level.
And
Higher-education experience or equivalent public-sector experience working with a board, system office, or legislative body.
Experience at a Carnegie R1 or land-grant institution.
Direct experience with strategic and institutional planning at a research university.
Experience with the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the Nevada Board of Regents, or comparable state higher-education systems.
Experience overseeing or partnering with business intelligence, institutional research, or analytics functions.
Master’s degree in public administration, business administration, public policy, higher-education administration, finance, or a related field.
Driver’s License
Schedule or Travel Requirements:
Within state, regionally, or nationally as needed
Comp Grade E
Salary Range: $194,200-$291,300
Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.
Remarkable Retirement
Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.
Perks of Working at UNR
Health insurance options including dental and vision - Health Insurance
Generous annual, sick leave, long-term disability and life insurance – Faculty Benefits
E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options. E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate
No state income tax
Grants-in-Aid for Faculty Employees
The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner. Faculty Grants-in-Aid
Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program
The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program
Exempt
Yes
Full-Time Equivalent
100.0%
Required Attachment(s)
Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at [email protected] .
Attach the following attachments to your application
1) Resume/CV
2) Cover Letter
3) Contact Information for Three Professional References
Full Consideration
For full consideration, applications must be received by July 17, 2026.
This posting is open until filled
Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.
Posting Close Date
Note to Applicant
A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.
HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.
References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.
Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.
As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.
For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.
Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.
The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).
About Us
The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”
Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.
The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.
Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.
Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.
The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.
Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.
For more information, please visit the University’s website .
