"Director of Finance and Administration, YSN"

Overview

Reporting to the Yale School of Nursing (YSN) Dean, the Director of Finance and Administration is a key member of the Dean’s senior leadership team. The Director serves as the strategic administrative partner to the YSN leadership, the chief financial steward and leader of administrative support services for the school. This position will identify, mobilize and optimize financial and other resources to help advance YSN’s mission, and ensure that the School’s faculty, students and staff receive high quality administrative support in a manner compliant with University policies and procedures. The Director of Finance and Administration is responsible for the comprehensive business affairs of the organization, including data and metrics driven management and analysis of School budgets, program development, information systems, human resources, staff training and development, labor relations, facilities management, and regulatory compliance.

The Director of Finance and Administration has direct oversight of all School financial and administrative domains. Serves as the chief financial officer for the School, managing an annual operating budget of approximately $50 million, including a mix of restricted and unrestricted funds. Serves as the principle administrative officer leading central operations of the School, supporting approximately 50 non-faculty staff in close partnership with YSN unit leaders.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated expertise in data and metrics driven financial management. Proven ability to oversee budgeting, financial analysis, assessment, planning, and expenditure tracking, ensuring accurate financial reporting and effective resource allocation. Comfortability with regularly recurring communication of organization’s financial position to senior leadership.
2. Superior interpersonal skills to interact effectively and represent the school well with students, faculty, administrators, alumni, visitors, other Yale Staff, and corporate contracts. Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communications. Leads organization effectively and professionally.
3. Demonstrated ability to manage daily operations, including oversight of the YSN Office of Finance and Administration, supervision of key financial and administrative staff. Superior managerial, decision making, planning, organizational, problem solving and leadership skills. Including the ability to organize and manage multiple projects and processes simultaneously.
4. Proven understanding of internal control concepts, and the implementation of internal control systems within a complex business environment. Ability to negotiate with both internal and external stakeholders. Dedicated to meeting the school’s mission.
5. Demonstrated working ability with key computer software, including strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and its functional capabilities.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or Accounting.
2. Experience in strategic leadership, grant management, facilities management, organizational development, and human resources.
3. Strong computer skills, particularly in Microsoft Excel and other financial reporting tools.
4. Ability to anticipate and manage changes in a complex business environment.
5. Previous experience in a university or academic environment is preferred.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partner: Achievement of the organization’s mission and goals by working in close partnership with the organization leader, faculty, staff, students and service providers to develop and implement the organization’s strategy. Understands and monitors external and internal factors influencing the organization’s mission and goals. Plans for financial and non-financial resources required for the organization to achieve its goals. Supports organization and program leaders in conceptualizing, prioritizing, and planning new programs or program changes. Supports, and when necessary drives, the organization’s process for strategic planning with key faculty and staff.
2. University Citizen: Connects the organization and the University through communication, alignment of priorities, implementation of initiatives, and active engagement in organization or University administrative priorities. Effectively represents organization needs, challenges, and opportunities at the University level. Proactively shares knowledge and best practices with others.
3. Financial Analyst and Advisor: Provides comprehensive financial information, analysis and advice to optimize use of the organization’s financial resources. Creates and updates long range financial plan(s), reflecting all critical issues. Identifies available financial resources (current and future), and advises and deploys efficiently to best support organization objectives. Prepares all-funds budgets, analyzes financial activities and performance against budget, makes adjustments and takes action as needed.
4. Risk Management Administrator: Implements and maintains strong internal controls to provide reasonable assurance of effective and appropriate resource use, accurate financial information, adherence to contractual obligations and agreements, policies, procedures, and external regulatory requirements. Identifies, communicates, addresses and escalates risks in a timely and appropriate manner to protect the assets, resources, information and reputation of the organization and the University. Ensures all faculty and staff understand the regulations and Yale requirements as they pertain to their scope of activity.
5. Talent Manager and Developer: Ensures the organization employs effective practices for retaining, attracting and developing talent in line with University guidelines and contractual agreements. Ensures that all organization staff participate in the University’s performance management and career development processes. Ensures the needs of the organization’s current and future talent are assessed periodically and that issues are addressed, facilitating the movement of talent where appropriate and developing Business Operations staff. Cultivates a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in the organization. Assures that the organization follows appropriate School and University policies and procedures related to Human Resources.
6. Administrative Services Leader: Ensures efficient and effective completion of all administrative and financial services provided to the organization. Ensures high quality delivery of administrative services by providers outside the organization, including human resources, information technology, procurement, student services, post-doctoral affairs and faculty affairs. Establishes, monitors, and meets or exceeds targets for operational excellence. Identifies and implements opportunities to achieve continuous improvement of processes. Responsible for building and managing a team of high-performance administrative and financial professionals.
7. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Minimum of a bachelor's degree and ten years progressively responsible experience 5 of which are in a leadership role; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Demonstrated fiscal responsibility and comprehensive knowledge of accounting, financial reporting and analysis. Demonstrated experience with complex strategic planning and resource allocation. Demonstrated experience in managing relationships and influencing outcomes. Demonstrated creativity and effectiveness in a complex organization. Demonstrated success in developing people and organizations.