Position Summary: 

The Vice President of Administration manages the Director of Finance & Accounting and the Director of Operations. This role focuses on integrating accounting, finance, and operational strategies, aligning departmental functions with organizational goals, and enhancing the capacity of these critical areas to support Travel Oregon’s mission and long-term sustainability. 

As a core member of the Executive Team, the VP of Administration drives effective collaboration, resource allocation, and department strategic planning. This position is essential in fostering a high-performance environment through effective leadership and cross-functional integration, ensuring that operational and financial practices support the agency’s priorities. 

Portland, OR | Hybrid  

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer    

Department: Office of the CEO  

Open Until Filled

Projected Interview Timeline: TBD   

Preferred Start Date: TBD  

Status: Full-Time/Exempt 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

Leadership and Strategic Management 

• Financial Oversight: Provide strategic guidance to the Director of Finance & Accounting in developing and monitoring Travel Oregon’s biennial budget, financial planning, and reporting. Ensure consistent accounting and financial practices that support organizational stability and growth. 
• Operational Excellence: Provide strategic guidance to the Director of Operations in developing and implementing efficient operational policies, managing resources, and aligning departmental processes with organizational goals.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Ensure that accounting, finance, and operations are seamlessly integrated with other agency functions, supporting overall organizational priorities and promoting collaborative initiatives. 
• Decision-Making and Resource Allocation: Partner with the Executive Team to make strategic decisions that optimize resource use and set departmental priorities that align with the agency goals. 

Management of Directors

• Director of Finance and Accounting: 
  • Provide leadership, mentorship, and support to the Director of Finance & Accounting in creating, managing, and monitoring the organizational budget. 
  • Oversee financial analysis, accounting practices, and compliance, ensuring financial policies align with agency goals and reporting requirements. 
  • Work closely with the Director of Finance & Accounting to identify financial risks and opportunities, fostering a data-driven approach to financial planning. 

• Director of Operations: 
  • Provide leadership, mentorship, and support to the Director of Operations in developing and implementing operational policies, including facilities, technology, welcome centers, and procurement management. 
  • Oversee the Director’s management of day-to-day operational activities, ensuring processes are streamlined, effective, and in line with industry best practices. 
  • Partner with the Director of Operations to develop policies that enhance organizational efficiency, safety, and security. 

People and Team Leadership 

• Team Development: Cultivate a high-performance culture by providing ongoing coaching, mentoring, and support to the Director of Finance and Accounting and the Director of Operations. Ensure alignment between individual growth and organizational goals. 
• Collaboration: Foster strong communication and collaboration among direct reports and across the agency to promote shared goals and objectives. Encourage transparency and equity in decision-making processes. 
• Employee Development: Support direct reports in setting team goals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and advancing professional development opportunities. 

Administration Leadership 

• Budgeting and Finance: Oversee agency-wide budget development and administration through the Director of Finance & Accounting, ensuring a transparent, inclusive budget process. Provide high-level financial insights and ensure that budget practices are equitable, efficient, and aligned with agency goals. 
• Operations Management: Oversee the Director of Operations in managing the Welcome Centers and Central Office, technology, and operational policy, ensuring consistent, effective use of resources. Guide the development of policies and procedures that foster agency-wide operational excellence. 
• Compliance and Policy Development: Partner with the Director of Finance & Accounting and the Director of Operations to ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. Promote equitable contracting, procurement practices, and financial stewardship. 

Cross-Agency Collaboration 

• Participate in activities that foster organizational resilience, flexibility, and change adoption by drafting and providing communication, assessing systems and processes, and anticipating and addressing resistance. 
• Develop and maintain partnerships that strengthen the organization's ability to navigate complex changing compliance needs with relevant laws, policies, and standards.

COMPETENCIES The person in this position is responsible for promoting diversity, cultivating inclusion, and fostering equity in each of these competency areas.  

Communication (Expert Proficiency) Communicativeness takes responsibility for ensuring people have the information they need and disseminating it in various ways.  

• Uses good judgment to articulate clear, self-aware, appropriate thoughts and ideas in multiple settings and audiences. 

