Director of Finance

University of Maine; Farmington (ME); On-site; USD 68,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Tuition waiver programs for employees

Job summary

The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) seeks a Director of Finance to provide institution-wide financial leadership, guiding strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance.

Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, this role oversees accounting operations, internal controls, grants oversight, and financial reporting; the ideal candidate has leadership experience and a proven track record in higher education finance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum five years in accounting/finance roles.
• Minimum three years supervisory experience.
• Advanced knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and financial reporting.
• Advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and financial reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial leadership and guide planning, budgets, forecasts, and projections.
• Turn data into decision support with dashboards and analytics.
• Oversee accounting operations, reconciliations, and internal controls.
• Provide fiscal oversight of sponsored programs with grants manager.
• Strengthen financial operations across receivables, cash controls, travel, and student finance.
• Lead people, processes, and innovation in finance systems.
• Represent UMF on campus and system committees as needed.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Collaborative leadership

Advanced financial management

Advanced spreadsheets & reporting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

PeopleSoft Financials

Concur

Grants management systems

Job description

Are you a strategic financial leader who can turn complex financial information into clear recommendations and meaningful action? The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) is seeking a Director of Finance to provide institution-wide financial leadership and help advance the University’s strategic priorities.

Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, the Director of Finance serves as a trusted advisor and collaborative partner to campus leadership. This position provides leadership across financial planning and analysis, accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, regulatory compliance, and fiscal oversight of sponsored programs in partnership with the Grants Manager. The Director plays an important role in strengthening financial practices, improving processes, and supporting informed decision-making across the University.

If you are an experienced financial professional who combines strategic thinking, strong analytical skills, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to excellent service, we invite you to consider joining UMF.

What You’ll Do

• Provide Strategic Financial Leadership: Serve as a principal financial advisor to the Chief Business Officer and senior leadership, supporting short- and long-range financial planning, operating budgets, forecasts, scenario modeling, and multi-year projections.
• Turn Data into Decision Support: Analyze enrollment, revenue, expenditures, compensation, grants, and other financial trends; identify risks and opportunities; and develop actionable recommendations. Create dashboards, business intelligence reporting, and financial analytics that strengthen institutional decision-making.
• Lead Accounting Operations & Internal Controls: Provide oversight of complex accounting activities, reconciliations, financial reporting, year-end closing, audit preparation, cash controls, and internal control practices.
• Provide Fiscal Oversight of Sponsored Programs: Partner with the Grants and Contracts Manager to provide fiscal oversight of the University’s sponsored programs portfolio and ensure alignment with institutional financial policies, internal controls, reporting standards, and applicable compliance requirements.
• Strengthen Financial Operations: Oversee areas including receivables, third-party billing, cash controls, travel and expense activity, and student organization financial activity while promoting responsive, consistent, and customer-focused financial services.
• Lead People, Processes & Innovation: Supervise and develop assigned staff, evaluate financial systems and business processes, and lead improvements involving technology, workflow automation, internal controls, data quality, and service delivery.
• Serve as a Campus Financial Leader: Represent UMF on campus and University System committees and initiatives and serve as a delegate for the Chief Business Officer, providing continuity of financial leadership as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in accounting, finance, budgeting, grants administration, or a related financial field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience overseeing accounting, finance, budgeting, or related business operations.
• Advanced knowledge of financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, accounting, internal controls, and financial reporting within a complex organization.
• Advanced knowledge of spreadsheets and financial reporting tools, including complex formulas, queries, pivot tables, data validation, reconciliations, and financial modeling.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.
• CPA, CMA, CRA, or another relevant professional credential.
• Experience in higher education, governmental accounting, or public-sector financial management.
• Experience with PeopleSoft Financials, Concur, grants management systems, or comparable enterprise financial systems.
• Experience leading financial process improvement, technology implementation, or organizational change initiatives.
• Experience administering grants or contracts, including post-award financial management and compliance with sponsor requirements.

Bring Your Financial Leadership to UMF

This is an opportunity to contribute well beyond traditional accounting operations. The Director of Finance will help shape financial strategy, strengthen institutional practices, develop people and processes, and provide the financial insight needed to support UMF’s future.

Based on the qualifications and experience of the successful applicant, the annual salary range for this position is $68,000 - $72,000 plus a 10% employer contribution to the UMS retirement plan.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• tuition waiver programs for employees and dependents

Important items regarding this advertisement

We are not able to consider applicants who require any visa sponsorship support

Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.

For full consideration, materials must be submitted by 4:30 pm EST on Wednesday, October 21, 2026

The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening as applicable.

The University of Maine at Farmington employees are Mandatory Reporters with the exception of UMF’s licensed, clinical medical providers (including athletic trainers) and mental health providers and their clinical interns when working in their capacity as providers.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Maine System (the System) is an equal opportunity institution committed to fostering a nondiscriminatory environment and complying with all applicable nondiscrimination laws. Consistent with State and Federal law, the System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran or military status in any aspect of its education, programs and activities, and employment. The System provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you believe you have experienced discrimination or harassment, you are encouraged to contact the System Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services at 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, Orono, ME 04469-5713, by calling 207.581.1226, or via TTY at 711 (Maine Relay System). For more information about Title IX or to file a complaint, please contact the UMS Title IX Coordinator at www.maine.edu/title-ix/.

Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, such as the University, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report, (ASR) and provide notice of the availability of the ASR to all prospective employees. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University’s crime statistics for the past three calendar years; and disclosures regarding the University’s current campus security policies. You may view the University’s Annual Security Report. If you have any questions, contact UMF Dept. of Public, Safety / Campus Police, University of Maine at Farmington, 149 Quebec Street, Farmington, Maine 04938-1994 tel [phone]UMF