Director of Finance & Sponsored Programs, Annenberg School

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Director of Finance & Sponsored Programs, Annenberg School

Job Profile Title
Business Manager C

Job Description Summary
Reporting to the Executive Director of Finance & Facilities Operations, under general direction, provide financial, budgetary, and administrative support. Supervise business office staff and the support they provide to faculty, staff, students, and visitors of the Annenberg School for Communication (ASC).

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Support the Executive Director of Finance with completion of the ASC annual, five-year, and quarterly budget update and forecast process. Provide detailed support via reporting, data collection, review, projection, and/or integration for $37M operating budget. Analyze financial data and make supporting recommendations on spending restricted funds versus unrestricted funds on endowment income in excess of $30M. Provide and/or analyze data for the dean or other senior management for long-range and ad hoc decision-making, as needed.
  
• Conduct monthly reconciliations, projections, financial analysis, and reporting. Complete detailed financial and data analysis on an ongoing basis by analyzing revenues and expenditures, identifying trends and outliers, and incorporating notable events into the budget and quarterly forecasts.
  
• Provide supervision of the Financial Coordinator and Payroll Manager/Business Administrator. Provide overall management and guidance of their daily activities, including: payroll, procurement of goods & services, independent contractor onboarding, and the expense reimbursement process for ASC. Ensure tasks are completed accurately and proficiently, and the proper Penn procurement processes are executed to ensure ASC remains compliant with university policies and tax regulations. Delegate additional tasks as needed.
  
• Execute and manage all financial and administrative tasks related to federal and non-federal sponsored research activity totaling $5-10M, from pre-award to post-award and close-out. Provide premier customer service to PIs and others for all grant activities.
  
• Pre-award: assist ASC faculty and others with preparing grant proposals to federal, non-federal, corporate, foundation, and intra-university sponsors. Assist with the preparation of budgets and justifications. Prepare PennERA record for submission, review application for completeness, and track proposal to ensure deadlines are met.
  
• Post-award: review AIS and award notices for accuracy and submit corrections as needed. Budget awards internally and in BEN Financials, prepare and monitor ICR budgets, process journals and cost transfers, prepare monthly reconciliations. Exercise overall operational responsibility and ensure compliance with all policies and procedures. Prepare comprehensive monthly financial reports for investigators and meet with PIs regularly. Work closely with the payroll coordinator to ensure accurate salary distributions. Plan reporting schedules and ensure compliance with same. Liaise with funding agencies, subcontractors, university-sponsored project offices, and others. Prepare grant projections for the school's multi-year budget submission and periodic budget forecasts and update the data to the University Planning system.
  
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of university financial policies and procedures. Interpret and effectively communicate changes to existing policies and the development of new policies via email and website updates. Independently prepare and consistently update all ASC Business Office Standard Operating Procedure documentation, including (but not limited to): guide for graduate funding, predoctoral fellowship processes, independent service provider processes, finance guides for ASC students, postdocs, and research center staff.
  
• Monitor and maintain ASC information in various University systems, including but not limited to: BEN, Data Warehouse, Space@Penn, Workday, AIM/FRES, and CONCUR. Act as final financial approver for travel expense reports in Concur, Purchase Orders in Ben Financials, and Late Pay approvals in Payroll.
  
• Represent ASC and the Business Office at appropriate University meetings, such as the monthly Budget Officer's Forum, as well as other financial and project-related meetings. Be an active member of the following advisory groups and relay relevant information from these groups back to the ASC community: Research Services Governance Board (RSGB), Advisory Budget Roundtable Working Group, Global Administrators Working Group, Global Operations and Support Council, and Procurement Council. Attend executive-level meetings for the Executive Director when needed.
  
• Assist Payroll Manager/Business Administrator with foreign finance reporting: quarterly BE-125 reporting, annual Schedule F reporting.
  
• Support the Payroll Manager/Business Administrator in ensuring doctoral tuition awards, stipends, and research funds are processed accurately and in a timely manner.
  
• Work with the ASC IT department to identify the most cost-effective, university-compliant, and eco-friendly means of purchasing IT equipment for the entire ASC community. Support IT in creating and maintaining equipment inventory records.
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree with 5-7 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
  
• Progressively responsible financial analysis and management experience required. Experience in a higher education setting preferred.
  
• Significant strategic planning, financial planning, and operations experience is essential. Maintaining a strong sense of stewardship and accountability for school and university resources is essential.
  
• Strong grantsmanship, compliance, and administrative experience are essential. Experience enforcing funding policies, procedures, and regulations necessary.
  
• Must have the ability to analyze and interpret financial data and prepare financial reports and projections. The ability to think strategically and creatively in order to solve and find alternative solutions to problems is required.
  
• Previous supervisory experience required. Demonstrated ability to establish performance standards and inspire/motivate staff to achieve optimum goals required.
  
• Strong proficiency with Excel and the MS Suite required. Knowledge of BEN Financials, Business Objects, Hyperion Planning and PennERA is strongly preferred.
  
• Excellent organizational skills and written and interpersonal communication skills are required.
  
• The ability to work autonomously as well as constructively and collaboratively in a team atmosphere with faculty staff, students, and school leadership is a must.
  

A resume AND cover letter must be submitted with the application.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Annenberg School for Communication

Pay Range
$91,000.00 - $103,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
  
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
  
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
  
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
  
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
  
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
  
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
  
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
  
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
  
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
  
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
  
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
  

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay


Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Annenberg-School-for-Communication/Director-of-Finance---Sponsored-Programs--Annenberg-School_JR00105911









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