Executive Assistant to Chief Financial Officer

Job no: 504574
Department: Office of Financial Affairs
Work type: Staff Full-time Exempt
Location: Alabama
Categories: Finance & Accounting

The Executive Assistant in the Office of Financial Affairs plays a crucial role as an operational partner to the CFO and the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis. This position supports the daily operations of our busy and high-profile finance offices. The role includes a significant blend of high-level administrative support and budget management tasks, such as preparing and monitoring budget requests, reconciling expenses, and assisting with financial reporting.

• Provide direct administrative support to the CFO, FPA director, and staff, including calendar management, appointment scheduling, and meeting planning and coordination.
• Coordinate meetings with university leadership, academic and administrative departments, faculty, staff, external partners, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare, edit, format, and proofread correspondence, reports, presentations, spreadsheets, memoranda, and other executive-level documents.
• Provide administrative coordination for financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and fiscal-year planning activities.
• Maintain organized electronic and physical files, financial documentation, correspondence, and records in accordance with university policies and applicable records-retention requirements.
• Monitor incoming communications, identify matters requiring leadership attention, and respond to routine inquiries or route requests to the appropriate individual or department.
• Coordinate travel arrangements, registrations, expense reimbursements, purchasing requests, and related documentation in accordance with university procedures.
• Assist with administrative processes related to purchase requisitions, invoices, contracts, approvals, and other financial transactions, as assigned.
• Work closely with System Office staff to ensure compliance with Board rules and help facilitate time-sensitive submissions to committees as requested.
• Support the preparation and coordination of financial presentations, budget reports, executive briefings, committee materials, and other documents used in leadership decision‑making discussions.
• Collaborate effectively with internal and external customers while assisting with special projects, administrative process improvements, and other initiatives that support the effectiveness of the finance and financial planning functions.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the scope and level of the position.

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and years of experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of full‑time, verifiable professional work experience (which should include providing high‑level administrative support to senior or executive management).
• Must have budgeting experience or financial operations experience, such as preparing or tracking budgets, reconciling expenses, processing requisitions, or a working knowledge of and participation in financial reporting cycles.
• Must be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), calendaring software, and digital file management; advanced Excel proficiency required (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, financial formulas).
• Demonstrated experience using AI productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar) in a professional work environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks, track deadlines, and support complex scheduling needs.
• Self‑starter with a willingness to take ownership of assignments and follow through with minimal supervision.
• Please…