Director of Finance, Budget & Business Operations
University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado (flexible/hybrid locations included)
Anticipated Start Date: 05/15/2022
Description
The University of Colorado System Administration office (“System Administration”), located in Denver, brings together administrative departments and services centers that provide guidance and services to all of CU's campuses: CU Boulder, CU Colorado Springs, CU Denver and CU Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The university collectively contributes about $12.5 billion to the Colorado economy.
The CU System Office of Advancement (“System Advancement”) is part of System Administration Office, providing excellent customer service, strategy, expertise, and efficiency to our partners on CU’s campuses, Central Advancement, and the University of Colorado Foundation. We support CU’s fundraising and engagement goals through advancement operations that include constituent research and development, data management, business intelligence, technical architecture, annual giving, gift planning, gift administration, marketing and communications, IT, budget and finance, and more. We believe that a balanced office culture is foundational to our success. We build this by bringing together a diverse team of colleagues and infusing our core values—Work Together, Think Big, Be Good and Have Fun — into our work every day.
The Director of Finance, Budget and Business Operations plays a critical role in shaping the financial strategy and operational effectiveness of the System Advancement organization. The role is responsible for leading System Advancement’s finance, budget and business operations activities and providing strategic oversight and direction for its Organizational Development unit. Importantly, the Director works with the System Advancement leadership team to develop and implement multi-year and annual budgets for 20 units totaling nearly $30 million annually. They are responsible for ensuring alignment to System Advancement’s strategic plan and priorities, utilizing financial analysis and budgeting expertise to inform strategic budget, personnel and operational decisions.
The position will report to the Vice President of Advancement Administration and is exempt from the state of Colorado Classified Staff System.
Where You Will Work
The CU System Office of Advancement follows a “flexibility first” approach to work that defines how we manage and make use of in-person time. As a fully remote position, this role will work remotely with the exception of four separate callback weeks per year— when all our colleagues are expected to be together in the office. During callback weeks, this role is expected to work from the CU System office at 1800 Grant St. in Denver, Colorado. Any additional in-office time will be determined by this roles direct manager.
Diversity and Equity
The University of Colorado System Administration Office is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce. The university strives to promote a culture of inclusiveness, respect, communication and understanding. We encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons within the LGBTQ+ community and all veterans.
Responsibilities
Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:
Budget Development, Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting: The Director provides high quality, creative and solutions-oriented budget leadership, advice, and counsel at the unit and department levels. This position works independently and must have a thorough understanding of the department, its budget, and various CU and Advancement policies, procedures, and guidelines to be successful.
Lead the multi-year and annual budgeting processes with a focus on aligning resources to strategic priorities and maximizing organizational resources to provide the greatest value to the entire CU Advancement enterprise, including its four campuses and the CU Foundation.
Work with unit managers and leadership on budgeting needs by assisting with expense identification, license tracking, project spending, facilities management and temporary funds allocation and management.
Provide budget to actual financial reporting to budget managers, project teams and leadership team on an agreed upon cadence; work with managers, directors, and leadership to identify and resolve issues.
Review and assess current budget processes and determine opportunities to enhance and streamline processes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Support complex cross-campus governance and budget activities, including shared budget and charge-back models for collaborative systems and operations.
Perform fiscal forecasting and modeling, including the creation of graphs and visualizations to proactively anticipate budgetary issues and to inform strategic decision making.
Financial Management and Accounting: The Director is responsible for all accounting and financial transactions for the department, maintaining proper controls, and ensuring financial management to ensure each unit’s financial activity is in alignment with the budget and stated financial goals.
Serve as a strategic leader and partner to the leadership team and budget managers by analyzing monthly and annual financial results and providing recommendations including account projections, spending trends and System Advancement’s overall financial position.
Review monthly financial reports and journal entries to ensure accurate coding, expense management and long-term budget management.
Reconcile monthly financial statements against all records to ensure that all expenses and credits (sources and uses) are appropriate; direct team and partners to make adjusting entries as needed.
Track and supervise consultant and vendor progress on projects and contracts.
Manage year end close procedures including encumbrance management, accruals, cash balance, and roll forward identification.
Purchasing, Travel, and Expense Reimbursement Management: Serve as System Advancement’s subject matter authority regarding procurement, travel, and expense reimbursement processes, partnering with the Procurement Service Center (PSC) as necessary.
Manage purchasing activities, ensuring compliance for all purchase orders, contracts, procurement card programs, and expense reimbursements.
Coordinate and oversee high-value purchases and requests for proposals in coordination with the PSC and in alignment with university processes.
Supervise and guide members of System Advancement through the procurement process, ensuring adherence to university spending policies and efficient workflow management.
Approve all requisitions and invoices, as well as review purchase and travel card reports to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Provide guidance on procurement processes, track licensing and contract renewals, and collaborate with IT unit leads on shared services and project planning and budgeting efforts.
Organizational Development: Provide leadership, strategic direction and management of the organizational development function for System Advancement, focusing on personnel management and team culture.
Serve as a supporting member of the System Advancement Leadership team, leading and informing decisions related to department culture, organizational design and the strategic deployment of resources to maximize constituent engagement and fundraising outcomes for CU.
Partners closely with the Assistant Director of Organizational Development to ensure that personnel budgets and strategies align to strategic outcomes around retention, succession planning, and talent management.
Provide strategic direction on organizational development programs that impact System Advancement’s culture, employee engagement, training, professional development and performance management.
