Finance Manager

About the Job

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) is the University of Minnesota's largest collegiate unit. The Fiscal Administration department - spanning accounting, budget, foundation, grants, and space management - serves as the centralized resource management hub for 48 academic departments, centers, institutes, and administrative units. The Financial Services Cluster comprises 17 accountants across two teams, each led by a Finance Manager.

This position reports to the Assistant Director of Financial Services and directly supervises 7-9 professional accountants. The Finance Manager ensures effective team operations, deadline adherence, and compliance with University Policy and CLA Standards, while fostering strong financial partnerships with the units they serve.

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

Work Environment:

The department is based in Johnston Hall on the East Bank of the Twin Cities campus. This position is largely remote; however, some tasks and meetings require on-campus presence. The department reserves the right to modify flexible work arrangements at any time.

Primary Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Supervision (60%)

* Talent Development:
Oversee hiring, onboarding, performance evaluations, and career development for a team of 7-9 accountants.

* Team Culture:
Foster an equitable, collaborative, and high-performing work environment.

* Performance Management:
Set goals systematically and provide continuous feedback aligned with organizational objectives.

* Operational Continuity:
Maintain strategic redundancy and backup coverage for complex workflows.

* Training & Curriculum:
Partner with the Associate Director to define training needs and develop team curriculum.

* Stakeholder Engagement:
Build and sustain proactive partnerships with key unit leadership across the team's portfolio.

Financial Management & Budget Oversight (25%)

* Workflow Management:
Delegate assignments and manage team capacity to ensure timely, high-quality service.

* Fiscal Oversight:
Coordinate financial workflows including budget entry, payroll, encumbrance management, accounts receivable, scholarship administration, and fund usage.

* Compliance & Audit:
Conduct systematic and random audits of standard and high-risk transactions to ensure adherence to University and College standards.

* Revenue & Expense Management:
Oversee revenue sources and expenditures across all funding types, ensuring consistent application of restrictions and timely use management.

Sponsored Project Oversight (10%)

(NIH, NSF, DOD, training grants, and center grants)

* Grants Administration:
Partner with Pre- and Post-Award Grants Coordinator(s) on effort certification, reporting, proposal budget review, projections, no-cost extensions (NCE), and close-out.

* Technical Authority:
Serve as backup Certified Approver (CA).

Policy, Compliance & Special Projects (5%)

* Represent the College on University-level committees and work groups.

* Maintain current knowledge of University and College policies; pursue ongoing technical training.

* Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field plus at least six years of professional accounting/finance experience

* Experience supervising or leading a team of professional accountants

* Six years of progressive responsibility in finance or accounting

* Experience with financial reporting and analysis

* Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (advanced Excel) and Google Suite

Preferred Qualifications:

* Excellent relationship management and partnership-building skills

* Proven ability to build and sustain a positive, collaborative, and high-performing team environment

* Success managing teams in-person and/or remotely

* Strong training development and presentation skills

* Experience managing complex workflows across accounting, payroll, and grants

* External grant/contract management experience (business, industry, State, and Federal awards)

* U of M Certified Approver status, or ability to obtain within 12 months

* Effective communicator across disciplines and organizational levels

* Strong organizational skills with ability to prioritize competing demands

* Skilled at facilitating conflict resolution and fostering mutual understanding

Note:

Training and demonstrated proficiency are required for access to University financial, payroll, and HR systems.

About the Department

The CLA Fiscal Administration department which includes key managerial functions (accounting, budget management, foundation management, grants management, and space management) and the Financial Services Cluster, are the centralized accounting and resource management operations for the College supporting 48 academic departments, centers, institutes, and administrative units. The Financial Services Cluster, composed of 19 accountants, is organized into two teams, each led by a Finance Manager.

This workgroup…