Director Of Finance & Administration- Tickle College Of Engineering

Director of Finance & Administration

The University: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), is the state’s flagship research institution, a campus of choice for outstanding undergraduates, and a premier graduate institution. Enrolling 31,500 students, the campus is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and beautiful East Tennessee. As a land-grant university, it is committed to excellence in learning, scholarship, and engagement. In all its activities, the university aims to advance the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate society. The university values intellectual curiosity, diversity, pursuit of knowledge, and academic freedom and integrity. The University of Tennessee seeks candidates who can contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the campus colleges and university. UTK offers competitive benefits. More information is found: Employee Benefits Summary

The College: Since 1838, the Tickle College of Engineering has been committed to graduating students who are ready to thrive in and contribute to the State of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. Programs spanning most major engineering fields are offered, with several nationally ranked among the top 30 of all public institutions. Many of our graduates have risen to top positions in industry, government, and academia, including nine astronauts who have literally risen, spending a collective 1,000 days (and counting!) in space: http://www.engr.utk.edu/

The Position: The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications and nominations for the Director of Finance & Administration (F&A). The Director oversees the TCE business office which manages consolidated expenditures of more than $163 million. This office oversees the financial and personnel activities of the college for 7 academic departments, 6 centers, and 15 college level departments. The position has two direct exempt reports. The Director reports to and advises the Assistant Dean of F&A on the financial impact of strategic development and growth initiatives in the college as well as implications related to federal, state, and university policies.

Responsibilities:

Financial Management:

• Prepares, summarizes, and analyzes college unit budget requests and provides recommendations to the Assistant Dean to strategically utilize all available funding sources.

• Allocates / Reallocates resources to align with strategic plan as directed by Assistant Dean.

• Oversees donor endowments and gifts in alignment with designated restrictions.

• Manages endowed professorship funds (40+), and associated Chancellor's matching funds, and collaborates with the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs on professorship creation and renewals to promote and increase faculty retention.

• Initiates/approves budget transfers from college accounts to departments, centers, and other University colleges and business units. Calculates and distributes annual RIF, distance education, and summer school revenue to departments.

• Manages the year-end process for TCE departments, centers, and college units. Prepares spreadsheets and required documentation for the office of budget and finance (OBF). Reviews year-end carryover requests for departments and centers, summarizes, and submits college requests to OBF.

• Reviews academic departments annual faculty incentive plans (FIP) and corresponding spreadsheets accuracy and coordinates dean approval.

• Maintains the structure of our business systems to support college operations.

• Ensures compliance with federal, state and university policies.

Strategic Planning, Financial Reporting, & Analysis:

• Prepares, implements, and evaluates strategic plan for TCE business office. Collaborates with assistant dean to prepare finance & administration department strategic plan.

• Provides weekly updates to the assistant dean of finance & administration for ongoing activities and projects.

• Prepares monthly financial summary and analysis, including forecasting, for college level units for use in strategic planning and budgeting.

• Prepares quarterly financial summary and analysis, including forecasting, for academic departments and centers for use in strategic planning and budgeting.

• Collects annual summary of differential tuition (DT) usage from academic departments. Analyzes DT data and provides an annual college summary with recommendations to strategically improve funding utilization to the Assistant Dean and Dean.

• Completes annual analysis of unspent donor funding. Collaborates with academic departments and college units to strategically develop and maintain donor spending plans. Provides recommendations to the Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Development to improve utilization of donor funding.

• Analyzes GTA position usage and collaborates with academic units to strategically utilize all available budgeted positions.

• Prepares the TCE annual financial summary of expenditures by unit and PI research activity reports for use in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and US News and World Reports annual surveys and for distribution to all departments, centers, and college units for annual faculty evaluation purposes and annual evaluation of department, center, college unit, and UTSI financial health. Provides financial and HR data for ABET accreditation.

• Monitors monthly ledger reconciliation compliance for all college units including UTSI.

• Prepares data queries and prepares ad hoc reports. Responds to a variety of inquiries by Office of Budget and Finance, Provost Office, DRA, Graduate School, ORIED, etc.

Human Resource Administration

• Oversees the human resource management and administration of the college.

• Monitors monthly effort certification compliance for all college units including UTSI.

• Develops spreadsheets and analyzes faculty data for use by the Assistant Dean and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs to support faculty hiring, retention, and promotion.

• Develops spreadsheets and analyzes staff data for use by the Assistant Dean to support staff hiring, retention, and promotion.

• Supports and promotes the college diversity action plan in order to attract and retain a diverse population in the college.

• Supports the university's strategic HR plans and policies.

• Recruits, hires, on-boards, and mentors direct staff and other key financial/HR staff in the college.

TCE unit support:

• Directs and advises TCE administration, business managers, financial staff, directors, and department heads, interpreting financial policies and procedures, as well as disseminating new ones, developing new procedures, and providing training as needed.

• Works directly with college academic departments, centers, and administrative units to identify and implement process improvements and best practices to streamline processes, increase efficiencies and customer service, and reduce financial and compliance risks.

• Assists TCE units with business office vacancies, including filling in for vacant positions as needed, assesses opportunities for process resets and improvements and identifies and assists with training needs for new and existing staff.

• Collaborates with departments and campus units to establish best practices.

• Serves on various college and campus level work groups and committees.

Required Qualifications:

Education: A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or other closely related field from an accredited institution.

Experience: Ten years’ of progressive accounting or finance experience in a complex organization including management/oversight of multiple units. Experience providing advice, guidance, and analysis to leadership. Experience supervising associates at various levels of engagement including accounting staff and support staff.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of professional integrity, including a thorough understanding of confidentiality

• Ability to work with cross-functional teams, build and nurture relationships

• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with a wide variety of groups and individuals

• Ability to create systems for efficient workflow and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

• Ability to lead, motivate, mentor, and inspire people to high performance and engagement

• Ability to identify trends in data, identify actionable options based on those trends, make decisions related to those trends and implement organizational change based on data and trends

• Ability to analyze and forecast financial statements

• Outstanding planning, problem-solving, analytical, organization, project management, and customer service skills

• Efficient in GAAP, FAR, Uniform Guidance and other government policies

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, complex spreadsheets, and database management

Preferred Qualifications:

Education: A master’s degree in business administration, public administration, or Master of Accountancy. CPA or CMA certification.

Experience: Work history related to post-award management of grants and contracts. Experience at an academic institution. Experience with human resource management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Broad based and in-depth knowledge of the higher education industry

• Knowledge of university policies and Uniform Guidance

• Working knowledge of IRIS / SAP

• Knowledge of employment laws and practices

• Knowledge of Banner and Taleo

Salary: Market Range of MR16. The salary for this position is commensurate with experience and other qualifications and is accompanied by a standard university benefits package.

Application Process: A review of all applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, all applicants must electronically submit a letter of interest, resume, and the names, addresses and phone numbers of three professional references.