Finance Manager - JR26572-3800

University of Chicago - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Mid Level

Chicago, IL

Educational Services

About the position

The Finance Manager at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) will provide high-level analytical and financial support to the senior leadership team. This role is crucial for planning and implementing the Institute's financial strategy, managing operating and capital budgets, and ensuring compliance with financial reporting requirements. The Finance Manager will also contribute to the development of financial goals and business strategies, while overseeing financial performance metrics and methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct supervision and mentorship to the Finance Associate(s) and Finance Coordinator(s).
• Assists the Deputy Executive Director to develop and implement metrics and methodologies toolkits for evaluating financial performance for both the unit overall and specific assigned departments.
• Assists the Deputy Executive Director in the annual budget process such as preparing departmental budget packets and inputting budgets into budgeting system.
• Helps to develop and maintain a financial administration manual for staff with relevant University policies and procedures.
• Analyzes, reviews, and tracks comprehensive financial activities for the Becker Friedman Institute, primarily in the areas of finance, auditing, budgeting, and forecasting, purchasing, and other operational-related financial activities.
• Leads the development and coordination of financial planning and reporting, including the creation of multi-year financial models to support decision-making within the unit's leadership.
• Oversees the review, approval, and reporting of all expenditure goods and services, and costing allocations.
• Leads reconciliation of actual expenditures and revenue against budget; and prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. Works closely with departments to understand variances and develops recommendations for programmatic changes or cost containment strategies to avoid deficits.
• Reviews financial reports and accounts to identify inconsistencies and recommend strategies to address financial issues, leveraging an understanding of University's financial systems.
• Approves financial transactions through the University procurement and payment systems.
• Assists staff with the GEMS system and runs reports to ensure that transactions are reconciled at regular intervals.
• Prepares presentations to convey financial and administrative matters to leadership and members of the assigned departments.
• Develops and manages budgets for assigned BFI Programs and Initiatives.
• In coordination with the Director, Research Support Programs, manages the various calls for proposals and awarding of internal grant funds to faculty.
• Assists faculty and staff with review and execution of contracts and data use agreements; works to understand needs, assesses contract suitability to meet those needs, and negotiates with vendors to ensure contracts comply with University standards and guidelines.
• Coordinates with BFI's Senior Grants Manager to integrate reporting, tracking, and management of BFI's grants and non-grant financial administration.
• Represents the department's financial interests in interactions with internal and external stakeholders, including the Budget Office.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in financial management or a related field.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in financial modeling and reporting.
• Experience with budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Knowledge of US GAAP and compliance requirements.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education finance.
• Familiarity with financial systems such as GEMS.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Retirement savings plan (401k)
• Paid holidays
• Professional development opportunities