Director, Financial Strategy and Operations

Position Summary

The Director of Financial Strategy and Operations is a senior leader in the Office of Budget and Financial Analysis (BFA), responsible for advancing UIC's financial sustainability and streamlining operational efficiency and fiscal compliance. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for BFA, the Director oversees financial planning and budget management for assigned units (Vice Chancellor and Vice Provost), compliance activities, financial policy development, and aligning strategies with university priorities. This role drives process improvements that optimize workflows, reduce costs, and enhance accountability across the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance (OVCF) and UIC using methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma. Collaborating with university leaders, the Director ensures effective resource allocation and streamlined operations, supporting UIC's mission and long-term financial goals.

Duties & Responsibilities

 Strategic Financial Leadership

- Provide strategic direction for financial planning and budget management within assigned Vice Provost/Vice Chancellor units, including developing multi-year financial strategies aligned with institutional goals and priorities.

- Collaborate with leadership to design and implement budget frameworks that evaluate the financial impact of initiatives and support data-driven decision-making. Manage annual budget allocation correspondence, including identifying issues affecting each assigned unit and addressing business opportunities and/or concerns.

- Serve as the primary financial and administrative liaison for high-impact partnerships, such as UIC Global; lead the Shorelight contract renewal; serve on the UIC Global Steering Committee to provide operational oversight on fiscal processes to ensure program objectives are achieved.

- Oversee the financial management of UIC’s initiatives and programs such as the faculty recruitment programs, including Bridge to Faculty, Underrepresented Faculty Recruitment Program (UFRP), the Cluster Hire Program, and Partner Accommodations.

- Develop and implement ad-hoc analytic studies and reports in response to senior management inquiries (University and System Office requests/submissions) and as needed for accreditation, regulatory, or other reporting requirements. Analyze detailed data to develop findings and unite best practices into actionable reports and recommendations.

Process Innovation and Operational Excellence

- Provide leadership for staff who lead a multi-year effort to document and optimize OVCF’s operational processes, applying methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma or others to enhance efficiency and minimize waste while promoting a culture of innovation, efficiency, and fiscal accountability.

- Manage OVCF’s effort to create detailed process maps, identify bottlenecks, and implement solutions that align with institutional goals.

- Manage staff who develop OVCF’s internal documentation, such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training materials, to institutionalize best practices.

- Provide consulting services to university-wide units for process mapping, efficiency gains, and shared services exploration.

- Use data-driven analysis to develop actionable insights, track efficiency improvements, and monitor key performance indicators for university-wide efforts.

Compliance and Policy Development

- Develop and manage staff implementing OVCF and University policies, procedures, and training materials related to fiscal and budget management, process improvements, and annual reporting requirements.

- Develop and analyze fiscal data to determine and inform the financial consequences of changes in policy, programs, or activities affecting University finances.

- Guide UIC’s adherence to the Illinois Fiscal Control and Internal Audit Act (FCIAA). Oversee the annual FCIAA survey, analyze findings, follow up with units, and prepare the annual compliance summary for the Chief Financial Officer of the University of Illinois System.

- Communicate complex fiscal policies and guidelines to institutional stakeholders, ensuring compliance with regulatory and reporting standards.

Operations

- Oversee staff responsible for day-to-day office operations such as purchasing, inventory, TEM, and transaction approvals. Perform routine reconciliations for BFA accounts. Maintain detailed multi- year budget-to-actual planning projections for departmental expenditures.

- Oversee staff who process “CodeBook” entries (the official system of record for the Enterprise System / Banner organizational hierarchy). Partner with units who submit changes to facilitate unit name changes, creation of new units, migration of existing units, and the related dependencies (security concerns, payroll and labor distributions, purchase orders, etc.).

Management & Leadership

- In collaboration with the Associate Vice Chancellor, provide leadership and direction for the office and assigned staff members. Hire, train, develop, and manage staff to ensure that qualified staff exists to meet group objectives.

- Participate in committees and task force groups as assigned to professionally and competently represent OBFA. Set priorities and guidelines for individual projects and work assignments.

- In coordination with the other BFA Directors, direct OBFA in the absence of the Associate Vice Chancellor.