Assistant Director, Finance Business Services (Hybrid Schedule)

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building: Studebaker
• Salary Range: $95,000 - $110,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Administration, the Assistant Director partners closely with divisional and departmental leadership to strengthen financial stewardship, operational effectiveness, and compliance across central Finance.

The Assistant Director functions as the operational and strategic second-in-command to the Director, exercising delegated authority to lead financial operations, provide executive-level financial guidance to divisional department heads, and make budget-related decisions in alignment with university policy and strategic priorities.

The Assistant Director serves as the primary designee in the Director's absence, ensuring continuity in financial reporting, budgeting, auditing, and day-to-day operations. In this capacity, the Assistant Director is authorized to represent the Director in leadership meetings, provide financial guidance, and approve financial transactions and commitments in accordance with university policies and delegated authority thresholds.

The Assistant Director is a working manager, a "Coach - Player" role that supports the Financial Business Services (FBS) team in strategic planning, including annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, as well as the monthly financial close, reporting, analysis, operational tasks, and special projects. The Assistant Director partners with Finance division teams and departments across the University to advance strategic financial objectives and design/implement responsive policies and procedures, recommend internal controls, and drive continuous process improvement.

This role requires the ability to independently assess financial risk, interpret policy, and make sound fiscal determinations that protect institutional resources while enabling operational success.

The successful incumbent will assume a proactive, persistent approach to follow-up, ensuring that initiatives, deliverables, and outstanding issues are seen through to completion. Additionally, the Assistant Director should exhibit strong interpersonal presence and engagement, actively building relationships across departments, communicating transparently, and fostering collaboration through a visible, approachable, and highly responsive work style.

Responsibilities

Primary areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

Budgeting / Forecasting

• Develop and implement comprehensive financial planning and budgeting practices in partnership with leadership.
• Collaborate with departments to develop quarterly forecasts and annual budget submissions.
• Establish and maintain robust reporting and internal control systems to monitor expenses against budgeted sources and transfers.
• Advise divisional leadership on financial trade-offs, funding strategies, and long-range budget sustainability.

Analysis / Reporting

• Conduct variance analysis and forecasting for major revenue and expense categories.
• Provide strategic financial guidance to department heads, aligning budgets with departmental goals, resolving complex financial issues, and ensuring compliance with University policy.]
• Serve as a knowledgeable and reliable advisor to divisional department heads, offering clear interpretation of financial data, policy implications, and risk considerations to support executive decision-making.
• Assist with report automation and enhanced financial reporting of budgets, financial data, and key metrics to inform senior leadership decision-making.
• Create and prepare recurring and ad hoc financial reports to support transparency and accountability.
• Present financial analyses and recommendations to senior leadership and represent the division in cross-functional financial planning discussions.

Financial Accounting

• Manage monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes, ensuring accuracy and integrity of financial transactions.
• Manage journal entries and postings, ensuring compliance with University standards, approvals, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure continued compliance with all University and affiliate policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Exercise approval authority for financial transactions, journal entries, reconciliations, and corrective actions in accordance with internal control requirements.
• Escalate material financial risks to the Director while independently resolving routine and moderately complex compliance matters.

Operations

• Coordinate purchasing activities, including processing and approving expenditure (i.e., invoices, expense reports, and requisitions).
• Manage purchase orders and contract renewals to support operational continuity.
• Work closely with the Procurement Services team on purchase orders, contracts, and renewals within established thresholds and ensure appropriate funding source validation.
• Proactively review and streamline financial processes and procedures.
• Lead and contribute to special projects and operational initiatives as needed.
• Oversee financial workflow prioritization and ensure operational continuity across the FBS team.

Leadership

• Partner closely with the Director and Senior Financial Analyst to implement strategic financial initiatives.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to departments, meeting 1:1 to provide guidance and promote sound financial practices and accountability.
• Assist in the oversight of Student Casuals and/or temporary staff.
• Provide functional supervision, mentorship, and performance guidance to team members as delegated by the Director.
• Act as primary designee in the Director's absence, ensuring continuity of financial and operational functions.
• Assume full operational leadership of Financial Business Services during the Director's absence, including decision-making authority related to budgeting, expenditure approvals, compliance determinations, and financial communications.
• Represent the division in internal and external meetings requiring financial leadership, ensuring consistent and authoritative fiscal guidance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience using an ERP system.
• Experience in using technology to improve processes and create efficiencies.
• Advanced degree in a related field and/or CPA.
• Leadership and management experience.
• Experience in higher education or a complex, not-for-profit organization.

Other Requirements

• Expert-level experience in Excel.
• Demonstrated comprehensive financial reporting responsibility in a large, complex organization.
• Strong data analysis and modeling skills, including forecasting, variance analysis, data metrics, and financial statement analysis.
• Desire to adopt new software and technology tools.
• The successful candidate must be a strategic thinker with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively gain support of and lead stakeholders to a common goal.
• Build collaborative relationships across all levels of the Finance staff; demonstrate professional resilience and composure, respond constructively to feedback, and navigate challenging situations with confidence and emotional intelligence.
• Embrace challenges and take initiative to tackle new assignments with attention to continuous improvement.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including active listening skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, takes initiative, attention to detail, and ability to establish priorities and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Ability to work closely and effectively with a diverse group of university administrators, as well as work independently and collaboratively as a team member.
• Must demonstrate the use of tact and discretion and be able to handle confidential information with excellent judgment.
• Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.