Assistant Director, Finance Business Services; Hybrid

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary:
  Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard
  
  Work Schedule:
• Building:
  Studebaker
• Salary Range: $95,000 - $110,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Administration, the Assistant Director partners closely with divisional and departmental leadership to strengthen financial stewardship, operational effectiveness, and compliance across central Finance.

The Assistant Director functions as the operational and strategic second-in-command to the Director, exercising delegated authority to lead financial operations, provide executive-level financial guidance to divisional department heads, and make budget-related decisions in alignment with university policy and strategic priorities.

The Assistant Director serves as the primary designee in the Director’s absence, ensuring continuity in financial reporting, budgeting, auditing, and day-to-day operations. In this capacity, the Assistant Director is authorized to represent the Director in leadership meetings, provide financial guidance, and approve financial transactions and commitments in accordance with university policies and delegated authority thresholds.

The Assistant Director is a working manager, a “Coach – Player” role that supports the Financial Business Services (FBS) team in strategic planning, including annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, as well as the monthly financial close, reporting, analysis, operational tasks, and special projects. The Assistant Director partners with Finance division teams and departments across the University to advance strategic financial objectives and design/implement responsive policies and procedures, recommend internal controls, and drive continuous process improvement.

This role requires the ability to independently assess financial risk, interpret policy, and make sound fiscal determinations that protect institutional resources while enabling operational success.

The successful incumbent will assume a proactive, persistent approach to follow-up, ensuring that initiatives, deliverables, and outstanding issues are seen through to completion. Additionally, the Assistant Director should exhibit strong interpersonal presence and engagement, actively building relationships across departments, communicating transparently, and fostering collaboration through a visible, approachable, and highly responsive work style.

Primary areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

• Develop and implement comprehensive financial planning and budgeting practices in partnership with leadership.
• Collaborate with departments to develop quarterly forecasts and annual budget submissions.
• Establish and maintain robust reporting and internal control systems to monitor expenses against budgeted sources and transfers.
• Advise divisional leadership on financial trade-offs, funding strategies, and long‑range budget sustainability.

• Conduct variance analysis and forecasting for major revenue and expense categories.
• Provide strategic financial guidance to department heads, aligning budgets with departmental goals, resolving complex financial issues, and ensuring compliance with University policy.
• Serve as a knowledgeable and reliable advisor to divisional department heads, offering clear interpretation of financial data, policy implications, and risk considerations to support executive decision‑making.
• Assist with report automation and enhanced financial reporting of budgets, financial data, and key metrics to inform senior leadership decision‑making.
• Create and prepare recurring and ad hoc financial reports to support transparency and accountability.
• Present financial analyses and recommendations to senior leadership and…