Executive Director of Finance & Planning

UMass Amherst•Amherst, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of Finance & Planning in the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) provides strategic leadership and oversight for all financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, procurement, and payroll. The role ensures compliance with University, state, and federal regulations while implementing controls and developing budgets, financial forecasts, and reports. As a strategic partner to the Senior Vice Provost, the Executive Director analyzes the goals of constituent units and activity centers and advises on financial and operational success. The Executive Director directs OGA financial activities, develops policies and operational procedures, manages contracts and financial transactions, and advises leadership on funding, staffing, resource allocation, and organizational planning. The position supervises administrative staff, manages student-related financial activity for Global Education and International Students & Scholars, and serves as acting Director of OGA when the Senior Vice Provost for Global Affairs is absent.

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 managing and training professional staff and working 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 the ability to organize and present financial and statistical data effectively to nonfinancial audiences.
Advanced organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to set and adjust priorities as operational needs and initiatives change.
Ability to assess departmental budget-management and financial needs, 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 and efficiently 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 Excel features, including VLookups, Pivot Tables, Pivot Charts, Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX functions, What-If Analysis, Solver, and Macros.

Responsibilities

Direct and oversee financial activities, including budget creation, forecasting, analysis, planning, and reporting in consultation with the Senior Vice Provost and in accordance with applicable regulations and GAAP.
Develop, implement, and evaluate financial functions, policies, goals, and operational procedures for OGA units and activity centers.
Exercise signature authority over state funds, trust funds, grant accounts, personnel actions, budget documents and transfers, travel and business expenses, purchase orders, contracts, invoices, and honoraria.
Partner with OGA leadership to sustain fiscal health and maintain a successful revenue operation.
Create, develop, and implement internal controls to safeguard OGA assets and ensure timely and accurate reporting.
Develop operational, financial, and statistical reports using data mining and analysis to establish short- and long-term funding options that advance strategic plans and support ongoing operations.
Review and approve invoices, purchasing, reimbursements, budget transfers, and journal entries, ensuring timely and accurate processing of financial transactions.
Manage contract initiation and administration in BuyWays, working with the UMass Unified Procurement Services Team and Office of the General Counsel to protect OGA and University interests.
Maintain revolving funds and monitor and balance advances for faculty-taught overseas programs.
Lead staff-planning and resource-allocation discussions with departmental directors and administer budgets for all units.
Anticipate organizational and administrative challenges, recommend solutions, and support operational needs and compliance with University policy.
Serve as the primary liaison to the Office of Human Resources on staffing, classification, and workforce planning; triage employee requests and connect employees with appropriate HR resources.
Serve on the OGA Leadership Team and contribute to policy development, organizational planning, and resource allocation.
Advise the Senior Vice Provost on confidential matters as appropriate.
Manage student-related financial activity for Global Education and International Students & Scholars, including pricing and fee structures, scholarship committee budgets and funding, resolution of errors and receivables with the University Bursar and affiliate partners, and tracking and reconciliation of revenue budgets and forecasts.
Directly supervise administrative staff, set expectations, assign and review work, provide coaching and feedback, conduct annual evaluations, and support professional development.
Use sensitive or nonpublic University information only as required for the role and maintain strict confidentiality.
Serve as acting Director of OGA in the Senior Vice Provost for Global Affairs' absence.
Represent the Senior Vice Provost on campus and externally as directed and appropriate.
Perform other duties as assigned.