- Support the Associate Provost in administering endowed budget
allocations; coordinate with Finance on compliance with gift
restrictions.
- Approve pcard applications and travel advances.
- Review and approve monthly spending in academic departments;
approve or deny vouchers, journals, and budget transfers.
- Serve as Cost Center Manager; review and approve expenditures
above $500 and payments to individuals across Academic Affairs
departments.
- Manage spreadsheets for Finance of other annual
commitments.
- Create Memoranda of Understanding for departments with start-up
obligations to new faculty hires; monitor spending and notify
faculty when funds are expiring.
- Resolve worktag and budget overspend issues in coordination
with Finance; identify and correct financial errors in payroll in
Workday.
- Process Coursera revenue distributions; receive funds, create
cash sales to designate ledger accounts, reconcile revenue against
program expenses, calculate payable balances, and coordinate
payment through vouchers or Human Resources as appropriate in
coordination with Finance.
Training, Guidance and Process Improvement
- Serve as the first point of contact for Academic Affairs
Administrative and Accounting Assistants on financial, operational,
and policy questions; resolve routine matters and escalate complex
issues to the appropriate office or the Associate Provost as
appropriate.
- Coordinate the monthly Administrative and Accounting Assistant
training program; develop and maintain training materials and
invite guest presenters from Finance, ITS, Human Resources, and
other offices to provide cross-functional training.
- Identify and implement process improvements across Academic
Affairs to improve consistency in how departments oversee financial
and operational tasks.
- Stay current on university financial and administrative
policies; attend Academic Affairs finance meetings and collaborate
with Finance on policy development and new procedures.
Academic Affairs Union Workforce Operations
- Maintain awareness of each academic department’s Administrative
and Accounting Assistant staffing levels, workloads, and coverage
patterns; identify opportunities for shared arrangements or
adjustments where appropriate.
- Assess short and long-term staffing needs across departments;
determine whether gaps are best addressed through temporary hiring,
temporary redistribution of existing capacity, or shared
arrangements.
- Coordinate with Labor Relations when duty redistribution
requires a formal Memorandum of Understanding; ensure proper
documentation.
- Coordinate the full recruitment process for union vacancies;
review applicant pools, develop a shortlist, and present candidates
to department chairs; schedule interviews per the chair’s
selection; conduct reference checks and coordinate offer and
onboarding with Human Resources.
- Serve as a resource for Administrative and Accounting
Assistants navigating workload changes or workplace concerns;
identify personnel issues and connect staff and chairs with Human
Resources for guidance and resolution.
- Maintain and update union job descriptions to accurately
reflect current responsibilities; initiate a review when duties
change permanently or a position becomes vacant; complete a
position questionnaire with the chair and submit to Human Resources
for finalization and classification.
Systems and Process Improvement
- Identify opportunities to enhance institutional applications
supporting Academic Affairs operations; submit improvement requests
to ITS and test updates prior to release.
- Coordinate with ITS on computer procurement for new Academic
Affairs hires; assess faculty computing needs and ensure equipment
ordered meets capacity requirements beyond standard configurations
where appropriate.
Supervision
- Supervise two Accounting Specialists who support multiple
departments in the sciences.
- Review and approve weekly time reporting; perform annual
evaluations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Special Projects
- Partner with Finance, Human Resources, ITS, Labor Relations,
and other institutional offices on matters related to assigned
responsibilities and Academic Affairs operations.
- Cross-train with the Associate Director for Curriculum,
Research and Special Projects to ensure continuity of operations
and mutual coverage across key Academic Affairs functions.
- Lead and administer special projects for the Provost, Associate
Provosts, and Deans as assigned.
On Campus with Hybrid potential:
This position is an on-campus position with potential for a
hybrid schedule in the future.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 7 years of progressively
responsible experience in budget management, financial operations,
operations management, or a comparable professional environment in
a complex multi-unit organization, or an equivalent combination of
education, training, and experience
- Demonstrated experience managing operating budgets, approving
financial transactions, and overseeing expenditures across multiple
accounts or cost centers.
- Experience identifying and resolving financial discrepancies
and processing corrections in an ERP, financial management system,
or comparable enterprise platform.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating or facilitating training
programs for staff on operational policies, procedures, or
systems.
- Experience reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and
making hiring recommendations.
- Experience assessing operational needs across multiple units,
identifying coverage gaps, and recommending practical
solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to support staff navigating workplace or
operational challenges; knows when to resolve independently and
when to escalate.
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working
relationships with senior leaders, department heads, and
operational staff across a complex organization.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work
with discretion and sound judgment on sensitive personnel and
financial matters.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and
Outlook, and PowerPoint.
- Experience with Workday HCM, SAP, Oracle, or a comparable HRIS
or financial management system.
- Demonstrated commitment to working within a diverse environment
and interacting openly with individuals of different
backgrounds.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in higher education administration or a similarly
complex institutional environment
- Familiarity with formal employment agreements, collective
bargaining agreements, or comparable structured employment
frameworks
- Experience serving as a cost center manager or budget
approver.
- Experience supervising staff including performance management
and goal setting.
- Familiarity with workforce planning or staffing management
across multiple departments or units
Additional Applicant Instructions:
Position is open until filled. For full consideration, please apply
by October 8, 2026 when first review of applications will
begin.
Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume.
Compensation: $76,300.00 - $90,800.00
Work Location: On Campus
All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s
completion of a
pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction
of Wesleyan University.
Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age,
gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital
status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder,
learning disability or physical disability, political belief,
veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or
non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from
women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries
regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination
policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and
Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.
Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains
records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of
Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and
online at
https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html
.
Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of
salary offers. For more information visit
https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html
Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development
opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans,
wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and
retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent
tuition programs for those who qualify.
Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is
located at:
https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html
.
Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age,
gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital
status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder,
learning disability or physical disability, political belief,
veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or
non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from
women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries
regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination
policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and
Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator. Wesleyan University
complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime
statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University's
Clery Act Report are available on request and online at
http://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/compliance.html.