Director of Graduate Financial Support - 134276

The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BMS) is the largest graduate program in Health Sciences with approximately 200 students. As an umbrella program, instruction and research occurs at multiple sites with nearly 300 faculty members from 30 university departments and 10 external institutions, such as Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, the Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and the Craig J. Venter Institute.

The Neurosciences Graduate Program (NGP) has approximately 100 students and 180 faculty members also brought together from many campus departments including UCSD School of Medicine, approximately 20 general campus departments and a number of affiliated institutes. The Neurosciences Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program that provides coursework and research training leading to a degree of Doctor of Philosophy in all areas related to the development and function of the nervous system.

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is an MD-PhD program and has approximately 40 medical students and 50 PhD students. The MSTP an inter-institutional collaboration that combines clinical training under the auspices of the UCSD School of Medicine with research training from a number of world-renowned research institutions.

Under the direction of the Assistant Dean of the Division of Graduate Education, the Director of Graduate Financial Support is responsible for coordinating and implementing financial support for 350 graduate students for graduate programs in Health Sciences (Biomedical Sciences, Neurosciences and the Medical Scientist Training Program).

The Director serves as primary advisor and resource to students, faculty, and staff regarding graduate student support. Develop policies and procedures and resolve complex problems pertaining to graduate student support from a variety of fund sources (i.e., fellowships, training grants, GSR appointments, and TA positions). Develop and analyze budgets for financial expenditures in the BMS and NGP programs. Provide policy interpretation, historical data, and other data analysis reports. Uses professional financial services concepts. Applies organization policies and procedures to resolve a variety of moderately complicated issues. Works on financial services problems of moderate scope where analysis of situations or data requires a review of a variety of factors. Collaborates in maintaining systems/methods for tracking student appointments, financial expenditures and data collection and implementation of support according to both academic and financial policy guidelines. Serves as primary financial support advisor to faculty, staff and students regarding student support expenditures and policies and procedures (University, funding source, union, etc.). Incumbent will work directly with the Academic Resource Center (ARC) to implement all Biomedical Sciences and Neurosciences graduate student academic appointments in UCPath including Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) and GSR Trainees and Fellows including new hires and rehires, salary, effort and title changes, funding changes, and appointment notification. Incumbent will serve as the primary liaison to departments and the Academic Resource Center to serve as a resource on salary and appointment issues under the auspices of the SOM Graduate Programs unit.

The Director will provide highly complex post-award financial administration and management for complex education, training and fellowship awards and sponsored project funds within the SOMGP, in accordance with organization policy and agency requirements. Provides financial reporting and continuous analysis of revenue and expenditures. Provides forecasting for short and long term financial planning. Identifies problem areas, formulates alternative solutions and makes recommendations for a wide variety of financial and administrative issues. Utilizes standardized procedures and automated systems to create a variety of internal reports and validation of data for management use.

The incumbent uses advanced financial services and accounting concepts and organizational objectives to resolve highly complex issues. Regularly works on highly complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors. Exercises judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results. Performs other duties as assigned.

• Nine years of related experience, education/training, OR a Bachelor's degree in related area plus five years of related experience/training.

• Advanced knowledge of financial or accounting concepts, policies and procedures, as well as related accounting and regulatory compliance requirements.

• Advanced knowledge of organization and systemwide financial processes and procedures.

• Advanced skills in the use of spreadsheet and database software.

• May require analytical skills sufficient to develop and implement financial data management and reporting systems.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively across the organization at all levels.

• May require skills in project management, leadership, and process re-design.

• Advanced knowledge and understanding of internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources.

• Advanced leadership skills to provide guidance, coaching and mentoring to professional and support staff.

• Skills include service orientation, ability to multi-task effectively in a varied, high volume environment; uses sound judgment and decision making, critical thinking, creative problem solving, and effective verbal and written communication skills.

• In-depth knowledge of graduate education aims and program structures in a university environment with extensive knowledge of, and experience with, the educational process, institutional policies and procedures, and organizational goals and objectives. In-depth knowledge of complex graduate student financial support matters.

• Demonstrated management and supervisory skills to hire, train, and direct professional and support staff to complete a high volume workload, successfully handle conflict resolution, initiate performance evaluation, and foster a cooperative working environment.

• Ability to recommend and implement new approaches and innovative solutions to complex graduate student employment situations, and make decisions having department-wide impact.

• Strong knowledge of ASE/UAW union regulations related to graduate student academic appointments.

• Proven knowledge of accounting principles with strong mathematical skills and demonstrated experience analyzing financial data and payroll transactions, performing statistical summaries and calculations, determining and implementing appropriate actions. Sound knowledge of and experience with UC accounting policies and procedures.

• Extensive knowledge of program administration guidelines of Federal and non-Federal sponsors supporting research and educational activities, preferably in a university environment. Maintains knowledge of and ability to interpret and apply sponsor, institutional and departmental policies.

• Seven or more years of relevant experience.

• Knowledge of and experience with UC graduate student financial support policies and procedures and merit-based financial support including federal sponsored fellowships and training grants

• Knowledge of the UAW GSR contract and related policies and procedures

• Experience/working knowledge of the following applications: UCPath, Financial Support Request Tool (FSRT), Oracle, Microsoft Office suite.

• Relevant experience within the University of California system.

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.

• Occasional evenings and weekends may be required.