Ensure alignment between System Advancement and System Administration Employee Services goals and activities to maximize resources and outcomes.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the effectiveness of organizational development initiatives. Adjust strategies based on data-driven insights to achieve desired outcomes.
Lead and support change management efforts related to organizational development initiatives, ensuring that changes are communicated effectively and that team members are supported throughout the transition process.
Provide strategic guidance on System Advancement’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Team Management and Development: The Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction for the Finance, Budget and Business Operations and Organizational Development units by building positive relationships with employees, providing mentoring and motivational support, and championing a work culture that challenges, respects, and engages staff.
Lead and manage the Finance & Administration Specialist and a student employee to develop and manage System Advancement’s budget, procure contracts, execute gift accounting activities and manage System Advancement’s office space.
Serve as the product owner for the Finance, Budget and Business Operations unit.
Provide strategic oversight and direction for the Organizational Development unit, including the Assistant Director of Organizational Development, Organizational Development Specialist and a student employee.
Drive the creation, implementation and or maintenance of budget and operational guidelines and procedures
Champion consistency and efficiency across the entire System Advancement organization by educating and communicating with team members regarding departmental processes, purpose and value.
Ensure a culture of excellence and accountability, focused on positively impacting System Advancement’s operations, culture and mission to serve the campuses and CU Foundation.
Additional Activities: Support additional projects and activities as determined by the Vice President of Advancement Administration.
Create and maintain strategic partnerships with internal and external partners such as System Advancement’s Leadership Team, Executive Director of Data and Technology, Sr. Director for Information Technology and budget managers as well as System Administration’s Procurement Service Center, Budget and Finance Office and Employee Services.
Manage special projects and tasks as assigned including requests from team managers and the Leadership team.
Participate in leadership and director meetings, and cross-unit panels, System and cross-campus committees, including Advancement Data and Technology council.
Requirements
Please ensure your resume includes any and all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against these qualifications. You must meet all minimum requirements listed at the time of application to be considered for this role.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience
Seven (7) years professional experience in finance, non-profit management, fundraising, gift/grant administration and/or field related to the work performed.
Five (5) years of experience in a team lead or supervisory role, which may include assigning and reviewing the work of others, providing direction to internal and external team members, and/or assisting management with performance review
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s or post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the field of finance, non-profit management, or other related areas.
Ten (10) years professional experience as indicated above
Six (6) years of experience in a team lead or supervisory role, which may include assigning and reviewing the work of others, providing direction to internal and external team members, and/or assisting management with performance review
Experience working in higher education, university advancement or at a large non-profit organization
Familiar with a wide range of human resource and/or organizational development concepts, practices or procedures
A knowledge of Information Technology concepts, tools, and vernacular
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
To be successful in this position, employees will need to know the following:
Prior experience developing and managing a complex multi-million-dollar budget and multi-year projections
Understanding of operations management principles and best practices
Knowledge of general accounting principles, processes, and standard methodologies
Analytical and problem-solving skills to examine data, metrics and trends to make informed decisions and drive results
Ability to prepare and present financial analyses, schedules, and plans to a broad range of audiences
Ability to quickly identify issues and recommend solutions
Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple and concurrent and competing responsibilities, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining personal effectiveness.
Ability to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze and synthesize complex business information and translate it into budgets and analyses
Experience connecting resourcing decisions to strategic priorities across multiple functional areas
Ability to adjust strategies and processes in response to changing business environments and challenges
Employee management, supervision, and team building experience, including the ability to train and mentor others, communicate effectively, resolve issues, acknowledge successes, and build and maintain accountability for reportees
Ability to work independently with minimal direct supervision and reliable professional judgment, as well as collaboratively with a team to achieve desired results
Collaboration skills to work with others from different areas and backgrounds to reach a common goal
Digital literacy to use Microsoft Office programs (i.e. Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, etc.) and learn and experiment with new software and systems
Organizational skills to set and meet goals, manage appointments, create schedules, coordinate and facilitate meetings, and make decisions
Knowledge of customer service principles and standard processes, including customer needs assessments, meeting quality service standards, and evaluating customer happiness
Excellent oral, written, and listening communication skills to accurately interpret what others are saying and convey and effectively present messages, information, concepts, and details clearly
Interpersonal skills to facilitate interaction, communication, and teamwork between others
High comfort level with IT purchasing needs such as licensing costs and use of consultants.
Salary Range and Employee Benefits
The anticipated hiring range has been established at $142,000-$150,000.
Benefits: With our unparalleled range of benefits, including top-notch healthcare, comprehensive wellness programs, enriching professional development, and a dynamic work-life balance, we ensure your holistic growth and happiness.
How to Apply for this Job
For full consideration completed applications must be submitted by 12/20/2024. Reference checking is a standard step in our hiring process. You may be asked to provide contact information, including email addresses, for up to five references as part of the search process for this position. Please note: All application materials must be submitted through CU Careers; emailed materials will not be considered.
The University of Colorado will be closed for winter break from December 23, 2024 to January 1, 2025. Because of this, you will receive an update to your application status after January 1st.
About the Organization
The University of Colorado plays a profound role in the lives of individuals, businesses and communities throughout Colorado, across the country and around the world. More than a half million alumni are leaders in business, science, the arts, health care and their communities, and they’re joined by some 15,000 more each year. In Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver, all four campuses are all for Colorado.
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