Job Title: Finance Director
Location: Case Main Campus
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 7946
Job Description

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Working with a high degree of independence and as a contributing member of the Finance team, the Finance Director will oversee the finance and accounting function of all funds within the academic, education and administrative departments as assigned (which currently equates to 60 departments and an annual spend of more than $50 million); drive financial performance of assigned departments according to the budget, five year plan and department business plans; implement and maintain departmental compliance with internal and external policies of the university; develop and model annual operating budgets; and develop and monitor department business plans through collaborations with department chairs/administrators, department/program leaders and other School of Medicine offices. The director will be responsible for the education business lines associated with the MD, Physician Assistant, and Masters of Science in Anesthesiology (MSA) programs, select School of Medicine-based basic sciences departments, the University Hospitals clinical sciences departments, and monitoring / reporting student enrollment and tuition revenue by program across the School of Medicine. Additionally, the director will oversee the annual budgets, joint-research investments, and resulting funds flow between the School of Medicine and other affiliate hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Metrohealth Medical Center and the Louis Stokes Cleveland Vetrans Affairs Medical Center. In addition, the director will be involved in the day-to-day functions of the Finance Office and interact daily with department chairs/administrators and finance personnel at the affiliates.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Partner with both department chairs and school leadership for assigned areas to design, evaluate and monitor research and education lines of business. Formulate and develop strategies and plans to achieve departmental goals for these missions vis a vis School of Medicine goals. Make recommendations to senior leadership and then partner with departments in implementing these strategies to drive results. (10%)
2. Identify gaps and areas for improvement in the current reporting of operations, finances, and planning. Develop strategy for continuous process improvement such as implementation of database solutions or new software reporting packages. For the education mission, this may include student application and admissions affecting the tuition revenue cycle. For the research mission, this includes research proposals, awards, and expenditure projections. Partner and collaborate with associated offices across campus to implement solutions. (5%)
3. Serve as a key liason with School of Medicine senior and departmental leadership on both the continued growth/expansion and launching of new educational programs. The MSA and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs are the focus now but other ones will be identified in the future. This includes partnering with faculty program directors and staff to drive expansion in the education business line with the Manager of Financial Planning & Operations and the Assistant Dean for Educational Initiatives (Office of Graduate Education) to help identify opportunities for programs. (5%)
4. Work closely with both the Senior Director of Medical Education Operations the Administrative Director of the Simulation Center departments on budgetary and operational matters as it relates to inter-professional education and potential increased revenue generation and cost savings due to integration of all health sciences education programs in the new Health Education Campus. (5%)
5. May be assigned to represent the School of Medicine on a variety of university level initiatives potentially including but not limited to purchasing policy and procedure assessments, record retention policy review, general accounting initiatives, and system reviews and upgrades. Work with central university staff to resolve departmental and school level issues in a proactive manner. Work daily with School of Medicine offices such as Human Resources, Graduate Education Office, Grants and Contracts, Facilities, and Medical Education to improve processes, address issues and monitor plans. Act as the liaison to PeopleSoft and DataLake administrators in University Technology (UTech). (5%)
6. Assist with the annual budget, which includes being a primary contact for department administrators. Aid in creating any efficiencies in the current process to improve accuracy. Develop ways to monitor departments’ budget to actual variances and drive resolution when problems arise. Develop the operating budget for all departments; compile current and historical data for analysis, project future spending needs, work with department level administration to gather pertinent data, identify cost saving opportunities, and prepare and present reports for annual budget meetings with the dean, chair and departmental administration. Develop quarterly (and ongoing) forecasts for departments; research variances to budgets, communicate issues and concerns to Assistant Dean in a timely manner, and monitor departments to ensure that budgets are achievable. Make recommendations to adjust forecasts as required. Contribute to regular updates of five-year forecast including projections of department spending by fund code and analysis of business lines (research, education, etc.). Refine and maintain historical, current and future spending projections for schedules within the five-year plan as assigned. (20%)
7. Manage the School of Medicine’s month-end close process; act as a liaison between the department administrators and the central university, oversee the activity in the general ledger to make sure the departments stay timely and within policy, and supervise the preparation of the month-end reports to ensure timeliness and accuracy. Compare results to history, budget and KPI has and advise the Assistant Dean and the finance team on variances, trends, etc. Review policies and processes related to month-end close. Recommend changes and develop new policies, procedures and reports. Assist with the year-end close process, which includes departments’ financial activities to determine if year-end results deviate from forecasted expectation. Ensure Dean’s Office transactions and adjustments are posted timely. Ensure all purchasing and HR approvals are processed prior to central university’s cutoffs. (10%)
8. Verify funding for human resource requests, purchase requisitions, and large transactions. Follow up with the departments if questions. For human resource requests, approve renewal of academic positions and replacements for staff positions. Process HCM access requests. Identify positions that may require future commitments other than salary and verify that these commitments are in the forecast model. Review PD forms to ensure they are accurate, appropriate and comply with policy, including increase pool and budget guidelines are followed which may require compiling benchmarking data for equity and promotion salary adjustments. Identify and address other training needs. These duties may be delegated as deemed appropriate. (5%)
9. Monitor the activity in the accounts and work with the departments to ensure use is aligned with the board resolutions and dean’s approval. Advise the Assistant Dean of nonconforming departments, underutilized accounts, and available endowments for department use on an annual basis during the budget process. Communicate projected income and endowments available for departmental use to departments during the budget process. (5%)
10. Oversee the funds flow in conjunction with the Sr. Financial Analyst for affiliate hospital payments. Manage tracking of joint research investments, operating budgets, and tuition revenue which involves invoicing. Provide detailed and summary forecasts on both revenues and expenses for the numerous areas of affiliate fund flows. (5%)
11. Oversee the financial activity of assigned School of Medicine departments. Work with the department chairs and administrators to ensure financial results stay within budgets. Act as a resource to the departments on financial operations and reporting matters. Develop and implement training for new policies, processes and reporting tools along with training new staff members within the departments on financial procedures and reporting requirements. Meet with the department administrators on a regular basis and advise in the budgeting and forecasting process including the five-year plan. Identify and recommend cost saving measures for these departments. (10%)
12. Prepare financial models of business plans for new initiatives using multiple scenarios and disclosing key assumptions. Oversee the development, execution and revision of departmental business plans for key lines of business in departments, new revenue-generating activities, and new hires / programs. Provide quarterly updates to the Assistant Dean as well as participate in periodic updates provided to the department chairs/program leaders. (5%)
13. Assist departments with streamlining their analysis and review of their finances and porfolios through providing information in a more user-friendly format and developing tools empower them to analyze their data more efficiently. This includes financial data on operating, endowment, startup, funded research, grants and gifts projects as necessary. Monitor projects for cost share, deficit spending and other financial issues on a periodic basis and drive resolution. (5%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Perform other duties as assigned. (5%)

