Associate Director for Finance & Operations - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Georgetown University - Washington, DC
posted 5 months ago
About the position
The Associate Director for Finance & Operations at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) is a pivotal role responsible for overseeing all aspects of the school's budget and financial operations. This position is integral to the GSAS Finance Team and reports directly to the Senior Business Manager (SBM). The Associate Director will manage one position within GSAS, focusing on budget management, financial planning, actuals, and year-end projections. This role serves as the lead finance and business partner, executing all financial aspects of the school's daily operations. The Associate Director will work closely with procurement and expense analysts, acting as a liaison between the Office of the CFO and the school, ensuring that financial policies and procedures are adhered to while maintaining a high level of customer service. In addition to financial management, the Associate Director will engage with faculty members and program directors, providing expertise on financial policies and procedures. This includes participating in financial meetings and task forces, supporting the onboarding and training of financial management professionals, and liaising with various departments to ensure compliance and process improvement. The role also involves approving transactions as the Cost Center Manager, overseeing financial operations for various funds, and conducting periodic data analytics to monitor financial activities. The Associate Director will be responsible for overseeing the financial operations management of the school, including faculty professional development funds and internal research funds. They will lead the monthly Budget-to-Actuals reconciliations process, collaborate with budget analysts, and coordinate meetings to review financial performance across departments. The position also includes supporting Human Capital Management (HCM) operations, ensuring that staff transactions are pre-approved and budgeted correctly, and managing staff workload and resource allocation. The Associate Director will attend key events and oversee special projects as assigned, contributing to the overall financial health and operational efficiency of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Responsibilities
- Act as the main point of contact on all finance-related matters for chairs/program directors and faculty members.
- Serve as a subject matter expert on financial policies and procedures, maintaining a high level of customer service.
- Participate and lead financial meetings, task forces, and working groups across the school and university.
- Support onboarding, training, and development of financial management professionals.
- Liaise with Main Campus Director, Financial Accounting & Compliance for policy and compliance matters.
- Approve transactions as Cost Center Manager, ensuring alignment with financial guidelines.
- Provide guidance for transactional issues and coordinate budget compilation for new program development.
- Oversee financial operations management for various funds, including faculty professional development and internal research funds.
- Conduct periodic data analytics to monitor financial activities and ensure budget variances are addressed.
- Oversee monthly Budget-to-Actuals reconciliations and provide support to analysts and faculty contract teams.
- Collaborate with Budget Analyst to review and monitor variances for departments and programs.
- Coordinate meetings to review budget vs actuals and long-term planning with departments.
- Identify and address areas of special concern in collaboration with department chairs and administrators.
- Track special fund balances in coordination with OCFO and school planning analyst.
- Support HCM operations as a Finance Partner for staff transactions and ensure compliance with financial policies.
- Attend events like Commencement and oversee ad hoc reporting and special projects.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a financially related field and 5-7 years of experience; Master's preferred.
- 8+ years of progressive work experience in financial analysis and budgeting in a sophisticated office environment.
- Relevant financial acumen in budgeting, transactional support, and revenue-generating activities.
- Ability to build and utilize financial reports and manage budgets between $10M and $50M.
- Prior experience working with complex teams with strong communication and customer service skills.
- Ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders efficiently and professionally.
- Strong organizational and time management skills with proficiency in managing multiple tasks.
- Experience with financial systems, preferably Workday, Adaptive, and Cognos.
- Excellent customer service skills, including interpersonal, oral, and written communication.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, with experience in managing large data volumes.
- Professional accounting qualifications and experience in higher education financial administration desirable.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience in higher education financial administration.
- Familiarity with Jesuit values and their application in educational settings.
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Retirement savings
- Tuition assistance
- Work-life balance benefits
- Employee discounts
- Voluntary insurance options
