Associate Director, Office of Academic Affairs

Wesleyan University•Middletown, CT

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Wesleyan University is seeking an Associate Director for Budget and Operations within the Office of Academic Affairs. This office supports faculty work, oversees the curriculum, faculty hiring and promotion, research, teaching, and the administration of academic departments, programs, and the library. The Associate Director will provide day-to-day leadership for financial and administrative operations, acting as a primary resource for budget management, financial policy implementation, and support for Administrative and Accounting Assistants. This role also involves operational support for staffing across academic departments, coordinating staffing, recruitment, onboarding, and job description processes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in budget management, financial operations, operations management, or a comparable professional environment in a complex multi-unit organization, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Demonstrated experience managing operating budgets, approving financial transactions, and overseeing expenditures across multiple accounts or cost centers.
Experience identifying and resolving financial discrepancies and processing corrections in an ERP, financial management system, or comparable enterprise platform.
Demonstrated experience coordinating or facilitating training programs for staff on operational policies, procedures, or systems.
Experience reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and making hiring recommendations.
Experience assessing operational needs across multiple units, identifying coverage gaps, and recommending practical solutions.
Demonstrated ability to support staff navigating workplace or operational challenges; knows when to resolve independently and when to escalate.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships with senior leaders, department heads, and operational staff across a complex organization.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work with discretion and sound judgment on sensitive personnel and financial matters.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Experience with Workday HCM, SAP, Oracle, or a comparable HRIS or financial management system.
Demonstrated commitment to working within a diverse environment and interacting openly with individuals of different backgrounds.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education administration or a similarly complex institutional environment.
Familiarity with formal employment agreements, collective bargaining agreements, or comparable structured employment frameworks.
Experience serving as a cost center manager or budget approver.
Experience supervising staff including performance management and goal setting.
Familiarity with workforce planning or staffing management across multiple departments or units.

Responsibilities

Manage Academic Affairs operating and capital budgets for computing and non-computing purchases.
Support the Associate Provost in administering endowed budget allocations and coordinate with Finance on compliance with gift restrictions.
Approve pcard applications and travel advances.
Review and approve monthly spending in academic departments; approve or deny vouchers, journals, and budget transfers.
Serve as Cost Center Manager; review and approve expenditures above $500 and payments to individuals across Academic Affairs departments.
Manage spreadsheets for Finance of other annual commitments.
Create Memoranda of Understanding for departments with start-up obligations to new faculty hires; monitor spending and notify faculty when funds are expiring.
Resolve worktag and budget overspend issues in coordination with Finance; identify and correct financial errors in payroll in Workday.
Process Coursera revenue distributions, including receiving funds, creating cash sales, reconciling revenue, calculating payable balances, and coordinating payment.
Serve as the first point of contact for Academic Affairs Administrative and Accounting Assistants on financial, operational, and policy questions.
Coordinate the monthly Administrative and Accounting Assistant training program, developing training materials and inviting guest presenters.
Identify and implement process improvements across Academic Affairs to improve consistency in financial and operational tasks.
Stay current on university financial and administrative policies and collaborate with Finance on policy development.
Maintain awareness of each academic department’s Administrative and Accounting Assistant staffing levels, workloads, and coverage patterns.
Assess short and long-term staffing needs across departments and determine how to address gaps.
Coordinate with Labor Relations when duty redistribution requires a formal Memorandum of Understanding.
Coordinate the full recruitment process for union vacancies, including reviewing applicant pools, shortlisting, presenting candidates, scheduling interviews, conducting reference checks, and coordinating offers and onboarding.
Serve as a resource for Administrative and Accounting Assistants navigating workload changes or workplace concerns.
Maintain and update union job descriptions to accurately reflect current responsibilities.
Identify opportunities to enhance institutional applications supporting Academic Affairs operations and test updates.
Coordinate with ITS on computer procurement for new Academic Affairs hires.
Supervise two Accounting Specialists, reviewing time reporting and performing annual evaluations.
Partner with Finance, Human Resources, ITS, Labor Relations, and other institutional offices.
Cross-train with the Associate Director for Curriculum, Research and Special Projects.
Lead and administer special projects for the Provost, Associate Provosts, and Deans as assigned.