Executive Director of Finance & Planning

UMass Amherst•Amherst, NY

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of Finance & Planning in the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) provides strategic leadership and oversight for financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, procurement, and payroll. The role ensures compliance with University, state, and federal regulations; implements financial controls; and develops budgets, forecasts, and reports. The Executive Director serves as a strategic partner to the Senior Vice Provost, analyzing the goals of constituent units and activity centers and advising on financial and operational success. The role directs financial activities and functions across OGA units, approves and monitors transactions, manages contracts and revolving funds, and works with procurement and legal offices to protect the interests of OGA and the University. It supports strategic planning, staffing and resource allocation, student-related financial operations, and revenue management. The Executive Director supervises administrative staff, serves on the OGA Leadership Team, maintains confidentiality, and acts as Director of OGA in the absence of the Senior Vice Provost for Global Affairs. Work is performed in a standard office or indoor university environment with minimal physical exertion. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position is onsite in Amherst and full time. The position is subject to final budgetary and administrative approval.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and more than five years of experience in a complex financial environment with progressive budget and fiscal responsibility, or a Master’s degree and more than three years of experience in a complex financial environment.
Demonstrated supervisory experience, including ability to manage and train professional staff and work collaboratively with diverse populations.
Advanced knowledge of financial analysis, management, planning practices, policies, and procedures.
Advanced proficiency in Excel and other database management systems.
Advanced experience transforming business data into useful information and using data to develop and implement business decisions.
Advanced written and oral communication skills, including ability to organize and present financial and statistical data effectively to nonfinancial audiences.
Advanced organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to set and adjust priorities in response to changing operational needs and initiatives.
Ability to assess departmental needs related to budget management and other financial activities, solve problems, and implement short- and long-term strategies to meet operational needs.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Strong independent initiative and ability to work effectively with minimal supervision.
Proven discretion in sensitive matters and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with PeopleSoft HR and Finance systems.
Knowledge of academic, administrative, and fiscal policies and procedures at a large higher-education institution.
Hands-on experience with advanced MS Excel features, including VLookups, Pivot Tables, Pivot Charts, Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX functions, What-If Analysis, Solver, and Macros.

Responsibilities

Directs and oversees budgeting, forecasting, analysis, financial planning, and reporting in accordance with University and governmental regulations and GAAP, in consultation with the Senior Vice Provost.
Develops, implements, and evaluates financial functions, policies, goals, and operational procedures for OGA units and activity centers.
Exercises signature authority over state and trust funds, grant accounts, personnel actions, budget documents and transfers, travel and business expenses, purchase orders, contracts, invoices, and honoraria.
Partners with OGA leadership to sustain fiscal health and maintain a successful revenue operation.
Creates and implements internal controls to safeguard OGA assets and ensure timely, accurate reporting.
Develops operational, financial, and statistical reports using data mining and analysis, and creates short- and long-term funding options that advance strategic plans and support ongoing operations.
Reviews and approves invoices, purchases, reimbursements, budget transfers, and journal entries, ensuring timely and accurate processing of financial transactions.
Manages contract initiation and administration in BuyWays, coordinating with the UMass Unified Procurement Services Team and Office of the General Counsel.
Maintains revolving funds and monitors and balances advances for faculty-taught overseas programs.
Leads staff planning and resource-allocation discussions with departmental directors and administers departmental budgets for all units.
Anticipates organizational and administrative challenges and recommends actions or solutions to meet operational needs and ensure compliance with University policy.
Serves as the primary liaison to the Office of Human Resources on staffing, classification, and workforce planning; triages employee requests and connects employees with appropriate HR resources.
Serves on the OGA Leadership Team and contributes to policy development, organizational planning, and resource allocation.
Advises the Senior Vice Provost on confidential matters as appropriate.
Manages student-related financial activity for Global Education and International Students & Scholars, including pricing and fee structures, scholarship committee funding, receivables issues, and reconciliation of budgets and revenue forecasts.
Directly supervises administrative staff, setting expectations, assigning and reviewing work, coaching and providing feedback, conducting annual performance evaluations, and supporting professional development.
Uses sensitive or nonpublic University information only as required for the position and maintains strict confidentiality.
Serves as acting Director of OGA in the absence of the Senior Vice Provost for Global Affairs.
Represents the Senior Vice Provost on campus and externally as directed and appropriate.
Performs other duties as assigned.