Financial Operations Manager, Wharton Finance & Administration

University of Pennsylvania•Philadelphia, PA

23d•$76,000 - $100,000

About The Position

Wharton School Overview Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu. Wharton Finance & Administration is a team of financial specialists driven to ensure financial excellence through integrity and transparency. We oversee core financial functions and partner closely with business administrators and departments to provide expert guidance and foster responsible stewardship. The Financial Operations Manager will serve as an integral member of the Financial and Business Operations team at Wharton Finance & Administration, providing centralized and comprehensive financial operations support for various administrative departments. The Financial Operations Manager will operate in a high-volume, fast-paced environment and will be responsible for managing core financial processes, including Workday payroll, purchase orders and requisitions, Concur reimbursements, approvals, reviews, and reconciliations. This role ensures that all financial operations are executed with accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. The Financial Operations Manager will also support budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling activities.This position requires someone who is adept at standardizing business processes, optimizing resource planning tools, and leveraging technology to drive efficiency, streamline workflows, and enable fact-based, timely, and collaborative decision-making that advances the mission of Wharton and its departments. The Financial Operations Manager will play a pivotal role in enhancing the organization’s financial operations framework.In addition to core responsibilities, this position will partner closely with cross-functional teams to understand operational needs, identify bottlenecks, and implement scalable, streamlined processes. The ideal candidate thrives in a dynamic environment, manages competing priorities with ease, and consistently delivers high-quality results under tight timelines.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Ability to multi-task and pivot as necessary.
Strong accounting skills and knowledge of Penn's financial systems a plus.
Intermediate technical skills required (e.g., Excel's Pivot Tables, Tables, Power Query, etc.).
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential, including professional email writing skills and the ability to diplomatically but assertively enforce policies and guidelines, including with those at higher levels.

Responsibilities

Manage processes such as payroll, expense reimbursements, purchasing cards, reconciliations, and journals.
Provide auditable, streamlined processing to increase efficiency and enhance standardization, assuring all financial operations and decisions adhere to University and School policies.
Works closely with leadership to define and identify process deficiencies and design and implement changes to mitigate risks.
Manage communication and information flow with departments and stakeholders; provide exceptional customer service by responding promptly to inquiries, proactively resolving purchasing, expense, payroll, and recruitment issues, and developing effective solutions by gathering information, leveraging institutional resources, and applying sound business understanding.
Management and administration of hiring needs, including of professionals, temporary staff, and student workers.
Providing training and oversight of workflows, projects, and process changes.
Attend training and meetings to keep up-to-date in understanding of applicable financial and HR systems, policies, and procedures.
Manage departmental fiscal year-end close, merit process, access reviews, restricted funds, tax reporting, and other annual activities.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.