Assistant Director of Finance

New Haven, CT

Educational Services

About the position

Reporting to and under the general direction of the Director of Finance, and with considerable latitude for exercising discretion and independent judgment, the Assistant Director of Finance provides comprehensive, high-level analytical, and financial support for the Yale Office of Development. This role ensures adherence to university policies and procedures while delivering high-quality financial activities and ad-hoc reporting. The Assistant Director of Finance serves as a primary resource for financial transactions, policies, procedures, and travel-related matters. They actively participate in the Monthly Financial Review process and promptly review financial transactions and pending requests. Responsibilities include compiling, interpreting, analyzing, and reconciling financial data to provide actionable insights that guide divisional leadership in decision-making. They also propose improvements to systems, methods, practices, policies, and procedures as needed. Additionally, this role provides hands-on support and oversight to the business office staff, acting as a backup for the finance team and Director of Finance. The Assistant Director of Finance also fulfills the role of Workday HR Specialist, managing tasks such as payroll reporting and verification, onboarding/offboarding processes, student hiring, supervisory organizational changes, and time sheets. In maintaining the highest standards of customer service, this position performs additional duties essential to departmental operations.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes information and creates accurate and timely reports that add value to the management of University operations.
• Applies GAAP to report out on financial conditions.
• Ensures financial reporting meets the compliance needs of internal and external users.
• Extracts data from multiple sources.
• Recommends methods to improve practices, processes and systems.
• Works with internal and external contacts to carry out department objectives.
• Provides a high level of service that cultivates and maintains strong working relationships.
• Effectively communicates information; takes ownership and accountability for timeliness, accuracy and relationship management.
• Accurately records enterprise or subsystem transactions to balance sheets, income statements, and other financial records.
• Performs reconciliations; navigates through systems and reporting tools to independently resolve routine and non-routine discrepancies.
• Applies entries to the general ledger or subsystems and ensures adherence to GAAP, regulatory requirements and financial reporting considerations.
• Communicates effectively to unit leadership.
• Translates unit finance objectives into priorities.
• Reports financial issues and risks and makes recommendations.
• Contacts appropriate stakeholders to include in communications and approvals.
• Establishes, implements and/or maintains strong internal controls in areas of assigned responsibility.
• Provides reasonable assurance of effective and appropriate resources use, accurate financial information, and adherence to contractual obligations and agreements, policies, procedures, and external regulatory requirements.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, Economics or Finance.
• Two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated application of financial, accounting and economic concepts.

Nice-to-haves

• Prior Yale business office-related or higher education experience.
• Strong preference towards prior Workday Financials and HCM experience.
• Experience with YBT, Power BI, Excel Pivot Tables, and other relevant subject matter.
• Understanding of the accounting flows system-wide and financial policies and guidelines.