About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

Job Description

The Assistant Dean of Finance and Planning provides leadership, organization, analysis and management for the finance and planning functions of the college and its associated departments and programs. The professional in this role takes steps to ensure services function effectively, efficiently, and in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements as well as University policies, practices, and procedures. The Assistant Dean provides executive-level work to analyze and address matters of financial management and planning, including the development of sophisticated financial or statistical reports and presentations that inform best practice decision-making, leading the College towards established goals or future objectives and in support of its social justice mission.  The person in this role works closely with the Director of Human Resources to ensure proper coordination of leadership strategy and personnel actions. In addition to directly supervising two staff members in the Financial Services Office, this role provides functional oversight of all financial functions and may provide functional supervision and direction to other staff members in the performance of finance-related duties.   

Essential Functions

• Serves as a strategic partner to the Dean and members of the leadership team, to define, support and implement comprehensive financial planning and reporting to support research, education and student success programs and services.
• Ensures that the College of Education is a proactive leader in its implementation of new and innovative financial analyses and administrative strategies to maximize all resources.
• Maintains executive-level responsibility, in collaboration with the unit directors and the College’s Office of Research and Engagement, to manage financial planning and processes, and ensure stated strategic objectives are successfully implemented, managed, and maintained to promote our competitive advantage in education, research, innovation and philanthropy.
• Works closely with university-level administrators and peers in other colleges to collaborate and strategize on financial and resource-based decision-making, while also representing the Dean with various internal and external constituents.
• Assists the Dean in managing the annual budget and strategic planning process for the entire College, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and financial sustainability. Overseeing fiscal policies and procedures, efficiency and effectiveness of systems, long-term forecasting, and fiscal compliance and control. Has accountability for the college's annual operating budget, plus funding in research expenditures.
• Collaborates closely with the College of Education’s Director of Human Resources to integrate financial planning with strategic workforce planning, proactively addressing future workforce needs, succession planning, and evolving organizational structures to support the College’s long-term objectives.
• Supports the College's data analytics effort to regularly analyze financial and organizational data. Crafts recommendations to address issues of organizational inefficiency and align strategic priorities with available resources.
• Oversee the existing and planned college facilities, including building and office needs. Stays current with, and in compliance with, Federal, State, and University rules and regulations pertaining to procedures and related business operations.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor’s Degree with at least five (5) years of experience in effective strategic financial/fiscal/budgetary administration. A Master’s Degree or higher may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial management principles, including budgetary/fund accounting procedures, forecasting budget needs, and skill in creating annual unit budgets and preparing periodic reports.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability and willingness to lead, advise, and train staff. Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work productively and diplomatically with internal and external constituents including administrative leadership, faculty, staff and students.
• Expert knowledge of MS Office computer applications, with the ability to quickly learn additional application software relevant to the position.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, manage multiple priorities, follow through and meet deadlines. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including presentation skills.
• Clear understanding of responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and confidential information and ability to act with integrity in ways consistent both with law and with university policy.
• Demonstrated leadership style that supports a positive and respectful workplace defined by personal and professional competence, integrity, and collaboration.
• Demonstrated expertise in implementation of departmental and institutional goals for achieving non-discrimination and creating a respectful, inclusive environment that is supportive of diversity.
• Capability to access sensitive and/or not yet public University-related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercise the utmost care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s Degree with at least three (3) years of experience in effective strategic financial/fiscal/budgetary administration.
• Successful strategic budgetary experience in higher education.
• Experience with UMass or similar financial systems.
• Experience working in a unionized environment.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment

Additional Information

The College of Education includes 3 departments and serves approximately 400 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students. At any one time, the College maintains approximately 240 employee appointments, including tenure system faculty, part-time and full-time lecturers, permanent and temporary staff members, post-doctoral research associates, graduate teaching assistants, and student employees.

This is a non-unit professional position.

Work Schedule

• Monday-Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm (40 hours per week)
• Required to work occasional nights and weekends.
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy. 
• The expectation that is the person in the role will be able to work onsite full-time for the first six months in the role before converting to a mutually agreed upon hybrid work schedule.

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining their interest in the role. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide the contact information for three (3) professional references.

Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.