CONTACTS

Department: Daily contact with the Director of Finance, Finance and Planning staff, and Business Managers/Administrators. Weekly contact with the Assistant Dean for Finance and Planning, Vice Dean for Finance and Administration, Office for Dean, vice deans and associate deans

University: Daily contact with the Controller’s Office and Office of Research Administration. Weekly contact with the Budget and Planning Office and Information Technology Services.

External: Weekly contact with affiliated hospitals and practice plan administrators. Monthly contact with peers from other institutions.

Students: Contact with student interns as it relates to special projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

Direct supervisory responsibility for a Sr. Financial Analyst, Budget Analyst, and student interns. Responsibilities include hiring, termination, annual reviews/raises and ensuring that duties, responsibilities and authority of the position are defined and communicated to the employees. May have input into the annual performance review of department administrators.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience/Education: Master’s degree in accounting, finance or related field and 10 or more years of progressive experience in a related field; or Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related field and CPA and10 or more years of progressive experience in a related field or required. Experience in an academic and/or medical center environment preferred; experience with fund accounting and/or grant management desired; experience in a Microsoft Office environment required; supervisory or project management experience required.

REQUIRED SKILLS

1. High level financial management, analysis, budgeting and reporting skills.
2. Effective communicator.
3. Entrepreneurial skills to help departments plan and drive performance.
4. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
5. Excellent organizational skills.
6. High degree of professionalism and discretion.
7. Proven solid decision making skills.
8. Independent thinking and judgment.
9. Detail-oriented.
10. Self-starter.
11. Customer service oriented.
12. Supervisory and/or project management skills.
13. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office program with advanced skills in Excel.
14. Ability to navigate the internet and utilize email systems effectively.
15. Expertise in ERP financial software (PeopleSoft and DataLake systems including queries a plus).
16. Must be familiar with university policy and procedures, along with the policies and procedures of external agencies such as NIH.
17. Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.
18. Ability to meet consistent attendance.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Normal office work environment.

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