Director, Financial Management

Columbia University; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University in the City of New York is seeking a Director of Financial Management for the School of Social Work. This role oversees budget operations, forecasting, reporting, governance, and internal controls, advising the Dean and CFO on strategic financial matters.

Reporting to the CFO, the Director leads a team, collaborates across university offices, and drives improvements in financial processes while ensuring data accuracy and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree desirable.
• Minimum of 5-7 years related experience; strong leadership and supervisory skills preferred.

Responsibilities

• Direct the School's financial reporting function with monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
• Design, develop, and maintain dashboards and BI solutions using Power BI and other tools.
• Develop standardized reporting packages for timely, accurate information for decision-making.
• Analyze revenues, expenditures, payroll, tuition, enrollment, financial aid, endowment and performance.
• Produce ad hoc analyses and presentations for executive leadership.
• Oversee financial data governance and ensure integrity across systems.
• Lead the Office of Financial Management and coordinate staff priorities.

Skills

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree desirable

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft Excel

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule: Hybrid Schedule (3 Days On-site)
• Salary Range: $145,000-$165,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Director of Financial Management oversees the budget operations for the Columbia University School of Social Work. The Director is responsible for financial management and budget operations, including financial planning, forecasting, budget development, financial reporting, resource monitoring, and internal financial controls. The Director provides independent analysis and recommendations to the Dean and CFO on complex financial matters and leads the implementation of financial policies and operational practices across the School.

Responsibilities

Financial Reporting, Analytics & Business Intelligence

• Direct the School's financial reporting function by developing comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports for the Dean, senior leadership, department administrators, and University leadership.
• Design, develop, and maintain executive dashboards and business intelligence solutions using Power BI and other reporting tools.
• Develop standardized financial reporting packages that provide timely, accurate, and meaningful information to support operational and strategic decision-making.
• Analyze revenues, expenditures, payroll, tuition, enrollment, financial aid, endowment activity, and operating performance, identifying trends, variances, risks, and opportunities.
• Produce ad hoc analyses and presentations to support executive leadership, and strategic initiatives,
• Ensure the integrity, consistency, and governance of financial data across the University systems.
• Serve as the School's lead financial analyst by translating complex financial information into actionable recommendations.
• The Director supervises the Assistant Director and Financial Assistant in the Office of Financial Management, establishing workflow priorities, reviews work for accuracy, and coordinates staff activities to ensure timely completion of financial deliverables.

Budget Planning, Forecasting & Strategic Analysis

• Assist the CFO with School's annual budget process, quarterly forecasts, and long-range financial planning.
• Analyze complex financial, budgetary, and accounting issues and develops recommendations for resolution for the Dean, CFO, and senior School leadership.
• Assist the CFO evaluate the financial impact of enrollment changes, new academic programs, tuition strategies, staffing models, and institutional priorities.

Endowment, Gift & Restricted Fund Reporting

• Assist the CFO with reporting and financial analysis for endowments, gifts, loan funds, and other restricted funds.
• Monitor spending distributions, market values, donor restrictions, and fund balances.
• Develop reports supporting endowment financial aid planning, stewardship, and long-term sustainability of restricted resources.

Financial Compliance & Internal Controls

• Oversee approvals and compliance for financial transactions.
• Ensure compliance with the University policies and audit standards.

Other Duties

• Works with various administrative offices within the School in providing expertise and guidance on budget operations, planning, and policy issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors' degree in relevant field required; advanced degree desirable. Minimum of 5-7 years related experience required, strong leadership and supervisory skills preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in the full Microsoft Suite and database management access preferred
• Knowledge of the University's financial systems and fund accounting, desirable.

Other Requirements

• Experience in higher education or other large, complex institution preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel required.
• Must be able to use discretion, maintain confidentiality, exercise sound and independent judgment, and perform detailed work with precision.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills required.
• Ability to react quickly and effectively to other inquiries from a variety of management levels with comprehensive and accurate information in a wide variety of contexts and changing priorities.
• Financial modeling and forecasting experience.
• Experience with endowment and fund accounting.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills.
• Experience leading financial process improvements.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.