POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives serves as the chief financial/operations officer for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) under the direction of the Dean. This position is a senior level, non-academic staff position that works closely with all levels of the Case Western Reserve University administration and stakeholders to advance the strategic and financial priorities of the College.

This position will function as a senior advisor and decision support strategist to the dean that includes (1) working with the dean on strategic planning of the College and benchmarking progress relative to peers; (2) aligning budget with strategic initiatives ranging from departmental through President-level priorities; (3) directing financial planning, reporting and forecasting and ensuring that College resources have maximal impact in meeting our mission; (4) constructing policies for promoting equitable practices and distribution of resources; (5) supporting human resources to align with College priorities and advancement; (6) overseeing the use of facilities and space to align with research and teaching priorities; and (7), directing efficient business operations through effective supervision and professional advancement of operational College staff (budget, space, strategic initiatives), and through efficient workflows and transfer of information.

Moreover, the associate dean will direct the annual and multi-year financial planning process which rolls into budget and will be responsible for overseeing the preparation of the annual CAS report.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Strategic Planning and Benchmarking: Work directly with the dean to achieve the highest performance outcomes as a result of impactful strategic planning. Create and oversee the strategic plan and annual report of the College. Establish and track metrics and rankings. Provide advice and guidance on best uses of resources to achieve strategic goals to the dean, departments, and centers. Champion system changes to support and increase equity across the College and university. Provide analysis of relevant budget data for presentations (Board of Trustees, senior university administration and various external constituencies), forecasting, and strategic planning. These activities also involve representing the College on various planning forums of the university, especially with regards to special initiatives and subsequent high-level reporting needs that include the Office of Budget and Financial Planning, the finance committee of the Board of Trustees of Case Western Reserve University, the budget subcommittee of the Faculty Senate, and the budget subcommittee of the Executive Committee of the College. This also involves working closely with the associate deans in their efforts to support diversity excellence, academic programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, and research advancement. (20%)
2. Alignment of Budget with Strategic Initiatives: In consultation with the dean, develop and implement both the long- and short-range strategic plans for CAS taking into consideration the availability of resources such as the operating budget, unrestricted and restricted funds, endowments and spendable gifts, and capital funds. Work with the dean to develop the operating budget and oversee the development and execution of capital plans and endowment funds. Analyze and forecast the budgetary implications for research, enrollment planning, hiring, development, technology, and other College needs. Identify and analyze costs and revenue effects of curricular, personnel, and technological programs. Develop business cases to explore new programs and funding sources. Advise the dean on sources of funding to achieve strategic goals and advise on how resources can best be used to enhance productivity of the College. Develop long-range financial planning models for the multiple programs being sponsored by the College. (20%)
3. Financial Planning, Reporting and Forecasting: Work to ensure effectiveness of all budgetary activities and to formulate efficient execution of strategic initiatives with an approximate $100,000,000 annual College budget. Direct the annual and multi-year financial planning processes and reporting including strategic funds usage and provide direction on progress towards plans/goals with key performance indicators. Conduct loss-gain performance reporting to the dean for departments and centers. Manage an effective budget process and team, which includes the Director of Budget and Financial Planning in the College, who works closely with individual chairs and managers of each department/center. Adhere to the guidelines provided by the university and other compliance requirements with periodic audits and corrections/improvements as necessary. Be creative on integrating all types of resources and revenue sources into both short- and long-term financial and strategic planning tools as new initiatives or developments dictate. Provide direction and tracking in utilizing Provost and President funds for strategic advancement. Work to maintain efficient workflows by utilizing updated software and systems. Regularly review and update the dean on capital budgets, overhead recovery, and endowment budgets for monthly, quarterly and/or annually as the budgeting and forecasting cycle requires. Work closely with the VP for Financial Planning and the Associate VP for Planning and Administration within central administration and the Director of Budget and Financial Planning to keep the budget preparation and uploading process flowing smoothly and accurately throughout the year. Analyze endowments to improve and expand CAS’s use of resources and cost savings with an eye for how they may lead to support of research that may help increase research revenue. Ensure the integrity and transparency of budget planning and reporting. Develop and document business policies and procedures for the College. Oversee the monitoring of distribution of effort for all faculty and staff. (20%)
4. Equitable Practices and Distribution of Resources: Enhancing diversity is a major priority of the College and the university as a whole. Continuously analyze the use of resources for maintaining equity for faculty, staff and students, especially in promoting diversity excellence across the College. This includes using resources to advance new strategies to increase diversity in the College through best hiring practices, retention and other approaches in conjunction with the associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the Human Resources Officer in the College. Recommend implementation of strategies to the dean to correct faculty and staff inequities and administrative compensation to ensure that the College is advancing in all aspects of its mission to support education and research across the arts, humanities and sciences using an equity lens. (20%)
5. Human Resources and College Operations: Promote human resources activities to formulate effective execution of strategic initiatives and operations such as supervision of operational staff in budget, human resources, data/strategy, and space/facilities. Ensure efficient workflows and communications between the College operational staff. Work with the director of human resources to proactively resolve various human resource issues/challenges for the College. Provide direction on upholding a customer service-based experience for all faculty, staff and students who work with the College Office. Provide direction on salary administration in the employment process, the annual review process, and the upgrading of existing positions/salaries. Provide direction on staff development and recognition processes. Provide direction to the HR Director, who will be monitoring closely and advising on the personnel management activities of faculty supervisors. Serve as the senior liaison to the university Human Resources office. (10%)
6. Facilities and Space Management: Promote effective use of all College facilities and space (and shared spaces with other units) in conjunction with the associate dean of research, the senior facilities officer and central facilities on planning for construction and renovation projects. Provide direction on the creation, monitoring and updating of the five-year capital plan. Provide direction on the implementation and finalization of individual capital projects through Campus Planning. Collaborate with the director of information technology on planning for the CAS's overall information technology vision. Oversee the management of space and facilities by supervising the Director of Facilities Management in the College. (10%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Perform other duties as assigned. (<1%)

