Asst Dir, Strategic Initiatives and Operations

University of Rochester • Goodwell, OK

19h • Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Strategic Initiatives and Operations serves as a key advisor to the Vice President of University Engagement and Enrichment, shaping strategy and driving organizational excellence. This role leads strategic planning and execution, providing financial insight, guiding resource allocation, and supporting executive decision-making to advance the office's mission and institutional priorities. Responsibilities include coordinating workflows, overseeing programming and operations strategy, establishing quality-improvement goals, and leading financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting. The position ensures accountability, compliance, and alignment with University-wide strategic and financial frameworks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, accounting or related field required
• 7 years of relevant experience required
• Ability to manage and advise on conflict resolution required
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills required
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills with a keen attention to detail required
• Ability to exercise a high level of professionalism and discretion with respect to confidential and sensitive matters required
• Ability to quickly and thoughtfully build and maintain relationships required
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently and meet deadlines required
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize among competing demands and adapt to changing needs required
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and Zoom required
• Ability to manage a budget required
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills required
• Advanced financial management skills, including experience with budget development and analysis required
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in financial management software required
• Strong strategic thinking, leadership and team management abilities required
• Demonstrated commitment to team development and professional growth required

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred
• Experience in leadership and engagement and enrichment culture knowledge preferred
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience required
• Experience in a university or healthcare setting preferred

Responsibilities

• Serves as a key advisor to the Vice President of University Engagement and Enrichment (“Vice President”), shaping strategy and driving organizational excellence across team functions.
• Leads strategic planning and execution for the office, providing financial insight, guiding resource allocation, and supporting executive decision-making to advance OEE’s mission and institutional priorities.
• Coordinates and integrates workflows across OEE leadership, oversees a centralized strategy for programming and operations, and establishes quality-improvement goals and long-range operational plans.
• Leads comprehensive financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, ensuring accountability, compliance, and alignment with University-wide strategic and financial frameworks.
• Serves as a core member of the OEE Leadership team, addressing strategic issues by providing vision and advice to the Vice President on financial strategies, resource allocation, and crisis mitigation.
• Acts as a thought-leader on broad-based engagement and enrichment matters and assists in facilitating decision-making with the Vice President.
• Prepares and delivers reports, briefings, presentations, and responses on strategic issues, including in meetings with University senior leaders and the Board of Trustees.
• Seeks and maintains strategic alliances with stakeholders internal and external to the institution.
• Represents the department in cooperative programs with other institutions as required.
• Guides OEE leadership through the assessment of business and personnel needs, establishing and maintaining team-related processes, aligning common procedures and practices across all team members, and managing personnel issues and follow-up actions.
• Directs and oversees financial functions of OEE including financial planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting to ensure effective financial management and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Implements the financial vision for the department and advises on fiscal matters.
• Directs development, preparation, and submission of annual operating and capital budgets.
• Provides strategic oversight of forecasting activities, reviewing and refining forecast inputs by applying assumption and scenario-based analysis to develop short and long-term financial strategies.
• Reviews and updates financial forecasts on a regular cadence, incorporating ongoing review of actual spending, projections, and timing of expenditures to explain variances and flag anomalies.
• Guides OEE directors on programmatic budget development and management to support and respond to the needs of the Vice President and the strategic plan.
• Holds directors accountable for adherence to budget.
• Identifies opportunities for cost savings and optimization of funding streams such as grants and endowments.
• Recommends financial and budgetary improvements to VP and oversees implementation and periodic review of approved changes.
• Develops and implements guidelines and procedures to ensure management control over funds ensuring compliance with University policies, establishing escalation protocols to resolve discrepancies and ensure corrective action is taken.
• Reviews and audits financial reports to identify and investigate deviations or anomalies in financial performance, directing follow-up analysis and corrective action as appropriate.
• Oversees financial reporting, cost accounting, and revenue and expense tracking activities, ensuring accuracy, integrity, and alignment with University standards in partnership with Central Finance.
• Leads regular financial review meetings with departmental leadership to review performance, risks, and future planning considerations.
• Develops strong working relationships with Institutional finance teams across divisions.
• Serves as OEE’s liaison to University financial management, auditors, and consultants in matters relating to financial, accounting, reporting, and budgeting.
• Oversees collaborations with Purchasing, Council, and other offices as indicated for vendor contract negotiations and approval.
• Leads grant negotiations with public and private organizations.
• Collaborates with the VP on the development, implementation, and continuous refinement of OEE’s multi-year strategic plan, aligning priorities, resources, and performance targets to institutional goals.
• Translates strategic objectives into an actionable operating plan, establishing annual goals, milestones, and accountable owners across functional areas and program portfolios.
• Convenes and consults regularly with the VP, Executive Director of Engagement and Education, and other Office leadership to gather operational insights, and relevant data, ensuring the department’s strategic plan is comprehensive, evidence-informed, and aligned across functional areas.
• Advises Vice President on department-wide prioritization and decision-making, evaluating new opportunities, sunsetting or redesigning initiatives, and ensuring resources are focused on highest-impact work.
• Advises on key performance indicators and outcome measures.
• Reviews data and stakeholder feedback to assess progress, manage risk, and drive course-corrections.
• Builds alignment across University-wide OEE initiatives by convening cross-functional stakeholders to coordinate strategy implementation that is sensitive to unique barriers and resources in each leader’s unit.
• Directs and oversees a centralized structure for engagement and enrichment programming and events for the entire University.
• Champions engagement and enrichment programming and its importance in creating an affirming and respectful clinical, educational, research, living, and work environment, as outlined in the university Strategic Plan.
• Serves as primary liaison with University HR departments to articulate the department’s needs and functions in ways that aligns with University guidelines.
• Provides strategic oversight of recruiting and onboarding activities, ensuring alignment with departmental priorities, workforce planning needs, and University hiring practices.
• Collaborates with HR Business Partner(s) to manage especially difficult, complex, or sensitive personnel issues and expedites critical employee actions.
• Leads and oversees annual merit and performance management processes, providing guidance, ensuring consistency and equity across teams, and partnering with Human Resources to support effective implementation.
• Monitors compensation practices and workforce trends to identify potential pay inequities or reclassification needs and manages next steps in partnership with managers and Human Resources.
• Oversees execution and organization of all documents pertaining to personnel, ensuring completeness and compliance, while collaborating with Human Resources as appropriate.
• Oversees and audits timekeeping practices.
• Maintains confidential data and files including personnel files, department records, and confidential communications.
• Prepares and submits personnel, job data, and compensation forms for OEE employees.
• Develops, implements, and ensures compliance with departmental policies, procedures, and expectations.
• Advises OEE leaders on consistent integration of University and departmental practices.
• Manages recruiting and onboarding activities in collaboration with the hiring manager.
• Provides ongoing supervision and training, engages in performance management conversations and actions, conducts performance reviews, and manages personnel issues and follow-up actions within direct reporting lines, ensuring a culture of equitability and accountability.
• Mentors and develops staff to provide skills and tools necessary to lead effective teams and to achieve strategic goals.
• Discovers team needs, develops clear project roadmaps, and leads team in executing priorities based on needs.
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager