Location: Raleigh, NC

Essential Job Duties:
As the Financial Operations Supervisor, you will serve as a strategic financial anchor within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), providing direct leadership and accounting oversight for a centralized financial operations team. Reporting to the Director of Business Services, you will safeguard the integrity, accuracy, and compliance of high-risk transactions across a complex multi-funding environment-including federal (USDA NIFA, Hatch, Smith-Lever), state, and receipt-supported funds within CALS' unique Ledger 4 structure. In this high-impact role, your expertise will directly mitigate regulatory risk, ensure audit readiness, and maintain the university's trusted financial standing.

In this role, you will turn complex accounting requirements into seamless, efficient operations. By fostering a collaborative and accountable team culture, you will empower your staff to master intricate cost principles while serving as a supportive mentor who elevates their professional growth. Your direct influence will bridge the gap between central administration and non-financial department stakeholders, translating dense federal regulations into clear, actionable guidance. Ultimately, you will drive continuous improvement, building robust internal controls that allow the college's critical research and extension programs to thrive with complete financial confidence.

Key responsibilities will fall within the following functional areas:

Leadership & Team Supervision

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance management, cultivating a collaborative team culture focused on accountability, precision, and service excellence.
• Optimize Capacity: Assign, prioritize, and balance workloads across functional areas (AP, AR, Travel, P-Card) to maximize operational efficiency and maintain compliance standards.
• Design robust onboarding programs to ensure the team thoroughly understands core accounting principles, financial systems, and funding-specific requirements.
• Identify recurring operational bottlenecks and implement standardized workflows, proactively guiding corrective actions to improve team accuracy.

Financial Oversight & Transaction Review

• Review and approve complex transactions, using critical evaluation to ensure accurate accounting treatment across federal, state, and receipt-supported funds.
• Direct staff analysis of CALS' Ledger 4 project structures to guarantee correct funding source identification and regulatory framework application.
• Oversee reconciliation processes to ensure data accuracy, applying sound judgment to resolve financial discrepancies promptly.
• Serve as a key decision-maker and escalation point for ambiguous or high-risk financial and compliance issues, applying relevant accounting principles and policy precedents

Policy, Compliance & Internal Controls

• Interpret and apply complex regulatory guidelines-including USDA NIFA, Hatch, Hatch Multistate, and Smith-Lever requirements-ensuring strict allowability and allocability.
• Oversee and strengthen internal controls, including segregation of duties and documentation standards, to ensure audit readiness and mitigate compliance risk
• Address identified control weaknesses, monitor audit findings, and implement long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.

Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory

• Communicate intricate policy requirements, financial decisions, and process changes into clear, user-friendly guidance for faculty, staff, and non-financial partners.
• Serve as a diplomatic liaison between central university offices, CORE Support, and academic departments to streamline financial operations and resolve escalated concerns.
• Represent the financial operations unit in campus-wide meetings, championing collaborative solutions for system and workflow enhancements

If you are a financial professional who enjoys leading a team, solving complex problems, and helping others navigate challenging financial and regulatory requirements, this role offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact.. If you are a financial professional who takes pride in leading a team, solving complex problems, and providing thoughtful guidance, we invite you to apply.

Other Work/Responsibilities:
In addition to the core responsibilities of this role, there may be occasional opportunities to take on additional duties. This offers an opportunity to build on your skills, explore new areas, and gain a deeper understanding of the department's operations.

Minimum Experience/Education:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, business, finance, or other discipline related to the area of assignment with 12 credit hours of accounting coursework and three years of professional accounting experience, of which at least one is supervisory; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Required Qualifications:

• Direct staff performance through coaching, workload planning, prioritization, and operational coordination.
• Apply accounting principles, internal controls, and regulatory requirements to ensure accurate and compliant financial operations across multiple funding sources.
• Oversee reconciliations, financial data integrity, compliance monitoring, and corrective actions involving complex or high-risk financial activity.
• Interpret policies, accounting standards, and regulatory requirements to resolve complex or ambiguous financial and compliance issues.
• Clearly communicate financial policies and compliance requirements and translate complex financial information into actionable guidance for departments, leadership, and central offices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Financial operations experience within higher education, government, research institutions, or other complex organizational environments.
• Familiarity with federally regulated funding sources, including USDA NIFA, Hatch, Hatch Multistate, or Smith-Lever programs.
• Background overseeing financial operations across multiple functional areas, including audit processes and internal control management.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel, financial reporting tools, and enterprise financial systems such as PeopleSoft or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of centralized financial services environments and complex accounting, compliance, and reporting requirements.

Required License or Certification:
n/a

AA/EEO Statement:
NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.