Business Manager

Position Overview

The School of Music is experiencing continued growth and increasing fiscal complexity, requiring strategic financial leadership and disciplined resource management to support its academic and artistic mission. Ongoing university budget reductions and continued growth in academic programs and operations in the school make strong budget discipline essential.

This leadership position serves as the chief financial officer and principal fiscal advisor to the Dean of the School of Music. The role provides strategic leadership for financial planning, budget development, resource allocation, financial analysis, and fiscal policy implementation. Working collaboratively with School leadership, the position develops and implements financial strategies that advance the School's mission while ensuring compliance with university, state, and donor requirements.

The position oversees all budgetary and financial operations of the School and supervises fiscal staff responsible for financial administration and reporting.

This leader will be responsible for overseeing a complex budget with annual spending of over $11.5 million with a various array of general use, restricted sources of funding. The role engages in strategic fiscal planning to support the School's mission and oversees management of all fiscal operations.

Reporting to the Dean of the School of Music, the finance lead manages all fiscal resources for the School of Music. This individual is a member of and collaborates closely with the School of Music leadership team, including Associate Deans, Chairs, and other administrative leaders, playing a critical role in budget planning and execution to advance the School's strategic initiatives, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and transparency.

The finance role is responsible for fiscal analysis, reporting, and communication of complex financial data, collaborating with unit leaders to optimize financial resources in alignment with university and School goals and financial policy.

This role involves regular coordination with partner administrative units across KU, including the Budget Office, Operations, Information Technology, Procurement Services, Human Resources, KU Endowment, General Counsel, the Office of Research and the Office of the Provost. This role represents the School on internal and external fiscal affairs, acting as an expert resource.

• In consultation with School of Music leadership, plans and manages all sources of funding, including state, course fees, KU Endowment and grants to fund all operational and strategic objectives.
• Conducts in-depth financial analysis to maximize use of unit-level financial allocations to achieve university and unit goals, in the context of long-range sustainability and growth.
• Advises School leadership on long-term financial sustainability and resource allocation strategies.
• Develops multi-year financial projections and scenario analyses to support strategic planning initiatives.
• Leverages university systems to provide leadership in the use of administrative functions, including Oracle Financials, Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), One Source and Concur.
• Collaborates with School leadership in budget call and prioritization process and creation and management of annual operating budgets. Provides additional budget reporting as requested by School and University leadership including preparation of information supporting 4+8 / 8+4 planning processes.
• Oversees budget and expenditure activities and monitors budget to actual expenditure variances and investigates material changes as requested by leadership and the Budget Office.
• Leads fiscal management activities across the School of Music and ensures compliance with budgetary, procurement, and financial reporting requirements.
• Coordinates with the Kansas University Endowment Association on fund management, including signature authority, fund access, and expenditure appropriateness.
• In support of the Dean, the finance lead manages all student scholarship accounts to ensure funds are appropriately leveraged to benefit students and are compliant with fund guidelines.
• In support of the Dean, coordinates management of tuition planning, scholarships, course fees and all other student fiscal matters.
• Develops and implements financial training programs, tools, and resources to support faculty and staff compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Supports the School of Music HR Business Partner in coordinating fiscal impacts of personnel management.
• Prepares and presents financial analyses, forecasts, and budget reports to School and University leadership to support strategic decision-making.

• Provides oversight of all fiscal data collection and coordinates responses to surveys, accreditation needs and ad hoc information requests.
• Approves administrative endowment expenditures and HR…