Assistant Dean of Finance; Financial Admin Leader Jacobs School of Music

Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater

Network(s):
Finance, HR, & Administration

The Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) Office of Finance, Administration, and Budget uses ethical, innovative, and sustainable business practices to ensure financial integrity, policy compliance, consistent accounting, and managerial consulting.

The Jacobs School of Music is the nation's leading public conservatory. The School lives its mission through world‑class artistic and academic initiatives that educate students and generate compelling, forward‑looking musical performance and scholarly activity. We create visionary artists, educators, scholars, and cultural leaders who will shape the future of the performing arts and enrich our global society.

The Jacobs School of Music seeks a strategic, collaborative, communicative, and forward‑thinking Assistant Dean of Finance (ADF) to provide executive leadership across the School's financial functions. The ADF reports to the IUB Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration with a secondary reporting and daily relationship to the David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean of the Jacobs School of Music. As a key member of the School's strong leadership team, the ADF ensures the highest standards of fiscal integrity, administrative excellence, strategic planning, and resource stewardship in support of the School's mission.

• Operate effectively in a large, multifaceted artistic and academic environment; foster a culture of transparency and accountability; communicate clearly to varied audiences; and guide the Jacobs School of Music through evolving financial, operational, and budgetary challenges.
• Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of the School's short‑ and long‑term financial and budgetary strategies to ensure stewardship, transparency, and alignment with academic priorities.
• Provide regular, data‑driven analysis and decision support to the Dean, associate deans, chairs, and directors.
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls, compliance systems, and financial reporting processes.
• Identify revenue opportunities, emerging economic trends, and financial risks; develop proactive strategies to strengthen the School's financial position.
• Work in collaboration with Indiana University Foundation (IUF) colleagues and others, ensuring effective use of IUF funds, departmental reserves, and diversified revenue streams, including tuition, gifts, grants, and artistic revenues.
• Oversee the School's operating budget, resource allocation processes, financial forecasting, and cash‑flow optimization.
• Ensure financial systems, policies, and practices are efficient, modernized, and aligned with university standards and best practices.
• Explore strategic opportunities for centralization of administrative and financial functions while remaining sensitive to the needs and operations of departments, programs, and other administrative units.
• Partner with HR leadership on workforce planning and financial implications of staffing models, including compensation and resource distribution.
• Provide financial projections to support capital project prioritization; serve as financial liaison for the School with the campus and Capital Planning and Facilities.
• Maintain effective accounting practices, grant administration procedures, and compliance with fiscal policies across departments.
• Lead the Finance Office, guiding staff in the realms of financial policies and procedures as well as resource management strategy; serve as supervisor, mentor, and champion of the team and their work.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to Dean and Jacobs leadership team, helping integrate academic and administrative planning.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with academic units and departments, other schools within Bloomington campus, university financial and administrative offices, and external peer colleges.
• Using these relationships, work with Associate Deans (ADs), department chairs, program directors, and staff to optimize financial operations that increase efficiencies while…