Assistant Dean, Law School Finance & Business Administration

Duties

and Responsibilities:

Financial Administration

• Serves as the chief budget officer for the law school, developing, planning and administering all law school budgets.
• Through direction, training, supervision, guidance and delegation of duties, is responsible for the fiscal management and control of complex department budgets and private gifts and grants.
• Monitors university and state/federal policies to ensure compliance with administrative and financial policies and procedures.
• Responsible for compliance in all activities involving purchasing, employee expense reimbursements, contracting, payroll, personnel, safety and facilities management.
• Serves as advisor, mentor and liaison to law school supervisors and budget managers on budget, personnel, space and administrative policies and procedures.
• Evaluates department activities and makes modifications and changes to enhance quality and effectiveness of administration on an ongoing basis.
• Participates in pre-award development of grant budgets to ensure that the law school does not have financial exposure and to assess personnel and space commitments.
• Prepares complex, detailed reports and analyses for internal and external constituencies.
• Researches, plans, negotiates, acquires, and maximizes resources to accomplish the goals and mission of the law school.
• Justifies need for additional budget, new equipment, and minor capital outlay (MCO) funding.
• Oversees approval of all journal entries; expense reports; salary; activity pay; departmental expenses; third party contracts and reimbursement requests including account coding within the university financial system.
• Participates in all budget committees and taskforces.
• Approves and processes all budget appropriations, including updating EPM as needed.

Strategic Planning

• In collaboration with senior leadership and the Dean:
• Prepares three to five-year financial plan scenarios to evaluate anticipated changes in law school enrollment forecasts.
• Develops detailed business cases to articulate, justify and document changes to law school programs, policies, processes, systems and staffing.
• Links the academic goals to the budget process and advocates for financial support from the university and/or redistributes existing resources to support strategic initiatives.
• Identifies obstacles and risks to achieving goals and provides solutions and action plans.
• Implements policies, procedures and processes to plan for future needs.

Personnel Administration

• Oversees the coordination of law school job descriptions, staff and administrator recruitment, annual performance evaluations, corrective action, medical and other leaves of absence, reclassifications, and voluntary and involuntary separations.
• Coordinates annual merit review process for all law school employees.
• Approves all personnel paperwork.
• Facilitates discussions and implementation of solutions to resolve interdepartmental conflicts.

Operations Administration

• Provides financial data analysis and reporting for all law school annual reports and surveys.
• Oversees resource allocation for various law school events.
• Provides strategic direction for law school faculty support team
• Oversees the development and review of faculty support processes and procedures.
• Provides strategic direction for law school IT services including administrative and academic needs.
• Develops and manages space utilization plan to maximize operational efficiencies and provide consistent standards.
• Provide strategic direction for major renovation work in three buildings.
• Oversees building, room, equipment, and personnel allocation.
• Oversees management of space allocation, including moves, additions and changes.

Department Management

• Exercises supervisory responsibility for staff, ensuring the accomplishment of departmental goals by establishing standards of conduct, performance expectations, and providing direction and feedback.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must have integrity and the ability to identify and correct business practices which jeopardize the financial strength or reputation of the law school.

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Job Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Business or Public Administration or related field required.
• Ten years of professional management experience in strategic planning, organizational operations, budgeting, and financial analysis required. Knowledge of university and grant accounting preferred. Similar experience in ABA-approved law school(s) is valued.
• Requires extensive experience in spreadsheet modeling, forecasting, financial analyses, budget development and cost control; marketing and communication practices; and logistics including contract review and analysis; technology operations including administrative and academic solutions.
• Requires considerable knowledge of and experience in personnel management including employee relations, staff employee performance management, corrective action, and voluntary and involuntary separations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of Workday, Concur and Hyperion/EPM preferred.

Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Administrative, management and leadership experience encompassing the application of management principles, practices, and techniques in a complex department.
• Willingness to accept responsibility, establish objectives and priorities, deal effectively with problems, and exercise independent judgment when making decisions.
• Ability to work collaboratively with law school senior leadership team.
• Ability to handle confidential or sensitive information with tact and discretion.
• Outstanding problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to analyze complex data and issues, develop alternative solutions, provide recommendations.
• Ability to create, implement and complete action plans and/or revise action plans that are not meeting intended outcomes.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with clarity and an attitude that conveys respect, assistance, honesty and resourcefulness.
• Ability to meet and deal effectively with diverse personalities and populations.
• Must possess flexibility and versatility in order to contribute to evolving work situations.
• Thorough knowledge of budgeting, mathematics, and computers to prepare reports and budgets for various levels of management and staff.
• Commitment to represent the university in the most positive manner with students, donors and the community we serve.