Reporting to the AVP for Treasury Operations & University Bursar (AVPTO&UB), the Senior Director for Debt Management & Ratings (SD for DM&R) directs and oversees the ongoing management of the university’s debt and lending programs while identifying and managing applicable financial risks for the university. This position serves as a member of the senior leadership team for the Treasury Department. In coordination with leaders from the Office of Budget & Financial Planning, Capital Budgeting and Financing, and the Controller’s Office, the SD for DM&R determines the amount and timing of debt issuances needed to finance capital construction and other strategic projects, along with target amounts for short-term financing of capital projects, in accordance with university debt policies and Board of Visitors and/or Commonwealth of Virginia authorizations.
The SD for DM&R is the primary contact with the credit rating agencies covering the university, as well as advising campus on the hedging of any commodity and other relevant exposures.
Further responsibilities include ensuring compliance with IRS regulations related to post-issuance monitoring of the usage of facilities financed with tax-exempt debt and providing oversight and coordination to ensure the timely payment of debt service, administrative fees, etc. for both short-term and long-term debt programs.
Primary responsibilities include:
• In conjunction with the VPF&CFO, AVPTO&UB, and other members of the VPF leadership team, develop strategic plans and updates to policies and procedures related to debt to enable continuous improvement of the university’s net financial position
• Serves as the primary contact and coordinates authorized debt issuances with the appropriate state agencies such as Department of the Treasury, the Virginia College Building Authority, etc.
• Directs and oversees the ongoing management of university’s debt and lending programs
• Manages the university’s credit ratings and serves as the primary contact to both Moody’s and S&P, along with bond counsel, banks, underwriters, and financial advisors as related to debt
• Develops proposals to establish the university’s Internal Bank to include development of policies and procedures, reporting, and governance. The explicit goal of the Internal Bank is to provide campus equity, borrowing flexibility, and to generate unrestricted net assets for Virginia Tech
• Liaises with the AVPTO&UB regarding short-term debt financing programs such as lines of credit for operating liquidity and the commercial paper program for temporary financing of capital projects with long-term debt authorizations
• In conjunction with the VPF&CFO, AVPTO&UB, and other members of the VPF leadership team, coordinates and manages ongoing reviews with consultants, bankers and other advisors to assess the impact of planned debt and long-term lease obligations on the university’s debt rating and debt capacity limit and ensure compliance with university debt policy requirements
• Ensures compliance with IRS regulations related to post-issuance monitoring of the usage of facilities financed with tax-exempt debt
• Manages and coordinates the issuance of various financial reports detailing outstanding debt and debt capacity, debt service amortization schedules, etc. for university leadership and the Board of Visitors
• In consultation with external advisors, develops a hedging policy for the university that covers interest rate, commodity, energy and other similar risk exposures, coordinates and oversees the policy’s implementation, and monitors and maintains the resulting hedging portfolio (if any)