Employer: Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA, United States
Category: Finance
Job function: Finance
Workplace type: Hybrid
Contract type: Regular
Grade: J
Posted: 2026-09-08
The Divisions of Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Pulmonary, Asthma and Sleep Medicine, and Quality of Life and Pediatric Palliative Care at Stanford University are seeking an Associate Director of Finance. This is a hybrid role, on-site 2 days per week.
This role is part of growing team, including long-tenured faculty, staff, and leadership. The division's activities reach all parts of the mission: patient care, education, and research. We are a supportive group that prioritizes well-being, with team events and opportunities for professional development and personal growth. We foster an environment that leads to fulfilling and rewarding careers at Stanford University.
The Associate Director of Finance serves as the senior financial leader for three clinical Divisions within the Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine. Reporting to the Senior Administrative Division Director and partnering closely with division leadership, the Associate Director of Finance provides strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and business planning to support the missions of patient care, research, education, and clinical innovation.
This position is responsible for developing long-range financial strategies, managing complex operating budgets, overseeing faculty financial portfolios, ensuring regulatory compliance, and leading a high-performing finance and research administration team. The Associate Director of Finance acts as a trusted advisor to faculty leadership, translating financial data into actionable business decisions that advance the Division's strategic objectives
Essential Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Serve as the principal financial advisor to the Division leadership.
- Develop long-range financial plans aligned with the Division's strategic priorities.
- Evaluate new clinical, research, and educational initiatives through financial modeling and business analysis.
- Identify opportunities to improve financial performance, operational efficiency, and resource utilization.
- Present financial analyses and recommendations to division and departmental leadership.
Financial Planning & Budget Management
- Direct development and management of the Division's annual operating and capital budgets.
- Monitor financial performance across all funding sources including, but not limited to:
- Clinical revenue
- Sponsored research
- Endowments
- Gifts
- Produce accurate financial forecasts and variance analyses.
- Develop corrective action plans to address financial risks or performance gaps.
- Ensure appropriate allocation of financial resources to support strategic priorities.
Faculty Financial Management
- Partner with Division leadership on faculty recruitment and retention planning.
- Develop financial models for faculty recruitment packages.
- Monitor faculty salary support and funding distributions.
- Oversee faculty compensation analyses and financial planning.
- Advise leadership on sustainability of faculty programs and growth opportunities.
Clinical Finance
- Analyze clinical financial performance and productivity.
- Partner with clinical operations leadership to improve operational efficiency.
- Support development of new clinical programs and expansion initiatives.
- Monitor key financial and operational performance indicators.
Research Administration Oversight
- Provide financial oversight for sponsored research portfolios.
- Ensure compliance with federal regulations, sponsor requirements, and university policies.
- Support strategic growth of research programs through financial planning.
- Collaborate with research administrators on budgeting and forecasting.
Operational Leadership
- Direct finance and administrative staff responsible for budgeting, accounting, reporting, and financial analysis.
- Establish internal controls and financial policies.
- Lead process improvement initiatives that increase efficiency and service quality.
- Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service.
Financial Reporting & Analytics
- Develop executive-level dashboards and performance metrics.
- Produce monthly and quarterly financial reports.
- Analyze trends affecting revenue, expenses, and operational performance.
- Communicate complex financial information clearly to faculty and administrative leaders.
- Support data-driven decision making throughout the Division.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with Stanford University policies and procedures.
- Maintain adherence to federal, state, and sponsor regulations.
- Oversee financial audits and corrective actions.
- Strengthen internal controls to safeguard institutional assets.
Collaboration & Leadership
- Build strong partnerships with division leadership, faculty, department leadership, hospital administration, and central university offices.
- Represent the Division on institutional committees and working groups.
- Foster collaboration across clinical, research, and administrative functions.
- Mentor and develop finance professionals within the Division.
Core Duties
- Manage the work of other employees, make hiring decisions, provide coaching and mentoring, manage performance, contribute to succession planning within area of responsibility.
- Establish overall objectives or direction for a unit, project, or operational area. Plan, direct, and monitor all budgets for areas of responsibility, and manage business operation and administration of a functional unit or area; may lead a team in providing post award sponsored research administration and services.
- Identify and resolve complex issues which may span multiple areas, apply ingenuity and creativity to problem analysis and resolution.
- Oversee report preparation and analysis requiring the consolidation of multiple, complex financial and statistical data points.
- Communicate financial policies and procedures; ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness for management financial processes and reports.
- Collaborate with other colleagues on cross functional projects; contribute to solutions that may affect policy changes or the development of new controls or processes.
- Participate in critical analysis of existing systems, policies, and procedures; recommend and implement approved solutions.
- Contribute to projects in work area or unit; make decisions determining approach to managing and completing processes.
- Represent the unit within the functional unit or school and to external constituencies.
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree and six years relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
- Knowledge of Oracle or other business financial systems.
- Solid understanding of financial principles.
- Advanced oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to clearly and effectively present information to internal and external audiences, and all levels of management.
- Strong analytical skills to review and analyze complex financial information.
- Strong leadership and management skills with previous experience managing people, delegating workload and providing direction/corrections as necessary.
- Knowledge of property management requirements related to Stanford or non-Stanford title of equipment and fabrications.
- Demonstrated competency in project management of a high volume of work, some of which is cyclical.
- If managing sponsored projects, ability to manage post and pre award administration for sponsored projects within his/her unit. Knowledge and fluency of governmental regulations and completion of Cardinal Curriculum level I and II.
- Knowledge of procurement needs, including sole-sourcing, cost analyses, vendor requirements, and small business reporting.
- Demonstrated experience working successfully with PIs, their administrative staff, and the office of sponsored research and external sponsors.
- Demonstrated success in performing meticulous, high quality and compliant work.
- Ability to interpret complex research and fiscal policies, assimilate information from a wide range of resources and act like a mentor and resource to others.