Associate Dean of Administration & Finance - College of Social Sciences and Humanities

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

4d•$157,130 - $227,840•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Dean of Administration and Finance is the principal administrative and budget officer for the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) and reports to the Dean. As a member of the college’s senior leadership team, the Associate Dean helps formulate the college’s strategic plan in a dynamic and fast-moving university environment. The position oversees the implementation and planning of processes, policies, and projects related to budgeting, human resources, sponsored research administration, space, and college-specific information technology. The Associate Dean advises the Dean on the development of the college’s annual revenue and expense budgets and models multi-year financial scenarios. The position works closely with other associate deans, department chairs, and staff to determine budgetary needs and plan initiatives aligned with the college’s and university’s strategic goals. The Associate Dean manages the budget and finance administration and research administration teams and leads staffing allocation decisions across the college. The position proactively identifies options to meet evolving academic and operational needs and applies sound change management practices to guide units through organizational and staffing transitions. The Associate Dean supports strategic planning by providing analytical reports on enrollment, staffing, financial, and space trends and requirements to inform resource allocation decisions. The position works closely with Human Resources on faculty and staff recruitment, retention, performance reviews, and compensation changes. In collaboration with the Associate Dean of Research, the Associate Dean oversees sponsored research administration, including all pre-award and post-award grant management, and ensures compliance with federal, state, and other sponsor regulations. The Associate Dean manages the college’s space portfolio of nearly 90,000 square feet across the university and coordinates space planning and capital projects in collaboration with university offices. The position regularly leads programmatic projects as directed by the Dean, works closely with counterparts in other colleges, and represents the Dean and the college to internal and external audiences and constituents. The Associate Dean is also responsible for providing college-level financial and space reporting to the Office of the Provost and other university-wide units.

Requirements

Master's degree required, MBA preferred
At least 10 years of increasingly responsible leadership experience successfully managing all administrative facets of a large, multimillion-dollar operation
At least five years of managerial or supervisory experience
Experience with project management, change management, and resource and staff allocation
Experience using financial databases and developing reports
High level of analytical skill
Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and activities
Excellent communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills
Commitment to a culture of professionalism with a service focus

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and manage the college’s annual operating budget and multi-year financial models under the university’s hybrid budget model
Report quarterly budget-to-actual performance and advise the Dean on revenue and expense planning
Oversee contracts and sponsored research administration, including pre-award and post-award grant management, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and sponsor regulations
Collaborate with the central budget office, the Office of the Provost, and counterparts across colleges on finance and administration matters
Serve as a member of the senior leadership team and help formulate and implement the college’s strategic plan
Provide analytical reports on enrollment, staffing, financial, and space trends to guide resource allocation
Identify opportunities to enhance the college and proactively surface challenges and alternatives to keep college and university goals on track
Partner with Human Resources and Faculty Affairs throughout the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, retention, morale, training, performance reviews, promotions, job transfers and changes, and compensation for faculty and staff
Lead staff allocation across the college by assessing unit-level needs, evaluating options such as reallocation, restructuring, and shared services, and addressing gaps or imbalances in coverage
Lead staffing and organizational changes using change management practices, including stakeholder communication, phased implementation, and impact assessment, to minimize disruption and build support
Establish effective communication methods to ensure timely and accurate information is shared with faculty and staff and foster strong relationships throughout the college
Directly lead, coach, and develop the budget and finance administration and research administration teams by setting objectives, providing feedback, and fostering a high-performance work environment
Supervise the Director of Finance and Administration; Director of College Research Administration and Research Finance; Director of Belonging; and Director of Reporting and Financial Planning
Manage the college’s space portfolio of nearly 90,000 square feet across the university
Coordinate space planning and capital projects with university offices
Lead college-wide programmatic initiatives as directed by the Dean
Represent the Dean and the college to internal and external audiences and constituents
Represent the college on standing and ad hoc committees related to finance, administration, business processes, and data reporting
Provide college-level financial and space reporting to the Office of the Provost and other university-wide units