Associate Director, Office of Academic Affairs

Wesleyan Assurance Society•Middletown, CT

16h•$76,300 - $90,800•Onsite

About The Position

Wesleyan University is seeking an Associate Director, Office of Academic Affairs to provide day-to-day leadership for financial and administrative operations across Academic Affairs. This role supports the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel, acting as a primary resource for budget management, financial policy implementation, and support for Administrative and Accounting Assistants. The position also offers 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; 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; receive funds, create cash sales to designate ledger accounts, reconcile revenue against program expenses, calculate payable balances, and coordinate payment through vouchers or Human Resources as appropriate in coordination with Finance.
Serve as the first point of contact for Academic Affairs Administrative and Accounting Assistants on financial, operational, and policy questions; resolve routine matters and escalate complex issues to the appropriate office or the Associate Provost as appropriate.
Coordinate the monthly Administrative and Accounting Assistant training program; develop and maintain training materials and invite guest presenters from Finance, ITS, Human Resources, and other offices to provide cross-functional training.
Identify and implement process improvements across Academic Affairs to improve consistency in how departments oversee financial and operational tasks.
Stay current on university financial and administrative policies; attend Academic Affairs finance meetings and collaborate with Finance on policy development and new procedures.
Maintain awareness of each academic department’s Administrative and Accounting Assistant staffing levels, workloads, and coverage patterns; identify opportunities for shared arrangements or adjustments where appropriate.
Assess short and long-term staffing needs across departments; determine whether gaps are best addressed through temporary hiring, temporary redistribution of existing capacity, or shared arrangements.
Coordinate with Labor Relations when duty redistribution requires a formal Memorandum of Understanding; ensure proper documentation.
Coordinate the full recruitment process for union vacancies; review applicant pools, develop a shortlist, and present candidates to department chairs; schedule interviews per the chair’s selection; conduct reference checks and coordinate offer and onboarding with Human Resources.
Serve as a resource for Administrative and Accounting Assistants navigating workload changes or workplace concerns; identify personnel issues and connect staff and chairs with Human Resources for guidance and resolution.
Maintain and update union job descriptions to accurately reflect current responsibilities; initiate a review when duties change permanently or a position becomes vacant; complete a position questionnaire with the chair and submit to Human Resources for finalization and classification.
Identify opportunities to enhance institutional applications supporting Academic Affairs operations; submit improvement requests to ITS and test updates prior to release.
Coordinate with ITS on computer procurement for new Academic Affairs hires; assess faculty computing needs and ensure equipment ordered meets capacity requirements beyond standard configurations where appropriate.
Supervise two Accounting Specialists who support multiple departments in the sciences.
Review and approve weekly time reporting; perform annual evaluations.
Partner with Finance, Human Resources, ITS, Labor Relations, and other institutional offices on matters related to assigned responsibilities and Academic Affairs operations.
Cross-train with the Associate Director for Curriculum, Research and Special Projects to ensure continuity of operations and mutual coverage across key Academic Affairs functions.
Lead and administer special projects for the Provost, Associate Provosts, and Deans as assigned.