Job Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Executive Director of Administration & Finance is responsible for overall financial modeling, risk analysis, and staffing strategy for the Division of Student Affairs. The position will take the lead in creating and implementing a long-term financial and human capital plan, integrating the University and Division’s priorities and will oversee and facilitate financial planning, including budget and staffing, modeling, monitoring, analysis and reporting activities. The Executive Director will manage a team of finance and human resources professionals, providing support to the Vice President and Student Affairs Leadership Team. The candidate and their staff will provide financial and human capital guidance and consultation to business managers in Student Affairs departments, performing financial and staffing assessments as directed by the Vice President and Associate Vice President of Operations and Services.  The Executive Director will coordinate activities and work closely with the VP leadership team and other schools/departments across campus as needed on administrative policies, practices and procedures.

Please note: Some evening and weekend work

Specific Responsibilities:

Finance

• Oversee and coordinate all financial planning and budgeting for the division and support rigorous strategic financial planning for Student Affairs. 
• Provide sophisticated leadership to the senior staff and budget administrators to make informed financial decisions that protect the resources of the institution and achieve maximum efficiency of all Student Affairs departments 
• Prepare detailed statistical reports, models, presentations, and financial studies of key variables in the unit’s financial model. 
• Develop and utilize forward-looking, predictive models and activity-based financial analyses to provide insight into the unit’s operations and business plans. 
• Work closely with the Vice President and senior staff to create and then use and extend a long run financial model for the unit. Ensure that the model reflects and informs the Division’s ambitious strategic priorities and their implementation. Develop tools and systems to provide critical financial and operational information to the Vice President and senior staff to make actionable recommendations on both strategy and operations. 
• Develop detailed, strategic action plans to address significant variances to any financial plan.
• Oversee accounting functions to ensure compliance with statutes, regulations and policies and to appropriately manage risk. 
• Ensure adequate internal controls are in place for all key business processes to assure reliability of financial reporting and efficiency and effectiveness of operations 
• Other duties and responsibilities will include: developing long-term cost-effective financing strategies to support unit initiatives; forecasting revenue; determining the fiscal impact of budget allocations; and representing the unit’s financial interests to the various internal and external constituent groups.

Human Resources

• Oversee human capital strategy that enables Student Affairs to recruit, develop, engage, and retain a talented and diverse workforce
• Align staff-related resources, including salary budgets, professional development budgets, and merit process, with the division’s strategic plan
• Regularly review compensation practices and design strategies to promote competitive, equitable pay
• Promote efficient, streamlined workflows for HR processes, such as position vacancies and recruitment
• Ensure fair and inclusive recruitment and selection strategies

Strategic Leadership

• Supervises finance and human resources teams.
• Serve on the Operations and Services Leadership Team.
• Work in partnership with the VP and leadership team to provide ongoing assessments of effectiveness and efficiency, assuring alignment with the mission and goals of the unit and compliance with university policies and requirements; analyze data to support sound business decision making; recommend operational efficiencies.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in Business Administration or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible administration, human capital and financial management experience, preferably in higher education.
• Significant and demonstrated strategic planning and financial analysis experience as well as strong analytical, organization and planning skills for complex business modeling.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Demonstrated understanding of the needs of the various departments within a complex, decentralized, and large division like the Division of Student Affairs in order to evaluate and manage risk and effectively negotiate and structure complex deals.   
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate groups and individuals.
• Able to think creatively and strategically to successfully mediate and negotiate with individuals and groups internally and externally.
• Able to overcome obstacles to cooperation and to foster harmonious relations. 
• Strong project management skills. Able to balance competing priorities, complex situations, and tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills—both upwards and downwards and outside the unit. Ability to lead and communicate orally, in written documents, and in formal presentations is required. Possess a high degree of intellectual curiosity, and the ability to engage with others in addressing complex business issues.
• Extensive experience with Microsoft applications including formulas and pivot tables.

Northwestern requires all staff and faculty to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to limited exceptions. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 and Campus Updates website.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

Link to apply- https://careers.northwestern.edu/psc/hr857prd_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=42656&PostingSeq=1