"Financial Operations Manager, Summer Session"

Position Focus

Yale Summer Session (YSS) is among the leading university summer sessions, offering intensive courses in New Haven, online, and abroad for Yale College credit, as well as a range of specialized academic programs. Reporting to the Dean of International and Summer Programs (Dean) for Yale College, the Financial Operations Manager provides strategic and operational leadership in managing the business and financial functions of YSS. The Financial Operations Manager manages the annual budget and complex day-to-day financial operations of YSS, including YSS courses in New Haven and online, YSS Programs Abroad, the Yale Writers’ Workshop, the English Language Institute, YSS Signature Programs, the YSS Summer Colleges, and other specialized educational programs. The Financial Operations Manager also serves as a key strategic adviser to the Dean on budgetary priorities, long-range resource planning, and financial forecasting to support and advance the unit’s academic mission and financial goals.

The Financial Operations Manager:

• monitors revenue and expenditures to ensure YSS remains aligned with established budget goals; prepares and reviews system financial transactions and serves as the primary YSS liaison for Workday and as the compliance manager for all Purchasing Cards in the Office of International and Summer Programs (OISP); manages payroll for 250+ summer faculty and staff and payments to vendors and service providers in New Haven and around the world; and supports timely and accurate annual budget closeouts;
• develops unit‑wide and program‑specific budgets and financial projections and delivers data‑driven analyses and recommendations that support fiscally sustainable and educationally grounded decisions about YSS courses, programs, enrollment management, and other academic and operational initiatives, including YSS Financial Assistance;
• collaborates closely as the unit’s primary liaison with the Yale College Business Office, Accounts Payable, the Bursar’s Office, the Controller’s Office, the Tax Department, and other campus units to ensure that all funds, disbursements, and payments are appropriately managed and reported in accordance with University policies and procedures, and to represent OISP in discussions related to such policies and procedures;
• reviews and authorizes Journal Salary Adjustments and prepares and routes Professional Service Agreements for contractors, as needed;
• oversees student accounts receivable, including managing the TouchNet merchant account, reviewing and reporting on Accounts Receivable student data in Banner, communicating with and advising students and parents/guardians about account status, tracking late payments, and coordinating with Student Financial Services and Undergraduate Financial Aid regarding loans and special financial situations;
• manages financial matters related to the YSS Summer Colleges, including training and guiding relevant student staff, reconciling student payments in Clover, and budgeting and monitoring residential life expenditures, and coordinates the financial aspects of YSS partnerships with campus units that support residential students, including Yale Conferences and Events, Yale Health, Yale Hospitality, Yale Housing, the Office of International Students and Scholars, the Student Package Center, and Payne Whitney Gymnasium; and
• develops and facilitates unit-wide training on financial processes, as needed, and oversees Clerical and Technical staff members in OISP in their responsibilities as financial transaction preparers.

In addition, the Financial Operations Manager manages the financial operations for Yale Study Abroad, the budget for which covers salaries, office operations, and travel, conference, and outreach expenses.

The Financial Operations Manager also participates in the overall work of YSS and OISP and works with the Dean and OISP Directors to plan, develop, and execute YSS and OISP’s strategic priorities as related to, e.g., programs and courses, information systems, marketing and recruitment, admissions, application review and course registration, health and vaccination compliance, and business operations.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Preferred Education and Experience

• MBA degree or other relevant graduate degree and at least five years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Professional experience in Workday and working in academic units or educational programs supported primarily by tuition or student enrollment.
• Strong proficiency in shared spreadsheets and reporting tools and technologies, e.g., Power BI or Argos.
• Some experience working with international students, vendors, or institutions.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Financial Modeling and Forecasting. Provides technical analysis to determine present and future financial performance. Organizes information from a variety of sources for use in analyzing future plans and forecasts. Collaborates with all levels of management, both internally and externally, to gather, analyze, summarize, prepare, and present recommendations regarding financial plans and other complex financial matters. Researches and evaluates information to resolve issues and makes recommendations. Develops and/or executes complex financial models.
2. Financial Analysis and Reporting. Analyzes and synthesizes information and designs and creates accurate and timely reports. Designs financial reporting to meet the compliance needs of internal and external users. Extracts and consolidates data from multiple sources.
3. Financial Methods and Systems. Contributes to the planning and improvement of practices, processes and systems. Collaborates with all levels of internal and external contacts to carry out department goals. Provides a high level of service that cultivates and maintains strong working relationships and communicates effectively; takes ownership and accountability for timeliness, accuracy and relationship management.
4. Strategic Resource. Translates department finance goals into objectives. Identifies and raises potential financial opportunities, issues, risks, ideas and solutions. Identifies the appropriate stakeholders to include in consultations, communications, approvals or buy-ins for designing and implementing changes.
5. Compliance and Risk Management. Establishes, implements and/or maintains strong internal controls in areas of assigned responsibility to provide reasonable assurance of effective and appropriate resource use, accurate financial information, and adherence to contractual obligations and agreements, policies, procedures, and external regulatory requirements.
6. Mentors, leads and/or supervises staff.
7. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, Economics or Finance and four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Demonstrated application of financial, accounting and economic concepts.