Job Summary
The Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts (CINE) at
CU Boulder invites applications for the Manager of Finance and
Operations position! This role reports directly to the Chair. In
this capacity, the position will provide high-level budgetary,
financial, policy, and administrative support to the Chair. This
position is primarily responsible for oversight and policy related
to department operations, including finance and human resources.
This position engages in long-term strategic projects, planning in
consultation with the Chair and Associate Chairs in addition to
supervising business office staff.
This position will apply knowledge and interpret principles, rules,
regulations, policies, precedents, and other guidelines specific to
the College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Colorado
Boulder, and the State of Colorado in order to analyze needs,
resolve problems, answer questions, and provide information. Advise
on technical issues and ensure timely and effective delivery of
department, college, and university services to faculty, staff, and
student employees. Further, the person in this position must
possess excellent communication and organizational skills and have
the ability to successfully manage multiple self-directed projects
that may, at times, have contending priorities. Thus, the
individual in this position must have a strong administrative
background and excellent skills in business administration, fiscal
and personnel management.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all
applicable federal, state, and local laws governing
nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a
workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and
dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to
apply, including protected veterans and individuals with
disabilities.
Who We Are
The Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts (CINE)
seeks to integrate the critical, historical and theoretical study
of cinema, media and the visual arts, with artistic and commercial
practices. Our Department offers the academic degrees BA, and BA/MA
in critical film studies, and BA, BFA, and MFA degrees in film and
video arts. All of our students in the critical and production
tracks complete a number of critical studies requirements,
including cinema history, film analysis, film theory, genres,
documentary practices, directors, national and regional cinemas,
and other history and theory classes. These courses are all
coordinated with filmmaking and critical studies majors sharing
their different expertise to make for a more engaging, deeper
understanding of the subject of our studies.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Faculty Personnel Management
- Serve as the administrative manager responsible for, but not
limited to, organizing and implementing new faculty orientation,
faculty recruitment, faculty promotion, reappointment, and tenure,
and faculty merit.
Serve as the primary point of contact for new faculty with
respect to university and departmental policies; general payroll
questions; in-house travel and research grants; travel
authorization and reimbursement; start-up funds; research accounts;
faculty computer purchase program; and office space.
Schedules meetings and compiles information for the
departmental Salary Committee for annual merit evaluation of
faculty.
Be responsible for and coordinates academic appointments,
reappointments, promotions, tenure, retention activities and
grievance procedures for department faculty.
Compiles and organizes information for faculty and teaching
professor reappointment, tenure and promotion.
Keeps current records of faculty eligibility for sabbatical,
reappointment, tenure, and post-tenure review.
Maintains and disseminates current and accurate version of
departmental faculty rules.
Conducts faculty elections for reappointment/tenure promotion;
hiring; administrative positions; committee positions; and
departmental faculty rule changes. Assures that all eligible
faculty members are informed of balloting procedures and deadlines.
Assures security and secrecy of balloting process as
appropriate.
Monitors faculty progress on submitting Faculty Report of
Professional Activities; reminds faculty to submit reports;
provides reports and other databases and information as requested
to the Salary Committee.
Serve as liaison for faculty to ensure they are provided the
appropriate employment-related offices, including the College,
Faculty Affairs, Graduate School, HR Service Center and Employee
Services.
Staff Personnel Management and Supervision
- Manage and supervise the Undergraduate Program Coordinator,
ensuring all operational needs are satisfied.
- Responsible for hiring decisions, onboarding, training, leave
approval, performance management, evaluations, and disciplinary
actions involving employees.
- Advises employees on policies and procedures.
- Oversees and is aware of the status of projects/tasks that
directly relate to the activities of the work unit.
- Reviews work for accuracy as needed and ensures deadlines are
met.
Financial Management
Fiscal Oversight
- Oversees the financial operations of the department. Maintains
and monitors the following accounts:
- General fund accounts
- Auxiliary accounts
- Grant accounts
- Sponsored Projects
- Gift accounts
- Collaborates and advises the Chair with monthly and yearly
budget planning to align spending.
- Provides ad hoc reports from PeopleSoft, Cognos, etc. when
requested.
- Evaluates and forecasts departmental accounts on an ongoing
basis to monitor the resources available for operations and special
projects.
- Analyze business operations for programmatic and fiscal
efficacy and implement changes.
Budget
- Ensure compliance with approved budgets and policies,
procedures, rules and regulations.
