Engagement and Customer Service

Act as the main point of contact on all things finance for the chairs/program directors and faculty members of the departments/programs for which they are responsible for.

Serve as a subject matter expert on financial policies and procedures while emphasizing and maintaining a high level of customer service.

Serve as one of the primary resources for the school/unit regarding school, campus, and university policy interpretation and enforcement, particularly focusing on situations that require escalation.

Participate and lead school, campus, and university-wide financial meetings, task forces and working groups, as well all participate in routine meetings and forums managed by Main Campus Finance.

Support onboarding, training, and development of financial management professionals: acclimation and structural understanding of campus and school business models.

Liaise with Main Campus Director, Financial Accounting & Compliance and OCFO for any policy, compliance, process improvement, or other finance matters as needed.

Procurement and Financial Expenditures Analysis and Approvals

Approve transactions as Cost Center Manager for assigned cost centers, including budget check.

Ensure alignment with financial guidelines and policies.

Provide guidance and direction for transactional issues for escalation and resolution.

Coordinate and lead compilation of budgets for new program development.

Financial Operations Management and Monitoring

Oversee the financial operations management of school/unit for all funds including faculty professional development, start-up funds, and internal research funds for a portfolio of departments and programs.

Periodic data analytics to monitor financial activities across all funds for budget variances and to ensure actual expenditures match resource availability.

Oversee the monthly Budget-to-Actuals reconciliations process and provide guidance and support to the HCM Analysts, specifically on staff related payroll reconciliations, Accountants, and School faculty contract team members who perform the detailed reconciliation work.

Collaborate with Budget Analyst to review and monitor variances on a periodic basis for a portfolio of departments and programs.

Oversee meetings with departments and analyst on a periodic basis to review budget vs actuals, upcoming plans, and procurement needs for a portfolio of departments and programs, year-end projections, and long-term planning.

Identify, research, and ensure appropriate action is taken for any areas of special concern, in collaboration with department chairs and administrators.

Coordinate with OCFO and the school planning analyst to track special fund balances for school/unit for a portfolio of departments and programs.

HCM Business Planning and Operations & Additional Duties

Support HCM operations as an assigned Finance Partner for staff transactions.

Review HCM transactions in GMS to ensure they were pre-approved, budgeted, keyed correctly from a financial perspective.

Answer technical and policy related questions and manage staff workload and resource allocation.

Ensure consistency in interpreting and communicating policies and procedures, training team members and departments on specific processes, cost center reconciliations, and hart of accounts.

Request GMS financial roles as needed, reviewing roles on a periodic basis.

Recommend and implement communication and training as needed to contribute to improved operations.

Attend specific events like Commencement and all staff meetings, overseeing ad hoc reporting and special projects as assigned.

Requirements and Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in financially related field and 5-7 years of experience; Masters preferred

8+ years' progressive work experience financial analysis and budgeting in a sophisticated office environment

Relevant financial acumen (budgeting, transactional support, revenue-generating activities, chart of accounts, journals, requisitions, purchase orders, procurement, and travel)

Ability to build and utilize financial reports as well as support the establishment and management of budgets of at between $10M and $50M

Prior experience working with complex teams with strong communications and customer service skills

Ability to engage regularly with internal and external stakeholders, including unit leads and administrators across the institution in an efficient and professional manner

Strong organizational and time management skills with proficiency managing and prioritizing multiple tasks

Ability to work with a variety of financial systems, with prior experience preferred in Workday, Adaptive, and Cognos

Excellent customer service, including interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills

Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, with a mastery of excel and experience with managing and analyzing large volumes of data

Professional accounting qualifications and experience in higher education financial administration desirable