Business & Financial Manager, Wharton Finance & Administration

Business & Financial Manager, Wharton Finance & Administration

Job Profile Title
Business Manager C

Job Description Summary

Wharton School Overview
Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

The Business and Financial Manager is responsible for overseeing the financial, operational, and administrative functions of various school departments. This role ensures the accuracy, transparency, and compliance of financial activities and provides critical analysis to support strategic decision-making. The Business and Financial Manager will supervise financial staff, partner closely with the Director of Fiscal and Business Operations, and collaborate with Finance & Administration colleagues to strengthen business processes and continuously enhance departmental financial and administrative performance.

Job Responsibilities

• Responsible for budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning for the School's administrative business units. This position partners with the Director of Fiscal and Business Operations and departmental leadership to evaluate operational costs, monitor the financial performance of ongoing and new projects, and conduct detailed inspection and analysis of contractual agreements. The role oversees the annual fiscal year-end close process, ensures accurate financial analysis and reporting, and manages annual tax reporting obligations. In addition, the Business and Financial Manager ensures compliance with University policies and financial regulations, while providing guidance to departments to support effective decision-making and fiscal accountability.
• Execute recruiting, hiring, costing, and non-recurring payments through Workday, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in all transactions. Oversee procurement and reimbursement processes for the School's business units, ensuring that all purchasing activities, expense reimbursements, and vendor payments are accurate, timely, and compliant with School and University policies. In addition, the Business and Financial Manager will analyze and improve existing financial and operational workflows within the business units, proactively seeking opportunities to introduce more effective and efficient business processes. This role is also responsible for compliance management, ensuring adherence to School and University policies and internal controls, and for developing, implementing, and communicating new policies to strengthen accountability and operational effectiveness.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with leadership across the School's business units, including conducting regular meetings to review past spending trends and to discuss strategic initiatives that inform projections and the annual budgeting process. The position partners with the FP&A team to align on budgetary parameters, deliverables, and institutional priorities. This role is also responsible for preparing and presenting monthly financial reports and analyses to Directors, including variance analysis and forecasting, as well as building and maintaining management reports and dashboards that provide actionable insights to support departmental leadership in effective decision-making.
• Supervise and develop a team including a Financial Coordinator and Business Administrator, providing leadership, guidance, and oversight of day-to-day financial and administrative processes. This includes setting priorities, monitoring workload distribution, and ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and compliance in all transactional and reporting activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Preferred major: Business, Accounting, or Finance
• Strong analytical skills with financial analysis
• Business operations experience essential, especially in a high transaction environment
• Knowledge of budgeting and financial management is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Management experience preferred.
• Seeking a highly motivated, team-focused professional who performs well in dynamic, fast-paced environments, is passionate about developing creative solutions to complex problems, and has an affinity for technology/innovation.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Wharton School

Pay Range
$91,000.00 - $100,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.