Executive Director, Academic Affairs Finance & Administration (INTERNAL)

INTERNAL UH CENTRAL APPLICANTS ONLY

About the role

The Executive Director, Academic Affairs Finance & Administration for the Office of the Provost provides assistance in the oversight of division-wide financial planning, budgeting, business operations, compliance, and human resources management and serves as a resource to the chief business officers (CBAs) in the academic colleges and the Library.

Assists in the oversight of financial and budget operations for the Division of Academic Affairs; including assisting the Assistant Provost with the annual budgeting process, ensuring financial accountability and compliance with state, university and external funding agency guidelines, and assisting in the development and implementation of division-wide business processes and best practices. Conducts division-wide mock-audit to ensure compliance with state and university policies and procedures. Assists the Sr Exec Dir, Business Ops (AA) in pre- and post-audit activities for the division.

Provides assistance to the Assistant Provost in the implementation of organizational decisions. This includes working on special projects, developing training workshops, and generating custom reports. Manages faculty hiring, start up, and budget allocation databases in Finance & Administration. Oversees Monthly Checklist process for division. Serves as a resource to the CBAs in each college for all administration, budget, finance, and faculty hiring related inquiries. Monitors budget and equity balances for the division. Participates in onboarding/training for new CBAs.

Serves as the primary approver for all exempt staff hiring and job change actions at the division level. Oversees CBA work product for all actions that require Provost review/approval. Serves as primary reviewer to conduct compliance audits for procurement and contractual documents including contracts, amendments, MOUs, affiliation agreements, extension agreements, and revenue agreements requiring VP approval within Academic Affairs division.

Analyzes financial data using CoogPlan (Hyperion), PeopleSoft queries, and the Student Dashboard, and produces customized reports on college financials for executive leadership. Acts as central point of contact for all colleges; reviews and analyzes data submitted from all units; prepares consolidated reports/responses. Facilitates all business-oriented documents submitted by colleges for Provost-level approval. Researches, assesses, and manages the resolution of highly complex issues related to college interface activities as needed.

Performs other job-related duties as required.

Responsibilities

• Assist in division-wide financial planning, budgeting, and business operations.
• Ensure financial accountability and compliance with state, university, and external funding agency guidelines.
• Conduct division-wide mock-audits and assist in pre- and post-audit activities.
• Support the Assistant Provost in implementing organizational decisions, including special projects, training workshops, and custom reports.
• Manage faculty hiring, start-up, and budget allocation databases.
• Oversee the Monthly Checklist process for the division.
• Serve as a resource for CBAs on administration, budget, finance, and faculty hiring inquiries.
• Monitor budget and equity balances for the division.
• Participate in onboarding and training for new CBAs.
• Serve as the primary approver for exempt staff hiring and job change actions at the division level.
• Oversee CBA work product requiring Provost review/approval.
• Conduct compliance audits for procurement and contractual documents (contracts, amendments, MOUs, affiliation agreements, etc.).
• Analyze financial data using CoogPlan (Hyperion), PeopleSoft queries, and the Student Dashboard.
• Prepare customized reports on college financials for executive leadership.
• Act as the central point of contact for all colleges; review and analyze data from all units.
• Facilitate business-oriented documents submitted by colleges for Provost-level approval.
• Research, assess, and manage the resolution of complex issues related to college interface activities.

Requirements

• Thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical, or professional discipline; or basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline.
• Knowledge obtained through a formal, directly job-related 4-year degree from a college or university or equivalent specialized training.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of directly job-related experience.

Qualifications

• Higher Education experience and familiarity with current and future trends and developments.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain budget and finance concepts clearly.
• Service leadership skills, including mutual respect, active listening, responsiveness, empathy, advocacy, and transparency.
• Ability to multitask, stay organized, and work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to clearly interpret and implement policies and procedures.
• Highest level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to identify opportunities for improvement within workflow and business processes.
• Experience supporting strategic planning and aligning budget creation with strategic priorities.
• Experience managing contracts.
• Experience with university workflow processes (e.g., SAP Concur, PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, HR and finance workflows, PageUp).
• Highest level of professionalism and respect for confidentiality.
• Ability to interact with all levels of internal and external constituents.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree preferred.