Assistant Director of Housing – Business Services Director

Universities of Wisconsin•Madison, WI

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Division of University Housing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison seeks an experienced financial professional to provide strategic vision, leadership, and oversight for the Division’s financial stability and operational effectiveness. The Director leads the Business Services team through direct and indirect supervision of approximately eight employees and serves as a subject matter expert and trusted partner to campus committees, workgroups, institutional leadership, and other stakeholders. As a member of the Division’s senior Leadership Team, the Director contributes to divisional management, policy development, strategic planning, and organizational decision-making, advancing the Division’s mission, vision, and core values through collaborative leadership and stewardship. The Director also serves on the Executive Management Team for University Housing’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), providing leadership on business continuity, risk management, organizational resilience, and emergency management. The role is authorized and expected to activate COOP when needed and requires providing after-hours contact information. The Director oversees financial operations including budget development, forecasting, capital planning, debt management, accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, compliance, risk management, and audit activities. The role leads improvement of financial systems and procedures, advises Housing leadership using financial analyses and recommendations, supervises and develops financial and administrative staff, and partners with Housing Human Resources on personnel planning and forecasting. The Division serves residents, guests, customers, and employees across its residence halls, apartment neighborhoods, dining venues, and summer conference program. Its annual budget is just over $150 million. The Division employs over 475 full-time employees and 2,000 student employees. The primary schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with extra hours as priorities dictate. Because University Housing is a 24/7 operation, the Director may need to be available for late-night or weekend work and events. Schedule will be determined at the time of offer. The starting annual salary is $185,000 or higher based on qualifications, with a competitive retirement and benefits package including vacation, holidays, and paid time off.

Requirements

Seven years of progressively responsible experience in finance and business services leadership roles, including supervision of finance and business services staff.
Three years of supervisory experience.
Experience generating long-term financial forecasts for complex organizations.
Strong background in internal controls, financial information systems, budgeting, and customer service.
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
Ability to work with and support cross-functional teams and foster teamwork.
Professional and positive interaction with diverse associates, peers, managers, suppliers, clients, and customers.

Nice To Haves

Ten years of progressively responsible experience in finance and business services leadership roles, including supervision of finance and business services staff.
Experience in financial leadership of a university housing system or another university auxiliary enterprise.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with sound judgment and decision-making based on accurate and timely analyses.
Understanding of business-related legal matters.
Experience presenting financial analyses and recommendations to senior leadership.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial audiences.
Master’s degree in business administration, finance, or a related field.
CPA certification.

Responsibilities

Direct strategic planning initiatives and establish objectives for multiple finance functional areas, ensuring appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources and alignment with the strategic plan.
Provide strategic leadership for financial operations, including budget development, forecasting, capital planning, debt management, and long-term financial sustainability.
Direct accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting to support accurate financial management, analysis, and organizational decision-making.
Oversee financial policies, regulatory requirements, internal controls, risk management, and audit activities to ensure compliance.
Lead development and continuous improvement of financial systems, processes, and procedures to increase operational efficiency and accountability.
Supervise and develop financial and administrative teams, fostering collaboration, customer service, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a strategic advisor and business partner to Housing leadership and stakeholders, providing financial analyses, recommendations, and guidance.
Exercise supervisory authority over employees, including hiring, assigning work, managing performance and conduct, and approving hours worked; supervise at least 2.0 FTE employees.
Provide onboarding, professional development, training, coaching, retention support, effective delegation, and accountability for Business Services staff.
Represent the Division and serve as a subject matter expert to institutional leadership and internal and external stakeholders, fostering cross-functional collaboration.
Participate in the development, maintenance, and monitoring of automated financial information systems and budgets, and share updates and results with leadership as appropriate.
Oversee, review, develop, recommend, and implement policies and procedures for internal and external financial reporting, budgeting, and financial operations.
Serve on the divisional Leadership Team and the Executive Management Team for the Continuity of Operations Plan; provide leadership and make decisions during partial or full COOP activation.
Determine personnel needs and personnel resource allocation, partnering with Housing Human Resources on personnel resource planning and forecasting.
Provide after-hours contact information and be available for emergency management or COOP responsibilities when the plan is activated.