- Review and forecast budgets for all accounts to include:
- Working with the chair and associate chairs to plan and
forecast funding for instruction.
- Working with faculty to plan and forecast income and expenses
for research grants and auxiliary operations such as
conferences.
- Providing status reports to Principal Investigators on all
projects held by the individual investigator.
- Manage faculty startup accounts ensuring that they are funded
according to the terms of their agreements.
- Monitors gift funds and donor contact, analyzes and makes
projections regarding endowment earnings/losses and spending
practices. This position will decide if and when to turn off the
reinvestment option and inform the chair.
- Exerts expenditure control and enforces ethical standards for
expenditure of funds; and makes budgetary decisions in the chair’s
absence.
- Analyzes demand and prepares budget projections for department
instructional fund and manages the related budget.
- Determines actions to protect budgets, resolves deficits, and
provides for unexpected or unique expenses. Ensures Department
commitments are processed.
- Decides when to open or close new or unused speed types (ST),
decides what ST is most appropriate for unusual and unexpected
expenses, decides when to transfer budgets, revenues and expenses
to best support the needs of the department.
Expenditures
- Provides revenue and expense trackingand analysis, and makes
recommendations for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs on a
regular basis to monitor the resources available for ongoing
operations and special projects.
- Provides oversight for all accounting, purchasing and payroll
functions to insure compliance with approved budgets and policies,
procedures, rules and regulations.
- Authorizes expenditures. Responsible for purchasing,
procurement, and buying and contracting. Maintains budget files so
that they are accessible and explicable in case of examination or
audit by university officials.
- Initiates payroll corrections, handles salary deficits, runs
reports in HRMS and A&S portal as needed.
Relationship Management
- Liaise with related budget offices including the College’s
Budget Office, Office of Contract and Grants, HR Service Center,
etc.
- Compile information requested by the campus budget office or
others.
- Reviews monthly and year-end statements, authorizes accounts
payable vouchers, purchase orders, transfer of funds forms, etc.,
for the Financial Service Center (FSC)orks with the FSC, authorizes
and conducts financial transfers between departmental accounts, and
into and out of the department.
Administrative Management
- Advises chair on departmental procedures and provides
background information to departmental administrators and
departmental committees that report to the chair.
- Oversees a collective procedural, policy, and judgment
record/resource in order to provide department continuity.
- Analyze department resources to align with department goals and
vision.
- Continually analyze processes, workflow, and operations to
improve efficiency, compliance, and outcomes.
- Create an effective operation by promoting collaboration and
cross-training among the staff.
- Handle and delegate additional duties as needed to meet
department needs.
- Comment on and contribute to university-wide and campus policy
as appropriate.
- Collaborate and coordinate with other administrative offices as
needed to handle implementation of new systems or ensure compliance
with new policies.
What We Can Offer
The annual salary for this full-time position $65,500-$70,000
Benefits
At the
University of Colorado Boulder , we are
committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our
employees. Our comprehensive
benefits package includes medical,
dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition
assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local
transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder
offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class
outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of
Forbes' America's Best
Large Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado
and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and
programs through the
CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
Be authentic. Be brilliant. Be Boulder.
What We Require
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or
university.
- Equivalent combination of education and experience may
substitute.
- 3 years of supervisory and/or leadership experience.
- 3 years of proven experience leading complex budgets with
multiple funding sources.
What You Will Need
- Excellent customer service.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and interpersonal
problem-solving skills.
- High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain
confidentiality.
- Ability to work effectively in a working environment with
multiple interruptions.
- Ability to establish and maintain positive and cooperative
working relationships.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
- Organizational skills and ability to handle multiple complex
priorities.
- Proficiency using Microsoft Suite, Word and Excel.
- Demonstrated ability to proactively analyze issues in such a
way as to foresee possible problems or concerns that may arise and
to develop possible solutions and initiate related action with
little close supervision.
What We Would Like You to Have
- Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or
university.
- 3+ years of progressively increasing experience in financial
management, operations, supervision, and human resources.
- Working knowledge of complex human resources information and
management systems in a regulatory framework.
- Demonstrated track record of communicating effectively and
building and maintaining relationships at all levels of
organization.
- Experience working within a regulatory framework.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background
and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and
responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by
October 14, 2026 for
consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For
consideration, please apply through
CU Boulder Jobs .
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in
any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying
information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school
attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting
or removing this information.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources
Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu
