Executive Director of Finance and Business (Administrator)

Duties

Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance, the Executive Director for Finance and Business directs the Business Office, comprised of the Bursar, Budget Office, Accounts Payable, Property Management, and Purchasing. The Executive Director for Finance and Business is the college's internal control officer and audit liaison. As a key member of the executive management team, the Executive Director for Finance and Business oversees College financial functions to fulfill strategic goals and contributes to overall College objectives. He/she plans and implements a range of successful programs; and oversees the school’s fiscal operations.

• Provide executive leadership and oversight of all financial operations, including tax-levy and non-tax-levy accounts, ensuring fiscal integrity, transparency, and effective stewardship of institutional resources.
• Partner with executive leadership to strategically align financial planning, budgeting, and resource allocation with institutional priorities and long-term strategic goals.
• Deliver comprehensive financial analysis and forward-looking recommendations to support data-driven decision-making at the executive level.
• Ensure full compliance with CUNY policies, as well as all applicable New York City, New York State, and federal regulations, in addition to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Direct and oversee accounting operations, including account reconciliations, cash management, and financial monitoring processes, to ensure accuracy, accountability, and transparency.
• Establish, implement, and maintain robust internal control frameworks, including segregation of duties, approval protocols, and standardized documentation practices.
• Lead and manage all internal, external, and regulatory audit activities, ensuring continuous audit readiness and the timely resolution of findings and recommendations.
• Oversee the preparation and delivery of accurate and timely financial reports to senior leadership, CUNY Central, and external stakeholders.
• Develop, implement, and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate financial performance, operational efficiency, and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify financial and operational risks and implement proactive mitigation strategies to safeguard institutional assets and ensure continuity of operations.
• Provide executive oversight of complex, high-priority initiatives, including the implementation of Workday, ensuring fiscally responsible outcomes; participate in specialized training and lead local implementation efforts.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate unit leaders, ensuring accountability for performance, regulatory compliance, and high-quality service delivery.
• Foster a culture of financial accountability, ethical conduct, operational excellence, and customer-focused service.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of business principles and administrative practices, including strategic and operational planning, higher education economics, personnel management, regulatory compliance, financial and cost analysis, marketing, and emerging trends within the higher education sector. This position is also required to understand business principals and techniques of administration, organization, and management to include an in-depth understanding of key business issues that exist in the higher education industry. These include, but are not limited to, knowledge of strategic and operational planning, higher education economics, personnel administration, federal, state and local laws, marketing, financial and cost analysis, and trends in the higher education industry.

Qualifications

• This position is in CUNY's Executive Compensation Plan. All executive positions require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree and eight years' related experience.
• Additional qualifications are defined below by the College.
• CUNY TITLE: Associate Administrator Compensation And Benefits
• Salary commensurate with education and experience, $165,000 - $170,000.
• CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off.
• Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.