Academic Operations Manager 2

Working Title: Director of Finance and Administration

VPUE Unit: Stanford Introductory Studies

Location: Stanford Main Campus; Hybrid (3 or more days/week on site)

Job Code: 4132

Job Grade: K

Exemption Status: Exempt, 100%, Continuing

Heralded as a hub of undergraduate innovation, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) creates and sustains meaningful interactions between students and faculty both within and outside the classroom. As a collaborative team member of VPUE, you have a unique opportunity to advance and support programs that touch and enhance the lives of every undergraduate student at Stanford. 

Stanford Introductory Studies (SIS) is a unit in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education that manages required and elective academic programs for first- and second-year students: COLLEGE, Introductory Seminars, Education as Self-Fashioning, ITALIC, SLE, Sophomore College, and Arts Intensive.

Stanford Introductory Studies is seeking a dynamic leader and business expert to work in a collaborative higher education environment as the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA). Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost and Director of SIS, the DFA will provide overall management oversight and direction for the operations, administration, and finances within the unit, and will be an integral member of the SIS senior staff team. This position is actively engaged in strategic planning for administrative, financial, and business support processes and functions to bolster the curricular and academic programming in SIS. The DFA plays a key role in designing effective strategies for SIS to meet its main goals of providing robust support for curricular innovation involving faculty and undergraduate students. The DFA directly and indirectly supervises a team of five administrative staff members, focusing on the central administrative, business, and course support functions of SIS, as well as the hiring and payroll of academic staff and student employees. The DFA manages an annual operating budget of approximately $10M.

In this role, you will:

• Oversee finances across all sources for the annual budget cycle, including developing, monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and regular reporting of a complex budget, with systems of financial controls that meet Stanford and VPUE standards. You will work closely with and support financial planning and spending across teams in SIS, including meeting regularly with the staff who lead those areas. In addition, you will collaborate with the SIS director on holistic budget planning. The DFA will also manage and coordinate contracts for SIS.
• Lead day-to-day SIS administrative functions, including overseeing business team operations, developing approaches to administrative infrastructure, and directly supervising staff.
• Manage administrative and financial staff, including hiring, retention, career coaching, professional development, and performance management of three direct reports. Experience with database management and a willingness to learn new systems is an important aspect of this position.
• Oversee HR and Academic Affairs functions, including interpreting policies and ensuring compliance with university policies, particularly as it relates to Faculty Affairs and undergraduate student compensation. You will provide guidance to program directors on changes in policy and their potential impact and consider creative ways to accomplish our academic goals while remaining in compliance. You will oversee the contract and compensation processes related to the annual hiring of 10 to 15 new academic lecturers and the approval process and payment for more than 200 faculty who teach in our programs. You will also oversee the student employment and payment process.
• Plan for future changes in SIS program needs, particularly as they relate to finances and administration, staffing and facilities, workplace safety and wellness, compliance with policies, and technologies. Planning may involve analysis and creation of annual and multi-year plans, creative thinking about alternative methods for achieving goals, and advising the SIS leadership group on ways to improve processes, ways of working, and collaborations.
• Represent SIS and collaborate with peers in meetings of directors of Finance and Administration from multiple units in VPUE, as well as liaise with directors of HR, Finance, and IT to guide SIS in interpreting and implementing policies, guidelines, and procedures.
• Represent SIS’s finance and administrative operations in other settings within VPUE and the university, including facilities, technology, finance, and HR.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant experience in administrative and financial management, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated financial expertise and experience in accounting, budget planning, and financial forecasting.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including staff management, development, mentorship, and conflict resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to manage administrative, technical, financial, and operational needs of an organization with multiple teams, programs, services, and/or client profiles.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills across modalities, interpersonally and in writing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong expertise in business and management computer applications and databases.
• Ability to manage time to achieve multiple overlapping and distinct tasks while meeting short- and long-term deadlines.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proactive approach to communication and to continuous improvement of individual and unit processes and products.
• Physical requirements/working conditions*: Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks; frequently sitting; occasionally stand/walk, writing by hand, use a telephone, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh 11-20 pounds; rarely sort/file paperwork or parts, rarely twist/bend/stoop/squat. Occasional evening and weekend hours.

In addition, preferred qualifications include:

• Knowledge of higher education financial systems, administration, procurement processes, regulatory requirements, and policies.
• Familiarity managing online databases, such as Smartsheet or Airtable.

*Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

The expected pay range for this position is $160,294 to $199,273 per annum.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

How to Apply

If you’re ready to work for an organization that nurtures diversity, respect, professional development and a comfortable work-life fit, we invite you to explore this opportunity and apply online. To be considered, please submit a cover letter and resume along with your online application. Your cover letter should briefly describe your interest in the position and how you feel your background and experience would make you a successful candidate. Please do not submit additional materials as they will not be considered. 

Completed applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning January 31, 2026.

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