Business/Administrative Associate - Finance & Administration

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; Carbondale (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Illinois University Carbondale seeks a Business/Administrative Associate to provide executive support to the VP for Financial & Administration. The role coordinates cross‑functional initiatives, prepares briefing materials, and ensures governance and audit materials align with policy.

Responsibilities include calendar management, liaison work with the President's Office and external agencies, and productively supporting budget, risk, and governance activities across the division.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least three years of progressively responsible business, financial, and managerial work experience.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects and priorities.
• Strong communication and confidentiality skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary operational resource to the VP, assisting with managing priorities, communications, and strategic initiatives.
• Prepare briefing materials, analyses, and recommendations to support informed decision‑making.
• Coordinate materials for Board committees and ensure submissions are complete and aligned with policies.
• Support audit coordination and regulatory filings; liaise with external agencies.
• Maintain calendars, records, and travel coordination for the VP.

Skills

Strategic planning

Executive support

Communication skills

Analytical

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, or related field

Job description

Description

The Business/Administrative Associate - Finance &Administration serves as a key operational and strategic resourceto the Vice President for Financial & Administrative Affairsand Board Treasurer (VP). This position serves as the principalcoordinator for the Finance & Administrative Affairs division,providing executive-level support across the VP's portfolio,including financial strategy, treasury operations, debt and bondadministration, budget development and oversight, risk management,audit coordination, and Board of Trustees governance. The incumbentexercises independent judgment, manages cross-functionalinitiatives, and serves as a liaison between the VP's office andinternal university leadership, the Board of Trustees, and externalgovernmental and regulatory agencies.

This SIU System-level position.

All Civil Service rightsremain intact with the Carbondale campus; however, compensationforthis role is governed by a separate structure independent of theSIU Carbondale pay plan.

Examples of Duties

Strategic Planning and Executive Support

• Serve as the primary operational resource to the VP, assistingwith the management of priorities, communications, and strategicinitiatives across the division.
• Anticipate issues, synthesize information, and prepare briefingmaterials, analyses, and recommendations to support informeddecision-making.
• Monitor the VP’s strategic commitments and ensure timelyfollow-through on priorities, action items, and institutionalinitiatives.
• Represent the VP in meetings, task forces, and working groups asauthorized; coordinate administrative matters on behalf of the VPwithin delegated authority.
• Serve as liaison between the VP and the President's Office, constituent university leadership, and external agencies, ensuringeffective and professional communication.

Finance, Treasury, Budget, Risk, Audit, and GovernanceCoordination

The Business/Administrative Associate serves as a coordinator and reviewer across the VP's core functional areas, including treasury, budget, risk management, audit, and Board governance. The incumbentdoes not perform the primary work of these departments but ensures the VP is informed, prepared, and positioned to act on issuesacross each area.

Key responsibilities include:

• Maintain a consolidated calendar of key financial deadlines,reporting cycles, Board meeting schedules, audit timelines, andregulatory filing requirements.
• Coordinate the preparation and review of materials for the Boardof Trustees Finance, Architecture & Design, and AuditCommittees; ensure submissions are complete, accurate, and alignedwith Board policies and procedures.
• Coordinate the preparation and review of materials for the Boardof Trustees Finance, Architecture & Design, and AuditCommittees; ensure submission are complete, accurate, and alignedwith Board policies.
• Support the audit team in the coordinating of annual externalaudits and internal audit activities affecting the VP's areas ofresponsibility; serve as liaison among auditors, departmentalstaff, and the VP's office.
• Coordinate with Treasury staff to ensure timely reporting andmonitoring of debt management activities.
• Review budget materials, variance analyses, and financialplanning reports prepared by the Budget Office and State agencies;identify issues and prepare summaries for VP review and Boardreporting.
• Coordinate contract compliance reviews involving insurance andrisk management requirements with Purchasing and General Counseland elevate concerns to the VP as appropriate.

Administrative and Operational Management

• Manage the VP's project calendar, monitor deadlines, coordinatetravel, and schedule key meetings and deliverables.
• Maintain financial, personnel, and governance records inaccordance with University records management policies.
• Coordinate administrative aspects of recruitment and hiringactivities across the division.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the VP.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
2. At least three (3) years of progressively responsible business, financial, and/or managerial work experience.
3. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
4. Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive correspondence, reports, and briefing materials.
6. Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
7. Ability to work independently and effectively interact with senior administrators, Board members, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders. (NOTE: A Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year (12 months) of work experience.)

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Experience supporting executive-level leadership in higher education, government, or another complex organization.
2. Experience coordinating Board of Trustees materials, committee meetings, or governance activities.
3. Experience with budgeting, financial reporting, audit coordination, or project management.
4. Knowledge of university policies, procedures, and records management practices.
5. Experience coordinating recruitment and hiring processes.

Supplemental Information

Illinois Residency Requirement:

Pursuant to the State Universities Civil Service System, out-of-state candidates must establish Illinois residency within 180 calendar days of the start date for this position.

Tips for Completing a Civil Service Application:

1. To be eligible for the role, ensure that your application includes a complete and detailed employment history that highlights your relevant full‑time and part‑time work experience, including start and end dates of employment.
2. Relevant part‑time work experience will count towards the qualifications for this position and will be converted to full‑time equivalence to calculate the total length of experience.
3. Upload all official transcripts to meet the educational requirements. If the job description specifies a minimum number of college hours, transcripts are mandatory for the successful processing of your application.
4. Veterans who qualify for preference must provide proof of eligibility within ten (10) working days of submitting an application, unless the same proof has already been submitted in a previous application. The required proof of eligibility includes, at a minimum, a copy of the veteran's DD214/DD215 form (Department of Defense), NGB22 form (National Guard), or Discharge Orders or DD256 Discharge Certificate (Reserves).
5. After the position has closed, your application and supporting materials will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications, including any specialty factors associated with this position. Those who qualify will move forward for Civil Service Examination/Testing.
6. Please monitor your e‑mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from [e-mail].
7. For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at sucss.illinois.gov

About Civil Service Examination/Testing:

The Civil Service examination for this classification is based on your application materials and responses to the supplemental questions. No participation other than submission of application materials is required from applicants that qualify to take the exam. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, your application will move forward for examination/testing in which you will receive a score calculated based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register by exam score. This score will be emailed to the email address noted on your application. After the application deadline, the names within the top three scores will be referred to the department for interview.

Sponsorship for Work Authorization is not available. For moreinformation visit https://policies.siu.edu/policies/employment-non-us-citizens.php