What are the responsibilities and job description for the Division Director of Finance & Administration (Financial Management Specialist) position at Smithsonian?

Division Director of Finance & Administration (Financial Management Specialist) (IS-0501-13)

Application Deadline : 28 February 2025

Department : Smithsonian Science Education Center

Employment Type : Full Time

Location : Washington, DC

Reporting To : Director

Compensation : $120,579 - $136,658 / year

Description

OPEN DATE : January 28, 2025

CLOSING DATE : February 28, 2025 (This job will close once 100 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date.)

POSITION TYPE : Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE : Temporary Not to Exceed One (1) Year (with an option to renew annually) SCHEDULE : Full Time

DUTY LOCATION : Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk : Non-sensitive (NS) / Low Risk

Open to all qualified applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit / Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
Complete a Probationary Period.
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit / Electronic Transfer.
The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) is an organization of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to transforming K-12 Education Through Science™ in collaboration with communities across the globe. To achieve its mission, SSEC has four goals : (1) promote authentic, inquiry-based, integrated K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teaching and learning; (2) ensure diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) in K-12 STEM education; (3) advance STEM education for sustainable development (STEM4SD); and (4) translate the research and collections of the Smithsonian into meaningful tools and convenings for K-12 teachers and students. SSEC achieves its goals by : (a) building awareness for science education among school leaders; (b) promoting Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER); (c) supporting the professional growth of K-12 teachers and school leaders; (d) developing exemplary K-12 curriculum materials and digital resources (including the comprehensive research-based science curriculum programs : Smithsonian Science for the Classroom; Science and Technology Concepts for Middle School; and Smithsonian Science for Global Goals); and (d) engaging in research. At the heart of SSEC's work is the idea that all youth-regardless of gender, sexual orientation, geography, race, native language, ability, or socio-economic status-should be given the opportunities to learn about the socio-scientific issues that challenge us. The Smithsonian, through the Smithsonian Science Education Center, plays an active role in sparking students' and teachers' interest in STEM to ensure scientific literacy and a sustainable planet. SSEC is not a museum.

For additional information about the SSEC visit www.ssec.si.edu.

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) seeks an experienced individual to serve as the Division Director of Finance & Administration. This position is responsible for supporting the mission of SSEC through effective management of financial and administrative resources. The incumbent functions as a senior level administrative officer and provides expertise and authoritative guidance and direction on administrative matters including financial and management analysis, procurement, contractor administration, space management and reports management. This position is part of the senior leadership team at SSEC and supervises a team of multiple staff members.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Budget & Finance Management

Directs all budgeting and financial management of SSEC. This includes Trust, Grant, Gift and federal grant budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting for SSEC, including all financial procurement and personnel functions.

Develops and directs overall SSEC budget for core operations from the Smithsonian Trust allocations and program support received from grants, gifts, sales of publications, fees, and other sources of revenue. These responsibilities include :

financial reporting to the Smithsonian, and to SSEC sponsors of projects, including accounting of financial revenues, procurement, personnel functions, and cost sharing requirements;

coordinating the development of the Smithsonian Call for Plans;

developing budgetary information, and from knowledge of organizational budgetary priorities, drafting annual and multi-year budget

preparing detailed calculations, statistical and narrative justifications and other pertinent data and documents to support budget requests;

researching information from a variety of sources to develop a spending plan for projection of salaries and benefits and other expenses.

developing a financial reporting and planning calendar for the SSEC.

Develops and implements an integrated organizational budget and financial accounting and reporting system for the SSEC staff that aligns to Smithsonian, Federal, and industry standards.

Ensures compliance with regulations for financial management and participates with the Director in monthly budget review sessions with each SSEC Division Director.

Drafts and / or reviews all project grant and contract proposals and agreements to assure accurate budgetary, personnel and administrative arrangements.

Works with the SSEC program directors in the development of new project plans and conducts continuing evaluations throughout the year to ensure that SSEC maintains close linkage between budget targets and programmatic expenditures. Makes necessary adjustments for changing priorities and circumstances. This may include interpreting administrative policies, developing and / or implementing local policies, defining administrative requirements, and / or providing advice to top management on related issues.

Provides analysis on financial matters associated with the management and control of resources or funds. Understand trends in business line revenue, expenses and operations to identify potential issues and opportunities; optimize ROI and pricing models. Data and analytics and reporting; develops analyses that lead to actionable strategies to accelerate profitable growth and position meeting products to remain current to trends and relevant to customers.

Procurement

Act as Senior Procurement Officer with delegation authority up to and including $50,000.

Prepares Advance Procurement Plan for the SSEC.

Acts as a liaison for procurement and accounting for the Administrative Office and works with staff throughout the organization to resolve problems within the unit's divisions.

Monitors and approves travel authorizations and vouchers. Coordinates training for fund managers and other administrative support staff in travel policies and procedures, ERP and procurement.

Facilities

Serves as facilities lead with all building issues, updates and additions.

Liaises with the Office of Safety, Health and Environmental Management to ensure the office is compliant with all safety-related matters.

Serves as property management custodian, ensuring all equipment / property is recorded with assigned tag numbers. Participates in annual review of equipment / property items and their locations.

Records all purchased SSEC sensitive and non-sensitive equipment. Performs routine checks to ensure all printer and computer equipment is operational

Supervisory

Plans and directs the work of the finance department staff, providing advice and assistance to employees on work when needed and explaining difficult or unusual work requirements.

Establishes performance plans and standards, evaluates work performance, and provides advice and counsel to staff regarding work performance.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting. Knowledge of accounting, financial planning and analysis is essential for this position.

At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in financial / operational analysis in a medium to large size society or non-profit.

Critical thinking and both quantitative and qualitative analytical skills with the ability to use logic reasoning to arrive at a solution.

Build financial models to support forecasting, business analysis and financial metric reporting.

Ability to understand and appreciate data and details without losing focus on the big picture.

Comfortable with ambiguity and able to synthesize disparate data sources to complete analyses.

Knowledge of cost accounting : unit pricing, incremental cost, breakeven analysis, activity-based costing, fixed and variable costs, overhead allocation, etc.

Experience with budget and management principles and processes and techniques for assessing and measuring program objectives and outcomes

Knowledge of techniques related to long-range program planning and of analytical, forecasting, and interpretive methods for managing and controlling resources

Knowledge of PeopleSoft financial management systems or similar accounting software;

Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, budgeting methods, financial projections and data trending / analysis. Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint;

Highly developed analytical approach to problem solving and ability to take concepts and convert them to specific plans of action are essential;

Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate financial information to program-related staff;

Ability to handle multiple tasks while meeting deadlines and maintaining quality;

Ability to work with minimal supervision, solid team skills, and flexibility;

Preferred knowledge and skills :

MBA and / or CPA highly preferred.

Experience in grant funded, non-profit environments

Must have knowledge of Federal and private grant management processes and working knowledge of Federal OMB circulars (A-110, A-122, and A-133).

Previous supervisory experience.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next : Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact SSEC-HR@si.edu . Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian's Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer . We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information : https : / / www.si.edu / oeesd.

Salary : $120,579 - $136,658

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