Vice Chair of Finance & Administration - Department of Medicine

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

About The Position

The University of Washington Department of Medicine is looking for an outstanding leader as its Vice Chair of Finance and Administration (VCFA). The Department of Medicine was founded in 1948 and is now the largest department at the University of Washington with more than 3,900 faculty and staff members, 35 fellowships, 56 endowed chairs and professorships. The Department of Medicine is comprised of 11 divisions: Allergy & Infectious Disease, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, General Internal Medicine, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Medical Genetics, Metabolism, Endocrinology & Nutrition, Nephrology, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, and Rheumatology. The Department of Medicine has an annual budget of approximately $497 million, and current research funding from both government and private sources is $232 million. The Department of Medicine is dedicated to the mission of teaching, healing, discovery, and diversity. The faculty members teach the latest in evidence-based practice as well as the oldest of human values—compassion and respect for patients and their families. The clinical programs are diverse, offering considerable breadth and depth of expertise in care. The programs strive to achieve integration with research and training, thus accelerating the transfer and dissemination of new knowledge. From making kidney dialysis possible to winning the Nobel Prize for bone-marrow transplantation, the Department of Medicine has a long tradition of leading-edge research that has yielded some of the most important innovations in the history of modern medicine. General Description The Vice Chair reports to the Department Chair and School’s Associate Dean of Administration and Operations and serves as the business manager and senior administrative support representative for the Department. As such, the Vice Chair has a comprehensive range of responsibilities, including: financial planning/management, budget development, supervision of the Department’s classified and exempt staff, personnel, payroll, purchasing, special project support, and other administrative functions for the School of Medicine. As a UW SoM Department Vice Chair of Finance and Administration, the incumbent carries out duties prescribed by the directing, overseeing, or partnering institutions and organizations. The critical knowledge and skills are organized into the areas of: Financial Management and Development Activities, Operations Management, Practice Plan Management, Compliance and Risk Management, Research Management, Information Management, Human Resource Management, Facilities Management and Educational Program(s) Management. He/she/they acts in an advisory capacity to the Chair and various Department committees, providing financial guidance, background information, and management advice. In addition, the Vice Chair is the Department's primary working-level interface with the Dean's Office, the Practice Plans, and other departments in the University regarding administrative issues. This position oversees a team of more than a dozen direct reports.

Requirements

This position requires a minimum of 7 years of experience and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Health Care Administration, Public Health, or related field.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
Proven leadership and sophisticated communication skills.
Experience in performing complex medical center/departmental financial analyses using personal computer software.
Management-level experience, preferably in an academic medical center or hospital environment.
Supervisory and office management experience.
Demonstrated experience working with large, highly structured personnel systems.
Demonstrated experience in business planning, financial analysis, and/or strategic planning.
Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious working relationships and effectively address complex and sensitive administrative issues.
Process Improvement mindset

Nice To Haves

Experience with clinical departments in a medical center/hospital environment.
Experience in physician group practice operations and financial management.

