Chief Business Officer, Candler School of Theology - Emory University

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Description:

Works directly alongside the Dean of Candler School of Theology with complementary reporting lines to the Vice President for Finance/Deputy Chief Financial Officer and the Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Finance & Resource Planning. The Chief Business Officer is entrusted with critical financial and administrative oversight, responsibilities, and accountabilities to support the success of the School.

• Serves as the principal non-academic officer responsible for the School's administrative operations, budget management, financial forecasting and scenario planning, financial services, human resources administration, facilities management, research administration, and business activities.
• Provides overall administrative, financial, and strategic direction for the budgetary and fiscal affairs of the School, inclusive of planning, administering, monitoring, forecasting, and controlling the overall financial plans, internal controls, regulatory compliance, policies, and programs.
• Continually strives for process improvement and technology solutions to reduce redundancies and administrative and infrastructure costs for the School.
• Directs School-wide planning and response to the demands, costs, services, technology, regulations, and fiscal interests throughout the School while protecting assets and ensuring fiscal viability.
• Plans, develops, submits, and presents through the Dean of the School the annual operating and personnel plan/budget proposal for the School. The proposal should include an appropriate level of data analysis and key performance indicators for consideration of the Dean to ensure options and resource allocations are clearly outlined and demonstrate support of the mission of the School.
• Monitors each department, program, or other budget within the School for compliance within established fiscal limits and compliance with laws, policies, and procedures.
• Proactively updates the Dean on on-going operations and project activities inclusive of issues pertaining to budgetary and financial status and customer feedback.
• Researches issues, develops alternatives, and prepares recommendations, supported by data and risk analysis, for consideration by the Dean.
• Oversees the endowment income, including income for scholarships, to determine and report projected and actual revenue, proper accounting, and utilization.
• Ensures that proper internal controls are in place within the School and works collaboratively with the University's Internal Audit Department. Identify ways to utilize available audit check reporting to identify issues expeditiously and follow-up with corrective action.
• Reviews the drivers of the cost allocation model for the School and incorporates these drivers in the evaluation of proposed projects and strategies for the School. Identifies opportunities to optimize the use of allocated services in order to reduce direct expenses within the School.
• Ensures the proper financial accounting related to grants and contracts in partnership with the Office of Research Administration and the Division for Finance.
• Directs the School's contract signature procedures to ensure compliance with Emory contract authority delegation policies. Partners with Emory Procurement to identify favorable terms and options to benefit the School.
• Reviews all contracts prior to signing for the School to ensure compliance, fiscal resource availability, and to minimize related risks to the School.
• Maintains a contract repository for the School.
• Researches, formulates and recommends strategic and operational financial plans to enhance the financial position of the School while enhancing the academic mission.
• Stays abreast of student tuition charges among peer institutions and prepares and presents recommendations to the Dean regarding appropriate modifications of the School's tuition rates.
• As an integral participant on the Dean's Council, evaluates financial and human resources opportunities and prepares and presents formal recommendations concerning possible restructuring/enhancement with other organizational components.
• Critically analyzes the impact of existing and proposed financial and human resources strategies and efforts to ensure the School remains fiscally well-positioned and capable of effectively responding to demands of short-term and long-term fiscal needs, including financial aid.
• Develops a consistent, rigorous process to evaluate requests for financial resources while assessing the impact on the School's long-term interests and alignment with the School’s strategic goals and objectives.
• Using forecasting techniques and key performance indicators, evaluates the financial and operating status of each School department/program. Proposes, negotiates, and implements corrective actions as needed and approved by the Dean.
• Hires, supervises and evaluates staff. Implements the annual performance assessment process (and self-assessment) of all employees.
• Working collaboratively with the Dean, manages the annual salary review process for the School. Processes all salary changes and annual ministerial housing allowance declarations.
• Working in close collaboration with the Dean, facilitates the establishment of new positions for recruitment, selection, employment, and relocation of faculty and staff.
• Consults with University Human Resources and leadership on personnel/payroll matters to assist in resolving issues pertaining to employee relations, compensation, benefits, training, performance assessment, and budget management.
• Processes payroll and other financial matters for faculty sabbaticals and research leaves.
• Audits, organizes, and maintains the employment records for the School to ensure employment and job-related documents are completely, accurately, and securely maintained for each employee.
• Obtains, organizes, and secures appropriate documents for adjunct faculty employees.
• Ensures that documents used for processing personnel and financial transactions maintained by the office are updated with current versions.
• Initiates online and/or forms processing as required by employee and organizational changes.
• Works with staff of Faculty Support Services to ensure files with job descriptions for all positions (faculty and staff) are kept current.
• Manages the annual leave records and annual time away reports for staff.
• Serves as a resource to provide updates on the progress and activities of Emory's HR system, including the implementation/enhancements of personnel/payroll systems.
• Oversees administration of the Kronos Web Clocking system to ensure hours worked by biweekly paid employees are maintained accurately.
• Coordinates assessment of technology usage and associated staff development to enhance their contributions to the School.
• Promotes a climate of collegiality and teamwork throughout the School and across the Emory community.
• Manages facilities, in collaboration with staff of the School's Manager of Site Operations and Director of Pitts Theology Library, as well as Campus Services/Facilities Management.
• Oversees safeguarding and accounting of School assets.
• Prepares and monitors budgets for ongoing building maintenance.
• Manages housing leases for Formation Communities and other student housing.
• Practices and facilitates faculty/staff education in the acceptance and implementation of sound business, financial, and personnel management.
• Orients and provides training for new faculty and staff on the School's basic business practices.
• Maintains current and necessary education and skills for excellence in job performance to cope with a dynamic environment and ensure success of the School.
• Works with the Dean, Associate Dean of Faculty, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to facilitate strategic planning for the School.  Serves as a resource with data, forecasting tools, and options to help define the best strategy path for short- and long-term success.
• Networks with internal and external constituencies to promote the financial and operational interests of the School, including serving on university-wide committees.
• Participates in weekly meetings of the Dean's Council providing on-going budget status reports and updates of fiscal progress and human resources initiatives as directed by the Dean.
• Participates in the School's Strategic Planning Committee, Candler Staff Advisory Council, and all staff meetings.
• Establishes, strengthens, and maintains corporate fiscal relations between Candler School of Theology and other Emory University divisions and other institutions.
• Works closely with the leadership of the University and with various funding, regulatory, and accrediting bodies to provide, generate, process and report financial and operational information.
• Performs related responsibilities as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field and seven years of financial administration, business operations or related experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree.
• demonstrated leadership in strategic planning, human resources, space management, fiscal policy formation, management of resource allocation processes, and staff supervision.
• Proficiency using spreadsheets and other financial software.
• An understanding of graduate theological education and its diverse constituent.
• Exceptional finance and budgeting within research universities and higher education.
• Strong communication skills.

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