 • Fosters trust through transparent, respectful, positive, and timely communication with internal and external partners. Recognizes the importance of the timing of information dissemination.  

• Encourages open expression of ideas and opinions, listens with cultural humility, confirms understanding of feedback suggestions, and sets direction with thoughtful attention. 

 • Recognizes and addresses issues courageously and is willing to ask questions and have difficult conversations when needed.

• Communicates and addresses disagreements aligned with the Community Agreements (Confidentiality and Permission; Believe People's Narratives Default to Inquiry over Judgmental Step Up, Step Back, Create Space; Assume Good Intentions; Reflect on Intent vs. Impact; Self-Compassion; Use "I" Statements).  

• Participates in coordinated and aligned leadership messaging.

Active Listening: involves giving others your full attention, listening actively, giving verbal and nonverbal cues of interest, and paraphrasing what was said to ensure understanding once the speaker has finished.  

Informal Communication: is personable, approachable, and accessible and fosters strong dialogue within the team or in 1:1 conversations.  

Innovation (Advanced Proficiency) Organizing and Planning: Provides the framework for setting organizational priorities. Sets mission, key values, and key initiatives that alert others to current important and urgent items.  

• Possesses and utilizes strategic thinking in planning and decision-making.  

• Leads with an enterprise-wide perspective and prioritizes strategies that address organizational and workforce challenges.  

• Seeks solutions generated from all levels and elevates contributions across the organization. 

 • Amplifies the ability to coordinate and collaborate at an enterprise level.  

• Models and reinforces effective conflict resolution.

Change Agility: successfully drives major change initiatives throughout the organization.  

• Fosters a learning organization and environment that encourages curiosity, collaboration, creative thinking, inclusion, and open dialogue, empowering employees to generate new ideas.  

• Recognizes and acts on trends, changing conditions, and the implications for the business.  

• Ensure a process that allows ideas to be evaluated, adopted, and implemented. 

Strategic Thinking: future impact is considered when weighing decisions, and decisions are made within the framework of the agency’s strategic intent.  

• Knows and understands the factors influencing strategy (e.g., core competence, partners, competition, and the agency’s stewardship lenses, as well as current strengths and limitations) and looks for new ways to achieve maximum impact and competitive advantage.  

• Drives agency strategic planning and is instrumental in developing and communicating strategy; revisits strategy when necessary.  

• Explicitly clarifies important strategic decisions to demonstrate the agency’s direction (e.g., explains decisions and how they fit in with the organization’s strategy).  

• Set challenging but realistic growth goals for the enterprise by utilizing and balancing the agency’s stewardship lenses.  

• Frequently communicates overall agency priorities and provides feedback and recognition for achieving milestones. 

Intentional Engagement (Expert Proficiency) Composure and Self-Objectivity: Sets an overall positive emotional tone for the organization (e.g., professional, composed, optimistic, etc.). Courageously takes the ethical path to resolve important issues regardless of the possible consequences.  

• Exhibits a clear desire to engage employees and prevent unintentional exclusion.  

• Values, seeks and promotes a safe environment where a diverse workforce can contribute their unique talents and perspectives to their work.  

• Thoughtfully make and follow through on commitments to others.  

• Carefully considers one’s assumptions, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors when interacting with others to gain productive insight, maintain a fresh perspective, and continuously learn.  

• Fosters collaboration and teamwork to align the energy of the team/organization toward achieving goals and outcomes.  

• Consider and appreciate multiple perspectives, backgrounds, and values, integrating them throughout the organization and creating opportunities to achieve organizational goals effectively. 

Mentoring and Developing People (Advanced Proficiency) Learning Agility: Sets an organization-wide tone that fosters interest, curiosity, and ongoing learning; communicates the value of continuing learning across the organization.  

• Sets expectations; provides continuous, candid, and timely feedback; holds regular one-on-one meetings with employees. 

Sensitivity: Models an appreciation of the differences among people by celebrating differences and initiating or championing diversity programs.  

• Demonstrates understanding of cultural frameworks, norms, and values and commits to continuous learning. 

