Assistant Director of Housing – Business Services Director

About the role

The Division of University Housing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking an experienced financial professional for the position of Director of Business Services. University Housing is a forward-looking and innovative organization with a well-established tradition of excellence. This position reports directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration/Director of University Housing and is a member of the senior leadership team for the Division, as well as a highly visible partner on the university campus.

The Business Services Director provides strategic vision, leadership, and oversight to ensure the long-term financial stability and operational effectiveness of the Division of University Housing. This position leads the Business Services team through the direct and indirect supervision of approximately eight employees and serves as a trusted subject matter expert for internal and external stakeholders, including campus committees, workgroups, and institutional leadership. As a member of the Division's Leadership Team, the Director contributes to overall management of the Division, including policy development, strategic planning, and organizational decision-making. Leadership Team members are responsible for advancing the Division's mission, vision, and core values through collaborative leadership and strategic stewardship.

In addition, the Director serves on the Division's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) Executive Management Team, providing leadership and guidance to support business continuity, risk management, and organizational resilience initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Direct strategic planning initiatives and establish objectives for multiple finance functional areas to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources and alignment with the strategic plan
• Provide strategic leadership of Housing's financial operations, including budget development, forecasting, capital planning, debt management, and long-term financial sustainability
• Direct accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting functions to ensure accurate financial management, analysis, and organizational decision support
• Ensure compliance and strengthen internal controls by overseeing financial policies, regulatory requirements, risk management, and audit activities
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of financial systems, processes, and procedures to enhance operational efficiency and accountability
• Supervise and develop financial and administrative teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, customer service, and continuous improvement
• Serve as a strategic advisor and business partner to Housing leadership and stakeholders, providing financial analysis, recommendations, and guidance to support organizational goals
• Exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Provide a clear onboarding program for Business Services staff
• Demonstrate the ability and willingness to delegate effectively and to hold direct reports accountable; promote the professional growth and development of the entire team
• Be a strong decision-maker, with transparency in decision-making and management; the ability to make good, consistent, and fair decisions
• Provide a comprehensive and continuous program to support retention of employees including professional development, training, and coaching for all Business Services staff
• Serve as a divisional representative and subject matter expert to institutional leadership and internal and external stakeholders, providing financial direction and information, fostering collaborative relationships across multiple functional areas, and representing the interests of the division
• Work with and support cross-functional teams and foster teamwork
• Be proactive and positive; interact professionally with a diverse group of associates, peers, managers, suppliers, clients, and customers
• Participate in the development, maintenance, and monitoring of automated financial information systems and budgets, and disseminate updates and results to leadership when appropriate
• Oversee, review, develop, recommend, and implement policies and procedures for internal and external financial reporting, budgeting, and financial operations
• Serve on the Divisional leadership team
• Serve as a member of the Executive Management Team (EMT) for University Housing's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP); authorized and expected to activate COOP as needed; provide leadership and make decisions regarding emergency management and/or the COOP plan whenever the plan is partially or fully activated; provide after-hours contact information
• Determine personnel needs and the personnel resource allocation plan
• Partner with Housing Human Resources to ensure a holistic plan for personnel resource planning and forecasting

Requirements

• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in Finance and Business Service leadership role(s) including supervision of finance and business services staff
• Three (3) years of supervisory experience
• Experience generating long-term financial forecasts for complex organizations
• Strong background in internal controls, financial information systems, budget, and customer service

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in Finance and Business Service leadership role(s) including supervision of finance and business services staff
• Experience in the financial leadership of a university housing system or other university auxiliary enterprise
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to exercise sound judgment decision-making based on accurate and timely analyses
• Understanding of business-related legal matters
• Experience presenting financial analyses and recommendations to senior leadership
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial audiences

Education

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field required
• Master's degree in business administration/finance or related field preferred
• CPA certification preferred

Compensation

The starting annual salary is $185,000 or higher based on qualifications with a competitive retirement and benefits package, including vacation, holidays, and paid time off.

Schedule

Primary schedule is 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Extra hours as priorities dictate; schedule will be determined at time of offer. University Housing is a 24/7 operation and may require the Director to be available for late night or weekend work/events.

Benefits

Competitive retirement and benefits package including vacation, holidays, and paid time off. Detailed benefits information is available at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/.

Department Overview

The Division of University Housing houses over 9,000 residents within 21 residence halls and 2,400 residents in three graduate and family apartment neighborhoods. University Housing's Dining program serves the residents of the residence halls, as well as all UW–Madison students, faculty, staff, and the public. University Housing's annual budget is just over $150 million. Food is provided through a number of venues across campus, including dining markets, coffee shops, and convenience stores. The Division employs over 475 full-time employees and 2,00