Responsibilities

Financial Management and Development Activities – 20%
Manage the financial resources of the department to include budgets and funds from federal, state, practice plan, private, University, and foundation sources to ensure ethical and fiduciary practices.
Interacts with faculty and staff to facilitate the department’s ability to achieve clinical, scientific, and educational goals.
Interprets policies and regulations concerning the department’s financial activities; ensures compliance with the University’s policies and procedures as well as guidelines from the federal government, state, and other research project sponsors.
Develops and implements internal financial system controls to ensure integrity of all financial transactions in accordance with applicable jurisdictions.
Maintains a working knowledge of the department’s financial operations, funding sources, policies, and procedures.
Human Resource Management – 15%
Manage the human resources of the department, to include the faculty and the department staff, in accordance with University of Washington and School of Medicine policy and procedures.
Key human resource (HR) management skills for the SoM Department Vice Chair are:
Interprets and integrates federal, state, UW, SoM, and other local laws and agreements into department policies and procedures.
Develops and/or utilizes HR measurement/monitoring systems.
Responds to and assists in needs/requirements for faculty and staff training and coaching.
Negotiates faculty/staff relations to represent viewpoints and positions fairly.
Fosters a positive and inclusive workplace culture in the department that promotes respect, collaboration, equity, and professional growth.
Operations Management – 15%
Manage department operations to ensure the day-to-day and cyclic requirements are met; plans, resources, and monitors programmatic activities; prepares reports, terminates, or continues programs; plans or coordinates marketing documents or activities.
Coordinates a variety of general administrative activities necessary to the department’s day-to-day operations.
Understands and integrates the cyclic operational responsibilities of the UW/SoM/Practice Plans into department planning, policies, and procedures.
Understands and implements change management processes that include not only organizational dynamics, but also the policies and procedures of approving offices or agencies.
Negotiates or builds new relationships, partnerships, or coalitions to advance the department’s vision or mission.
Practice Plan Management – 10%
Manages the practice plans(s) of the department to include the member appointment process, budget process, revenue cycle, funds flow projections, pro forma accounting, the incentive plan, and compliance requirements.
Forecasts, plans, and reports practice plan revenue/expenses and develops budget models to guide faculty or the practice.
Maintains revenue cycle management, including on the evolving coding, documentation, billing and reimbursement developments.
Serve as a primary point person catalyst to the Practice Plans to stay on top of developments.
Assists in interpreting and integrating current practice plan compliance directives and policies to ensure that billing faculty are in compliance.
Research Management – 10%
Manage the research resources of the department, to include grant and contract staff and processes, research staff support, capital equipment, physical plant, IRB, and Protected Health Information compliance issues.
Designs and implements administrative procedures for grant and contract administration.
Interprets and integrates federal, state, industry, and private policies, laws, contracts and agreements regarding research activities at the UW.
Assists faculty in the identification of research sponsorship, pre-submission activities, IRB and animal research requirements, supporting documents and verifications, and submission of grant and contract proposals.
Reviews and approves all department grant and contract applications.
Facilities Management – 10%
Manage facilities to ensure effective, efficient, and safe operations and preservation of resources.
Reviews, develops, and assigns space to staff and faculty, including research lab areas and offices; coordinates moves and/or relocations of offices, laboratories, and personnel.
Develops written material for long-range space planning including major renovation projects; collaborates with the Chair and working with the Dean’s Office when appropriate, to develop business plans and proposals to support requests for additional space.
Interprets and integrates federal, state, UW, and other laws and policies relating to safeguarding of facilities and capital resources.
Builds and maintains relationships with the medical centers’ facilities staff to ensure timely correction of deficiencies/repairs to facilities, and to ensure compliance with remodeling and facility modification guidelines.
Educational Program(s) Management – 10%
Support program director(s) and faculty in management of educational program(s).
Supports Program Directors (Residency, Medical Student, Fellowship, Graduate, Undergraduate, etc.) and faculty leaders in the management of educational programs.
Interprets and integrates federal, state, UW, SoM, ACGME, ECFMG, RRC, professional society, and other local laws and agreements into departmental policies and procedures.
Supports periodic program reviews for accreditation/certification and training grant renewals.
Facilitates support of accredited and non-accredited Continuing Medical Education programs in the community.
Compliance and Risk Management – 5%
Promote compliance and manages risk in accordance with policies of the University, UW Medicine, and other oversight bodies, to ensure operations and resources are in alignment with mission and requirements.
Interprets and integrates federal, state, and industry laws or policies on corporate compliance; topics to include fraud and anti-kick-back, to mitigate risk to the department and to individual faculty or staff.
Ensures that all spaces, rooms, laboratories have appropriate security measures in place to safeguard information, physical resources, and staff.
Information Management – 5%
Manage the information requirements of the department, to include academic, business, educational and research information needs, incorporating and utilizing the existing Information Technology architecture.
Coordinates and manages the department web site and links including all aspects of department functions: clinical sites of practice, service line and outreach activities, research enterprises, faculty publications, training programs, and the residency program.
Develops written communication materials which may include department newsletter, CME brochures and mailings, development brochures, and other information to support public relations, scientific presentations, development activities.
Coordinates and participates in public relations and/or fundraising events including donor relations and represents the department at University and external functions; collaborates with SoM Development for fundraising events and issues.
Ensures a viable and secure Information Technology architecture is in place and educates faculty and staff to the importance of and compliance with a configuration management plan and policy.