CONTACTS

Department: Regular contact with dean, associate and assistant deans for financial planning and budgetary management. Regular contact with direct reports, department chairs, center directors, and faculty to direct budgetary and college initiatives. Frequent contact with academic administration managers serving as the chief non-academic administrators at the department level to refine budgetary processes and college enhancement initiatives.

University: Represent CAS interests on various university committees, including co-chairing the college’s budget sub-committee. Regular contact with university administrators in the Provost's Office, Finance and Administration, Office of Budget and Financial Planning, Human Resources, Development and Alumni Relations, Office of General Counsel, Research Administration, Office of Research and Technology Management, and other management centers regarding financial, budgetary, faculty, staff, research issues or college strategic initiatives for enhancement.

External: Represent CAS and/or university interests in various external relationships to benchmark and explore best practices. Occasional contact with administrators at other institutions to exchange ideas and gather information and/or best practices. Occasional contact with outside sponsors, alumni, and members of various external committees.

Students: Infrequent contact with students to assess impact of various initiatives.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

This position will have direct supervision of the Director Budget and Financial Planning, Director of Human Resources, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives, and Director, Facilities Management, and co-supervision with the Dean of the Assistant to the Dean for Special Projects.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: 10 years of administrative and financial experience required. Higher education experience preferred.

Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Master's degree preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS

1. Demonstrated supervisory/management skills. Demonstrated leadership ability.
2. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
3. High degree of organization.
4. Demonstrated project management skills. Attention to detail in planning, execution, and follow-up.
5. Strong interpersonal skills, ability to interact with a variety of constituents with “valued customer” approach. Tact and responsiveness.
6. Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors and customers face-to-face.
7. Demonstrated commitment to promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all members of our community.
8. Proven problem-solving skills/ability to identify and analyze options resulting in a solid decision/plan.
9. Commitment and dedication for the general functioning of the College of Arts and Sciences and the university.
10. Ability to work effectively under stress/deadlines.
11. Ability to coordinate a large number of activities.
12. Ability to facilitate/negotiate in personnel matters.
13. High integrity and strong professional standards.
14. Strong accounting skills, including budget and financial analysis.
15. Ability to interpret and assess technology requirements/needs.
16. Ability to function in a Window-based, Microsoft Office environment. Word processing knowledge required.
17. Advanced spreadsheet skills including Excel. Database knowledge. Ability to utilize the e-mail system. Ability to quickly learn and apply new software applications.
18. Familiarity with PeopleSoft.
19. Ability to meet consistent attendance. 
20. Demonstrated ability to work in the complex College of Arts and Sciences which incorporates education, research, highly technical laboratories and equipment and varied funding sources.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Fast-paced, office environment. Highly collaborative. Short lead times and conflicting priorities are common.