Director, Finance and Administration

About the role

Rice University seeks a Director of Finance and Administration to manage and oversee multiple operational support functions serving the Development and Alumni Relations Division. This includes finance, budget, IT desktop support, and office management for approximately 160 staff members.

Responsibilities

• Provides operational support and serves as divisional expert on campus enterprise system (Oracle) for financial reporting, procurement, and expense reporting processes.
• Collaborates with the Talent Management team in Development and Alumni Relations on hiring divisional staff.
• Manages a divisional budget of approximately $21M and facilitates the annual budget process, providing reports/metrics to the executive leadership team.
• Maintains databases and provides oversight for tracking divisional expenditures.
• Manages space allocation and directs/coordinates facilities maintenance and security access for staff areas.
• Develops, refines, interprets, and implements policies for the division.
• Oversees the IT effort in the division, including the installation, support, and security of desktop systems.
• Directly manages two administrative staff and one IT staff member, with indirect oversight of the receptionist and reception function.
• Accountable for the professional development and performance of direct reports.
• Maintains contact with various administrators on campus and attends administrator and finance forums, staying up to date on university initiatives and the potential impact on the division.

Requirements

• Demonstrated leadership, supervisory, planning and change management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to influence people, solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively and resolve conflicts.
• Advanced financial expertise in budget planning and financial forecasting.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office suite.
• Maturity in judgment and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Skills

• Master’s Degree preferred.
• 5+ years of related professional experience described above.
• Previous work in a similar role at Rice University, or at another university or non-profit organization.
• Familiarity with fund accounting.
• Experience in collaborating with executive-level leadership.
• Ability to translate executive leadership needs into understandable and actionable items.
• Strong computer skills in a Windows environment with ability to import, export, and analyze financial data.
• Relevant financial industry certifications.

Workplace Requirements

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Rice Mission and Values

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities.

If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support. If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.