Job no: 507979
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Dean - Pub Health & Health Sci
Union: PSU
Categories: Professional Staff Union (PSU), Accounting/Finance/Budget

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 for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) supports the daily financial management and related data analysis activities for the School and assists with administrative and operational tasks including facilities & building management, procurement, research administration, etc. This position reports directly to the Associate Dean for Administration and Finance (A&F) of SPHHS and participates in resource management and strategic planning. The Director is responsible for the financial management of the school's $42 million budget, including the annual operating budget, fiscal policies and procedures, efficiency and effectiveness of systems, long term forecasting, and fiscal compliance and control. The position also gathers, analyzes and interprets financial data necessary for the assessment and continuous process improvement for operational areas within the School. The Director formulates school-wide procedures relating to budget, procurement, and facilities and ensures compliance with University guidelines. The Director of Finance provides advice, guidance and solutions on policies and situational problems and acts as an advisor on matters related to long-range financial planning for the School.

Essential Functions

Financial Management and Reporting:

• Responsible for the overall financial planning, performance, control, and reporting for the School, totaling approximately $42 million annually.
• Develops and maintains internal accounting control procedures to ensure compliance with university and sponsor guidelines and regulations pertaining to financial functions; provides central checks and balances.
• Assumes fiscal responsibility for the School’s activity including fee-based revenue activity; state and general operating funds; continuing education incentive funds; research trust funds; scholarship and fellowships; and endowments.
• Provide budgetary recommendations to the Dean and monitor spending to ensure fiscal stability. Advise and provide leadership to unit and department directors in budget planning, development, and monitoring, as well as financial system training and support, and adherence to UMass purchasing regulations.
• Provide budgetary recommendations to the Dean and monitor spending to ensure fiscal stability. Advise and provide leadership to unit and department directors in budget planning, development, and monitoring, as well as financial system training and support, and adherence to UMass purchasing regulations.
• Prepares budget forecasts and analyses of budget trends. Responsible for researching, compiling, and ensuring accuracy and timely submission of all financial reports at the School/major budgetary unit level. Reports activity, makes projections and recommendations for department budgets. Collects, analyzes and manipulates data to support the mission of the School and its needs.
• Serves as purchasing agent. Responsible for adherence to UMass purchasing regulations, negotiating terms and conditions of procurement; supervises preparation of purchase orders. Reviews and approves purchases and expenditures.
• In support of and with the Research Administration Office (RAO) team: Reports and analyzes grant awards, proposals and expenditures at the School, department and principal investigator level, including forecasting and monthly reports of encumbrances and expenditures.
• Collaborates department administrative support staff to ensure work duties related to finance matters are accurate and completed in accordance with University policies.
• Provides functional support to the RAO staff for financial activity for Sponsored Research projects. Works with department staff to ensure SPHHS initiatives are implemented and managed successfully.
• Provides daily supervision to direct reporting staff; assigns primary duties as well as backup duties when staff complement is less than 100%; assesses performance; completes annual evaluations, provides ongoing training and support as needed to all staff performing financial activities.
• Ensures school and department staff are trained appropriately on financial processes and new systems, including providing on-going training and support to school and department support staff as needed.
• In partnership with the Associate Dean of A & F, develops and implements new processes to increase efficiency and reliability. Incorporates the use of technologies to create reports or improve business processes.
• In the performance of work, takes initiative, is creative, and operates with self-direction. Works in partnership with colleagues within the SPHHS community and across the campus to support the Dean's strategic priorities.

Human Resources

• Under the direction of the Associate Dean of A&F, partners with the Director of HR to develop standards around payroll, compensation, and overall School-level personnel management.

Administration

• Contributes to various external reports with the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, Council on Education for Public Health and other accreditation bodies.

Facilities

• Space Management and Facilities: Liaises with Physical Plant and Facilities & Campus Planning to facilitate space planning and allocations, renovations, and related space issues. Completes the annual space survey (Tririga) on the condition and occupancy of facilities.

Strategy and Planning

• Crafts and shapes reports to support strategies that significantly improve SPHHS needs/outcomes
• Participates in School initiatives such as strategic planning, initiating the administrative makeup and support for new programs or departments, marketing, etc. Prepares budgetary planning documents for the School’s reports to the Provost and annual budget planning submission.

Other Functions

• Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet Department, School, and University goals and objectives.
• Works closely with, and provides backup to the School’s Director of Human Resources..
• Works creatively, collaboratively, and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality and inclusiveness.

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

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

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment

Additional Details

Exercises considerable initiative, leadership, judgment, responsibility and decision-making.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 37.5 hours/week.

Salary Information

PSU Level 27

Special Instructions to Applicants

To apply, please provide cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references. Applicants should apply by the priority deadline of May 20, 2021 in order to ensure consideration. Search will remain open until position is filled.

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: May 3 2021 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: