Director of Finance

George Mason University; Fairfax (VA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition remission

Generous holidays

Job summary

George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia seeks a Director of Finance to provide strategic leadership for all financial activities within the College of Engineering and Computing. You will oversee budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and financial policies, collaborating with the college’s senior leadership and university administration.

The role requires advanced financial management expertise, strong communication, and the ability to guide complex financial initiatives across units.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree or higher in finance, accounting, or business.
• Experience leading financial strategy and budgeting for a complex org.
• Experience with financial operations in higher education is preferred.
• Ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic financial planning and scenario analyses for the college.
• Develop 3-year financial plans and perform what-if analyses.
• Provide monthly financial reporting and variance analyses.
• Oversee budgets, forecasts, and financial controls.
• Set policies, oversee finance team, and ensure compliance.
• Collaborate with university administration and other units.

Skills

Financial leadership

Budgeting & forecasting

Strategic planning

Stakeholder collaboration

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree or equivalent in finance

Tools

ERP systems

Forecasting software

Job description

Department: Col of Engineering and Computing

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category:Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type:Full-Time

Work Schedule:Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type:Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility:Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary:Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check:Yes

About the Department:

The purpose of the College of Engineering and Computing’s Office of the Dean is to oversee all education, research, development, and administrative activities within the College by providing direction and structure and by working with the associate and assistant deans, individual department chairs, and center directors. The Office of the Dean works closely with the Offices of the President, Provost, and SVP Finance and Administration.

The Business Operations Team lead by the Chief Business Officer, will facilitate the planning and implementation of the unit’s financial and operational vision as it relates to the full range of business functions and activities for the college to include Human Resources, IT, Finance and Operations. The team will be accountable for and provide supervision, management, and coordination of these functions, as well as provide oversight for the development and implementation of policies and procedures to achieve desired outcomes.

George Mason University provides outstanding benefits to employees, including, but not limited to, a generous number of holidays and tuition remission. More information is available at https://hr.gmu.edu/benefits/

About the Position:

Reporting to the Chief Business Officer (CBO) of the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), the Director of Finance administers and provides strategic leadership for all financial activities for CEC, including budget preparation, financial planning, reporting, compliance, and management of all state and foundation funding.

The Director of Finance will lead the planning and implementation of the College’s finance-related initiatives and processes, including:

• Financial management and budgeting, forecasting and modeling, and financial controls;
• Provide overall leadership, supervision, management, and coordination of the College’s finance functions, including supervision and development of the CEC finance team;
• Oversee the development and implementation of financial policies and procedures;
• Serve as finance liaison for the College with University administration and collaborate with peers in other colleges/units; and
• Work closely with the CBO and other members of the College’s senior leadership team in strategic planning to ensure the fiscal health of the College and to meet the College’s vision and growth strategy.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Analysis & Planning

• Drives methods to manage and operate financial resources to allow for opportunities to advance the organization's strategic plan;
• Develops longer-term (3 year) financial plans for the organization considering the strategic initiatives of the University and the college. Includes multiple scenarios that allow for changes to variables and “what if” analyses;
• Develops analyses to facilitate strategic decision-making and understand financial feasibility of cost-related initiatives associated with advancing the College's strategic plan; and
• Supports modeling, data collection, and analyses requirements of CEC to include accreditation reporting, national surveys, and other strategic projects.

Financial Planning, Forecasting & Analysis

• Oversees the annual operating budget process, including developing detailed budgets in support of all college, and departmental activities;
• Reviews detailed analyses of variances from budgets throughout the fiscal year. Identifies budget risks and opportunities for savings;
• Develops current fiscal year forecasts to monitor and evaluate college and department financial performance;
• Implements tools and metrics to measure unit's financial performance against plans/targets. Provides monthly organizational financial reporting on unit variances against budget and prior year, including expenses, surpluses, spending trends, etc; and
• Works closely with the CEC's Director of Research Administration on financial analyses and forecasts related to sponsored research expenditures and indirect recovery.

Financial Management, Operations and Compliance

• Provides financial management stewardship and oversight of internal controls, policies and procedures governing financial operations. Ensures compliance with State and University policies and procedures;
• Development and Implementation of CEC Fiscal Policies and Procedures;
• Responsible for oversight and managing workflow for all fiscal activities; and
• Responds to new initiatives and facilitate disbursement and management of funds appropriately.

Supervision and Oversight

• Develops Process and Procedures for the Finance team to ensure resources are available to team to meet their responsibilities;
• Completes performance reviews in accordance with University guidelines and ensures that each staff members has annual goals and objectives; and
• Provides feedback on performance on a periodic basis and support staff development with necessary training and resources.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Seeks out opportunities to improve operations and makes recommendations for implementation; and
• Willing to take on additional work as needed to ensure smooth operations of the unit and the College.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's/advanced degree or training and work experience at a level that equates to an advanced degree;
• Experience in the leadership and management of financial strategy, planning, and execution;
• Experience overseeing financial operations for a complex organization;
• Experience aligning strategic initiatives with financial plans;
• Advanced knowledge of principles and practices of financial management, planning, forecasting and controls;
• Skilled in developing and maintaining financial planning tools and forecasting models for both short- and long-range financial planning;
• Skilled in developing key performance indicators and conducting in depth financial analyses;
• Ability to work in partnership with and across various internal and external stakeholders;
• Ability to effectively communicate with colleagues across a range of financial skill sets; and
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• Experience in management of financial operations in a higher education environment;
• Experience in supervision of a team including performance management and development;
• Knowledge of Higher Education Financial Structure; and
• Advanced Presentation Skills.

Posting Open Date:

November 4, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by:

November 18, 2026

Open Until Filled:

Yes

A Force for Innovation in the Heart of Northern Virginia’s Technology Corridor

About the College:

The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) at George Mason University is a fast-growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the CECenrolled more than11,000studentsin fall2025.The college has 34 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degreeprogramsincluding several first-in-the-nation offerings. Of its 314full-timefaculty,107are tenured,59 aretenure-track,96 areterm faculty, and52 areresearch faculty. As part of a nationally ranked research university, CEC research teamsexpended$83.7million in sponsored research awards in the past year and had projects with over$66.8million in awards. The college stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architectures, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, and more. The college encourages and supports multidisciplinary research and providesample opportunityfor faculty to work with other disciplines.

About the University and the Region:

George Mason University is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, with an enrollment of more than40,000 studentsstudying in over200 degreeprograms. Mason is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. It was classified as an R1 research institution in 2016 by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education. The university has campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William County. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides unmatched geographical access to federal agencies and national laboratories. Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-tech firms in the nation,providingexcellent opportunities for interaction with industry. The region is consistently rated as being among the best places to live in the country and has an outstanding local public school system.

About the Future:

In conjunction with Amazon’s decision toestablisha second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing. As a result,George Mason has committed toaccelerateits plans to grow its capacity in computing andemerging technologies. Among the university’s exciting initiatives are the launch of the Institute for Digital Innovation—a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy—and the expansion of Mason Square home to its Arlington facilities. In 2025, Fusea new 355,000 square foot building,openedto students, faculty, and research teams. This net-zero facility houses the Institute for Digital Innovation, state‑of‑the‑art classrooms,roboticsand power engineeringlabs, and collaborative spaces.It will also include retail space, and leasing opportunities for local businesses. These initiatives reflect hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment byGeorge Mason that will rapidly elevate the university’s already leading national position in computing and related areas.