Associate Director, Shared Services Financial Operations, Wharton Finance & Administration

The Wharton School

10d•$91,000 - $120,000

About The Position

The Associate Director serves as the principal operational and strategic lead for all financial activities within Finance and Administration, acting as the Director of Fiscal and Business Operations' second-in-command and primary delegate for day-to-day financial operations. This role functions as the central point of coordination for financial management across the School’s largest administrative departments, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and consistent execution of financial policies. The Associate Director oversees comprehensive financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and operational oversight, with accountability for accuracy, timeliness, and transparency. In close partnership with the Director, this role translates strategic objectives into executable financial plans, supports data-informed decision-making, and ensures that departmental operations are financially sound and compliant with school and university policies. Key responsibilities include leading the annual budget and projections, managing financial operations, and serving as the primary liaison between administrative departments, central finance offices, and external partners. The Associate Director is responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving financial and operational processes that enable departments to operate efficiently and make informed decisions. This position requires deep financial expertise, strong operational judgment, and the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organization while driving strategic initiatives that strengthen financial performance and organizational effectiveness.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Strong analytical skills with financial analysis, accounting, and business operations experience essential.
Thorough knowledge of budgeting and financial management is required.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Advanced skills in Excel.

Nice To Haves

Preferred major: Business, Accounting, or Finance
Experience managing, leading, and motivating a diverse group of professionals strongly preferred.
Seeking a highly motivated, team-focused professional who performs well in dynamic, fast-paced environments and is passionate about developing creative solutions to complex problems.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage end-to-end financial operations to ensure seamless execution for more than 5 Administrative Departments.
Reporting on financial performance and prepare for regular review with management. This involves understanding unique lines of business, accrual accounting, contract interpretation, and developing client relationships.
Provide financial analyses for decision support.
Identify and drive process improvements.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of financial professionals through clear, consistent communication and collaborative leadership.
Foster a high-performing, high-morale team environment by setting expectations, providing regular feedback, and encouraging open dialogue.
Support team members in strengthening existing competencies while proactively developing new skills through mentoring, cross-training, and professional development opportunities.
Act as primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on all financial matters related to the departments.
Direct the execution of the annual budgeting process, fiscal year-end close, and other interim/annual reporting for the team’s research units focusing on accurate and timely reporting of financial activities.
Develop and implement processes to enhance financial reporting and data analysis.
Lead and coordinate cross-functional projects to implement process improvements and operational efficiencies, serving as the central point of communication across stakeholders.
Proactively manage project timelines, deliverables, and dependencies while ensuring clear, consistent, and timely communication within the department.
Facilitate shared understanding of financial activities and transactions, promote transparency, and strengthen collaboration among team members and partner units.
Proactively identify, troubleshoot, and resolve operational issues, while driving continuous process improvement initiatives.
Serve as the subject-matter expert in financial operations, reporting, and analysis.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare.
You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.