Team Player: Fosters an environment where resources and information are shared openly to benefit the organization.  

• Gives meaningful recognition of the successes and accomplishments of others. 

Talent Development: Expands staff skills through training, coaching, and development activities related to current and future jobs.  

• Effectively adapts the coach, challenger, advocate, creator, and supporter approach to promote growth based on the person and the situation.  

• Actively engage employees at all levels of the organization, recognize their potential, and support their future career growth. 

• Models ownership and accountability for managing organizational talent and human resources.  

• Effectively selects, recruits, and onboards a diverse and culturally competent workforce. 

 Stewardship (Expert Proficiency) Initiative: Consistently looks for opportunities to improve the organization; creates new and innovative systems to gain competitive advantage.  

• Encourages originality and flexibility within limitations (such as budget and resources).  

• Manages from an enterprise strategy position. 

Integrity: Personally, models superlative ethical behavior.  

• Leads, proposes and implements policies, practices, and systemic changes that promote and prioritize equity.  

High Standards: Monitors and implements industry, peer organization, and competitive best practices. Responsibly manage resources and actively promote a culture where those resources are effectively used.  

• Manages resources in alignment with the mission and vision of the agency.  

• Takes prudent risks. 

Business Acumen (Expert Proficiency)  

Business Thinking: See the organization as a series of integrated and interlocking business processes.  

• The ability to manage human, financial, procurement, information, and other resources effectively to meet the agency's mission.  

• Requests input and contribution from underrepresented groups in programs and services.  

• Effectively collaborates across functional areas.  

• Identify metrics and indicators to assess departmental effectiveness.  

• Takes ownership of communicating with employees about employment and HR topics, including pay, recruitment, position descriptions, and professional development. 

Technology Savvy: Embraces changing technology and models technology savvy for the organization.  

Drive / Energy: Models setting intentional boundaries to foster work/life balance.

JOB SCOPE AND AUTHORITY 

This position has a degree of authority in leading accounting, finance, and operations through the management of the Director of Finance & Accounting and Director of Operations. The role requires strategic decision-making within the constraints of agency policies and applicable regulations, with accountability for long-term planning and resource allocation. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, operations management, or a related field, OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience sufficient to perform essential job duties. 
• At least six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, operations, administration, or a related field, including at least four (4) years managing senior-level staff such as department heads or directors. 
• Proven experience in budget development and financial oversight at the organizational level. 
• Demonstrated leadership in managing complex operations, including facilities, IT, and operational policy development. 
• Strong ability to manage cross-functional projects and foster collaborative partnerships across departments. 
  

   

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Master’s degree in business administration, finance, public administration, or a related field. 
• Experience in the tourism, hospitality, or destination marketing industry. 
• Ten (10) or more years of experience in an executive or senior management role overseeing finance and/or operations functions, ideally in a public or nonprofit organization. 
• Familiarity with contracting and procurement best practices, compliance with state or federal regulations, and implementing policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Experience leading change management and organizational transformation initiatives. 

Benefits  

Accrual of 12 days (about one week 10 days) paid vacation and 12 days (about 1 week 10 days) paid sick leave  

11 paid holidays, an annual award of 3 days personal business leave, 3 days paid volunteer leave, and available paid bereavement leave  

100% of core benefits (medical/dental/vision) premiums are covered by Travel Oregon.  

Optional health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs).  

After six full months of employment, you can participate in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), including generous Travel Oregon contributions with no employee match required; optional participation in a 403(b) account (Oregon Savings Growth Plan) is also available.   

Equal Employment Opportunity  

Travel Oregon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, age, religion, creed, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We encourage and respect different viewpoints and experiences as essential to innovation. We strive to acquire, grow, and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace that applies principles and standards equitably while supporting the needs and accommodations of the individual employee.  

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and federal and state laws, it is the policy of Travel Oregon to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the employment application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact jobs@traveloregon.com. Travel Oregon provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment. Please review the following webpage on veterans' preference in state employment and indicate your status and submit documentation accordingly: https://www.oregon.gov/jobs/pages/veterans.aspx.