Job no: 507329
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Dean - College of Education
Union: PSU
Categories: Accounting/Finance, Professional Staff Union (PSU)

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The Director of Finance and Planning serves as a key member of the Dean’s leadership team and oversees the College of Education’s budgeting processes and overall fiscal administration. The position has direct responsibility for a $12.2 million operational budget, including comprehensive planning and reporting in service of the research, education, and social justice mission of the college. The Director provides leadership on all short- and long-term financial planning and resource-based decision making.

Essential Functions

• Develop, assess, and administer complex college budget models, projections, and spending plans to advise the Dean, department chairs, and the college broadly on spending decisions that promote the college’s strategic objectives, general operational goals, and financial sustainability.
• Utilize a variety of budget projections in order to inform short- and long-term planning at the college, department, and program level. Participate in and/or lead conversations about college strategic enrollment management to inform planning and budget processes. Develop and refine the frameworks for the college’s annual budget process.
• Maintain responsibility for college-wide budget processes. Serve as a resource and advisor to department chairs, college leadership, and budget managers on various fiscal matters relating to strategic enrollment trends, instructor cost, using effective budget models, data-driven decisions, and general budget oversight and transparency. Advise and make recommendations to departments, programs, and administrative offices about issues related to long-term planning and budgeting.
• Provide financial oversight of the college’s revenue accounts including University Without Walls (UWW), Gift, and Research Trust Fund (RTF) accounts. Coordinate with department chairs, budget managers, and college leadership to incorporate information about the revenue and expense accounts into college’s overall budget management, planning, and forecasting.
• Work collaboratively with the Office of Research and Engagement, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the three academic departments to develop and maintain shared financial systems.
• Work closely with the college's Human Resources Director to ensure coordination between the financial and human resource functions and to provide strategic coordination of the college’s operating budget and personnel planning. Direct the allocation of budgetary resources to support college faculty, staff, and student hiring priorities. Utilize actual and projected payroll figures to formulate college budget forecasts. Participate in/lead conversations about allocation of staffing lines for faculty, staff, and student hires.
• Work closely with university-level administrators and peers in other colleges to collaborate and strategize on financial and resource-based decision making, while also representing the Dean with various internal and external constituents.
• Monitor, conduct training, and act to ensure compliance with university policies and procedures as well as legal and regulatory requirements applicable to business processes.
• Manage facilities for the Furcolo building and Montague House. Provide forecasts related to space usage and maintenance (e.g., classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and public spaces). Establish policies and procedures designed to ensure College spaces are in proper functioning order. Lead college efforts related to space planning, and, in this capacity, consult with college community on concerns and in consultation with the Dean and department chairs to approve usage of space.
• Accomplish department objectives by supervising financial services staff. Maintain staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees and developing personal growth opportunities. Conduct annual performance evaluations for each staff member.

Other Functions

• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisors to meet department, college, and university goals and objectives. Show adaptability and flexibility to accomplish goals.
• Travel and attend meetings as requested.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor’s Degree with at least 5 years of experience in strategic financial, fiscal, or budgetary administration.
• Demonstrated skill with financial management principles, including budgetary/fund accounting procedures.
• Ability to forecast future budget needs, create annual college budgets, and prepare periodic reports.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated leadership qualities, including supervision of staff, strong collaboration skills, and the ability to work productively and diplomatically with internal and external constituents, including administrative leadership, faculty, staff and students.
• Expert knowledge of MS Office computer applications, with the ability to quickly learn additional application software relevant to the position.
• Understanding of responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and ability to behave in ways consistent both with law and with university policy.
• Ability to contribute to a positive and respectful workplace defined by personal dispositions including professional competence, integrity, collaboration.
• Ability to understand and contribute to implementation of departmental and institutional goals for achieving non-discrimination and creating a respectful, inclusive environment that is supportive of diversity.
• Ability to utilize access to sensitive and/or not yet public university related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercising care to prevent unnecessary disclosure of confidential information to others.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s Degree.
• Budgetary experience in higher education.
• Experience with UMass Financial systems.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment.

Work Schedule

• Monday-Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm.
• Required to work occasional nights and weekends.

Salary Information

Level 27

PSU Salary Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Review of candidates will begin March 1, 2021 and will continue until a qualified candidate is identified. Please submit a resume, cover letter, diversity statement, and contact information for three (3) professional references.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Feb 3 2021 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: