Director of Finance

General Summary:

The Director of Finance will provide high-level strategic leadership and support for the financial and administrative goals of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) and its institutes, including the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) and the Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS), all of which are housed within the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

The incumbent will have authority and responsibility over all aspects of the financial management and operations of the Institute and School, including grants management, managing the budget and accounting functions for the units; and will provide overall leadership, direction and assistance in budgetary preparation. The incumbent will analyze a variety of financial information; provide direction and support in making yearly spending recommendations while maximizing the use of funds;

and for ensuring overall operations are within the unit’s budget.

The Director of Finance will work closely with the Associate Dean of CEHD, and the Director of the ICI, and with assigned Principal Investigators (PIs) on all aspects of financial administration, including provision of analysis and modifications and helping with special projects when needed; will be responsible for supervising the work performed by grant-administrator staff; and will work in collaboration with the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP), the Office of Budget and Financial Planning (OBFP), the CEHD Office of the Dean, the Office of the Provost, and other central administrative units at the University.

When authorized by the Institute Director, the incumbent will serve in their absence with the authority to make and implement financial decisions.

Examples of Duties:

• Provide high-level strategic leadership and support for comprehensive business management for the School and its Institutes, including analyses of project costs versus expenses, funding structures, and opportunities for efficiency improvements;
• Provide overall leadership, direction, management and technical advice and assistance in budgetary formulation, analysis of and the management and monitoring of budgets of the School and its Institutes; monitor budget allocations, expenditures, fund balances and related financial activities for the purpose of ensuring that allocations are accurate, revenues are recorded, expenses are within budget limits and/or fiscal practices are followed
• Prepare an annual consolidated budget for the School and provide regular budget and analytical information to the Dean, Associate Dean, and Director of the ICI; analyze and evaluate budget requests;
• Collaborate with the Assistant Dean and other members of the CEHD Research Administration Team to inform decisions about budgetary matters;
• Serve as a member of the Research Administration Team and support one another during planned absences or leaves, to support team culture and collective efforts;
• Maintain a system for tracking and planning FTEs of grant funded staff across projects;
• Provide at risk personnel information to the Director of Administration and Personnel on a regular basis to allow for contractually required notification periods;
• Collaborate with members of the CEHD Research Administration Team to support the use of best practices across the units and support professional development
• In matters of finance, serve as the central liaison between the School and the College, including its institutes and centers, and various offices on campus, including the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and Administration and Finance (A&F) to endure the smooth financial and administrative operations and that the unit’s administrative operations are in compliance with university policies and procedures;
• Manage accounting functions for both sponsored and non-sponsored accounts including accounts payable and receivable, ensuring accuracy and timeliness; monitor spending for adherence to budget as well as university and sponsor policies and practices, and recommend variances as necessary;
• Collaborate with Principal Investigator(s) (PI) in the preparation of grant…