Director of Finance and Research Programs

Position Purpose

The Director of Research and Finance provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for financial and administrative functions within the School of Engineering, including the management of research-related funding and broader School financial activities. The Director supports the Assistant Dean with financial planning, budget development, and resource stewardship across the School, ensuring effective and compliant management of funds from grants, gifts, internal allocations, and other funding sources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Financial Oversight and Support for the School of Engineering (35%): Support comprehensive financial planning, forecasting, and analysis to support School-wide budgeting, resource allocation, and long-term financial sustainability. Operate as a strategic and operational partner to School leadership, ensuring financial, research, and administrative functions are aligned with institutional priorities and executed with consistency and rigor.

• Research Funding Oversight (25%): Oversee financial management of research-related funding, including grants, contracts, gifts, and internal awards, ensuring compliance with university policies and external regulations. Monitor and analyze research funding activity, including indirect cost recovery and expenditure trends, to support strategic growth.

• Interdisciplinary Program and Operational Administration (20%): Provide administrative oversight for interdisciplinary programs and initiatives, including budget development, tracking, and reconciliation. Support Program Directors with operational needs not otherwise covered by department resources, including hiring processes, financial transactions, and administrative coordination.

• Sponsored Project Support (10%): Provide School-level administrative and financial support for sponsored projects in coordination with principal investigators and SPO office. Assist with proposal preparation as needed, budget questions, and post-award financial management activities as directed by SPO.

• Other Assigned Duties (10%): Provides work direction, manages school of engineering laboratory personnel regarding processes, performance, policies, and budgetary matters; this role does not include direct technical support.

Qualifications

• Knowledge: Solid understanding and ability to apply GAAP.

• Skills: Outstanding organizational and project management skills and data management acuity. Excellent interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills. Demonstrated knowledge of MS Office/GoogleDocs required; Microsoft Access, advanced data analytics in Excel preferred.

• Abilities: Ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment. Effects change through a series of steps to successfully influence others indirectly to gain support. Facile with a variety of communications skills to apply appropriate language or forms of reasoning to deliver messages that ensure successful outcomes. Entrepreneurial spirit, flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to respond spontaneously when opportunities arise. Creative mindset, openness to change, and enthusiasm for collaborative program development. Demonstrated ability to drive projects from inception to completion. Excellent judgment, attention to detail, and ability to be self-directed and take initiative. Ability to work non-traditional hours.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Management preferred.

• Years of Experience: 5 years of experience within finance, accounting, or a student services department preferred. Specific work in a higher education institution involving direct faculty, student, and staff contact and supervisory or management experience; HR experience preferred.