Finance Manager, Center for Global Engagement

James Madison University • Harrisonburg, VA

2d • $60,000 - $62,100

About The Position

The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) at James Madison University is seeking a Finance Manager to provide financial leadership and oversight across the Center. CGE supports global learning, study abroad, international students and scholars, international partnerships, and other programs connecting JMU with people and organizations around the world. Its work involves multiple funding sources, international and domestic vendors, travel, contracts, student and faculty programming, and financial activity requiring careful analysis and compliance with university and state requirements.

The Finance Manager serves as CGE’s lead fiscal resource and financial advisor. The role is responsible for financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysis, policy guidance, and oversight of CGE-wide fiscal operations. The Finance Manager works with CGE leadership and unit teams to turn financial information into practical recommendations and support accurate, responsible resource management in line with CGE’s mission and priorities.

The position also connects CGE with financial partners across JMU, participates in university finance forums and networks, and brings relevant policy changes, practices, and resource opportunities back to the Center. The Finance Manager supervises the CGE Finance Support Specialist and helps establish efficient, sustainable financial processes. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience managing complex budgets, financial operations, and financial systems with accuracy, independence, and accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to perform financial analysis, forecasting, reporting, and scenario planning and translate financial information into clear recommendations for organizational leadership.
• Strong knowledge of, or demonstrated ability to interpret and apply, financial policies and procedures in a university, government, or similarly regulated environment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and navigate complex or ambiguous financial questions.
• Experience supervising, training, or providing functional leadership to staff responsible for fiscal or administrative processes.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, including ability to work effectively with senior leaders, central offices, and cross-functional partners.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and project-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a complex, fast-moving environment.
• Proficiency with enterprise financial or business systems and strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and related reporting tools.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in higher education, public-sector finance, international education, global engagement, or another complex decentralized organization.
• Experience serving as a financial business partner or advisor to organizational leadership.
• Experience with contract management, procurement, SPCC or purchasing-card administration, travel, reimbursements, audit preparation, and internal controls.
• Experience managing or supporting E&G, auxiliary, local, self-supporting, grant, or other varied funding sources.
• Experience identifying process improvements and developing financial procedures, training resources, reports, dashboards, or other decision-support tools.
• Familiarity with PeopleSoft, Chrome River, eVA, or comparable financial, procurement, and travel systems.
• Experience with international vendors, payments, travel, or other financial activity involving global operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual and multi-year financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysis, and reporting for CGE across E&G, auxiliary, grant, local, self-supporting, and other accounts.
• Maintain and communicate CGE’s financial position, commitments, resources, risks, and opportunities.
• Advise CGE leadership and provide recommendations on resource planning, staffing, programs, initiatives, and longer-term priorities.
• Develop financial models, scenarios, reports, and tools to help leadership evaluate proposed decisions.
• Identify financial risks, emerging needs, efficiencies, and potential funding opportunities.
• Collaborate with CGE directors and unit fiscal or operations leads on shared, cross-unit, and institutionally funded financial activity.
• Partner with Study Abroad Operations & Finance to monitor financial activity affecting CGE-wide resources and incorporate it into planning, forecasting, and reporting.
• Guide CGE on university, state, and federal financial policies and procedures, including procurement, SPCC, travel, reimbursements, payments, contracts, funding sources, and related processes.
• Develop, document, and improve CGE financial procedures, internal controls, approval workflows, fiscal calendars, and training resources.
• Oversee and approve departmental financial activity within assigned authority, especially complex, unusual, high-risk, or exception-based transactions.
• Ensure accurate and timely reconciliations, financial records, reporting, and supporting documentation for assigned CGE accounts and operations.
• Maintain audit readiness and coordinate responses to fiscal reviews, audit requests, and compliance questions.
• Provide financial consultation on contracts, vendors, international payments, travel, purchasing, and other complex CGE activities.
• Review financial implications of personnel and payroll activity as assigned and coordinate with Operations, Human Resources, and university partners.
• Provide hands-on fiscal support and approvals as needed to ensure timely and accurate financial operations.
• Represent CGE in university finance forums, trainings, working groups, and professional networks.
• Build relationships with JMU fiscal leaders and colleagues and serve as a primary liaison with relevant central offices.
• Represent CGE’s financial and operational needs in university financial discussions and planning.
• Monitor policy changes, emerging practices, and approaches used by other units, and share useful information with CGE leadership.
• Benchmark financial processes and practices at JMU and, when useful, peer institutions to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, controls, and resource planning.
• Monitor changes in financial systems, policies, and institutional priorities and help CGE prepare for and implement them.
• Supervise, train, and develop the CGE Finance Support Specialist, including setting priorities, workflows, service expectations, and cross-training.
• Provide functional direction and fiscal training to other administrative staff, graduate assistants, or student employees supporting financial processes, as assigned.
• Coordinate delegation and coverage of routine fiscal responsibilities.
• Review CGE contracts with third-party providers for financial and compliance considerations and coordinate with appropriate university offices.
• Approve Chrome River pre-approvals and other financial transactions within assigned authority, and provide higher-level review of complex travel and expenditure questions.
• Review and approve university employees’ international travel requests as assigned and advise on related financial and policy requirements.
• Partner with CGE Operations leadership to coordinate fiscal and administrative processes and create efficient, sustainable workflows.

Benefits

• Paid vacation leave
• Sick leave
• Parental leave
• Community service leave
• 19 paid holidays annually
• Health insurance
• Retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System
• Balanced Dukes employee wellness and work-life integration resources, events, and support
• Tuition waiver program for undergraduate and graduate courses taken at JMU

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed