Director of Finance Operations

University of Virginia • Charlottesville, VA

7d • $130,000 - $170,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences seeks an experienced financial operations leader to serve as Director (Assistant Director) of Financial Operations. The Director (Assistant Director) will serve as a trusted advisor to the CFO and will lead the people, processes, systems, and controls that support accurate, timely, and effective day-to-day financial operations, while making those operations simpler, clearer, and easier to navigate.

This is an opportunity for a leader and integrator who can connect work across functions and build trusted relationships with finance professionals, departmental administrators, faculty, staff, and other partners. You will lead and develop financial operations staff while remaining close to the work, bringing the expertise and ownership needed to resolve complex issues, strengthen operational practices, and improve service across the College.

Success in this role requires a steady, collaborative, and approachable leadership style, along with the judgment to maintain strong financial controls while remaining practical, flexible, and service-oriented. The ideal candidate will also bring experience thoughtfully integrating AI and other emerging technologies to streamline workflows, strengthen accuracy, and expand the capacity of financial operations.

Requirements

• A strong foundation in accounting, financial management, or financial operations, paired with a practical understanding of transactional finance, internal controls, compliance, and sound stewardship.
• The ability to lead and integrate work across functions, connecting people, processes, systems, and responsibilities to support consistent and effective financial operations.
• A tempered and thoughtful leadership style characterized by sound judgment, reasonableness, flexibility, and the ability to remain steady when navigating complex or sensitive issues.
• A collaborative and approachable leadership style that builds trust with financial staff, departmental administrators, faculty, and organizational leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to develop practical, workable solutions that meet client needs while maintaining appropriate policies, procedures, and financial controls.
• A service-oriented approach and a commitment to making financial processes clear, responsive, and navigable without compromising accuracy, accountability, or compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex financial information in a clear and accessible way to finance and non-finance audiences.
• Ability to serve as a trusted advisor to the CFO, offering sound counsel and reliable judgment on financial operations matters.
• A continuous-improvement mindset, including the ability to identify and responsibly integrate AI and other emerging technologies to simplify processes, solve problems, and strengthen financial operations.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, including the ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries and in a decentralized environment.
• Facilitate and manage competing priorities, adapting as organizational needs evolve, and moving work forward in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field
• 7+ years of relevant professional experience, to include 4+ years of formal managerial experience.

Nice To Haves

• Progressively responsible experience in accounting, financial management, or financial operations, ideally within higher education or a similarly complex organization
• Demonstrated knowledge of GAAP and sound financial control practices
• Experience with financial reporting, forecasting, and financial analysis or modeling
• Experience with Workday Finance.
• Familiarity with university financial policy, compliance, and audit processes
• Experience partnering with departmental administrators or non-finance stakeholders across a decentralized organization
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex financial information accessible to non-finance audiences

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day financial operations across supported areas, ensuring transactions are completed accurately, timely, and consistently.
• Oversee and provide senior-level support for routine and complex financial transactions, reconciliations, corrections, and operational issues.
• Establish clear operating procedures, service expectations, and standards for transactional financial work.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of Workday (HCM and Financials), other financial and non-financial systems and use that expertise to improve execution and problem-solving.
• Evaluate financial processes and workflows to identify unnecessary complexity, duplication, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop clear procedures, tools, and guidance that make financial processes easier to understand and execute consistently.
• Partner with College and University stakeholders to improve financial systems and adapt operations as policies, technologies, and organizational needs evolve.
• Maintain effective financial controls and ensure compliance with University and College policies, procedures, and applicable accounting standards.
• Monitor financial activity, reconciliations, and transactional practices to identify and address risks, errors, and control weaknesses.
• Maintain strong audit readiness and ensure appropriate documentation and controls are embedded in routine financial operations.
• Serve as a senior financial resource for departmental administrators and leaders, providing clear guidance and practical solutions to financial issues.
• Help departments establish effective financial management practices and navigate College and University financial processes.
• Lead and develop financial operations staff, establishing clear roles, expectations, standards, and accountability.
• Remain sufficiently engaged in day-to-day operations to understand the work, remove barriers, coach staff, and step into complex issues when needed.
• Build a culture of service, operational discipline, continuous improvement, and shared responsibility for effective financial management.

Benefits

• Exempt level, benefited position
• The University will perform background checks on all hires (if required) prior to employment.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.
• For this role, the University will not sponsor or consider candidates requiring sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future.

What This Job Offers

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