Description
Assistant Director for Finance and Business Operations
About the Department:
About the NC State College of Education :As one of the nation's top-ranked colleges of education, NC State's College of Education leads the way in North Carolina in preparing extraordinary educators, conducting transformational research, and engaging communities where they are to improve the educational outcomes of all learners and advance the greater good. The college's faculty are widely-recognized thought leaders who use their research to transform the practice of teaching, learning, and leading. They have particular strengths in improving technology-enhanced learning and teaching; fostering community-based learning and PK-16 partnerships; and innovating leadership and workforce development, educational policy, and evaluation. About two-thirds of the faculty are grant active. They are engaged in over 225 active projects totaling $151 million, making them the most productive in terms of research activity compared with other colleges of education in North Carolina and among the Top 5% in the nation. In FY24, the college's research expenditures exceeded $20 million.
The college has over 1,600 students studying across five graduate certificates, seven undergraduate majors, two undergraduate minors, 13 master's degrees, three Ph.D., and two Ed.D. programs housed in three academic departments: Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education; and Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, with approximately 130 tenure-track and professional-track faculty, 110 support and professional staff, and about 160 graduate and teaching assistants. The College of Education is also home to the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, and Elevate, NC State's postsecondary education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The college has over 18,000 living alumni, with over 6,000 working in public schools in every county in North Carolina. Those who are teachers rate among the highest in effectiveness on surveys of school employers in North Carolina.
NC State promotes an integrated approach to problem solving that transforms lives and provides leadership for social, economic, and technological development across North Carolina and around the world. NC State's land grant mission of teaching, research and service is dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. Applicants are encouraged to review the institution's mission, vision and strategic plan, and consider how their background, interest and experience would enable them to support the university.
About the Belk Center:As a trusted resource for North Carolina's community college leaders, the Belk Center delivers actionable research and tailored leadership programming to advance college and student success. We support leaders at every stage of their careers, equipping them with timely insights and practical tools focused on improving the experiences and outcomes of their students. Our work is both nationally informed and deeply focused on North Carolina's unique community college landscape.
Essential Job Duties:
The Assistant Director for Finance and Business Operations serves as a key operational and financial partner for the Belk Center, providing oversight of budgets, sponsored projects, gifts and endowments, and business operations. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Operations for the College of Education, this role exercises independent judgment and works closely with Center and College leadership to ensure compliant, sustainable financial management across a broad portfolio of funding sources.
As the Assistant Director, you will regularly collaborate with the Executive Director and Deputy Director of the Belk Center, the Director of Research Management, and the College of Education Finance Director, and play an important role in supporting leadership decision-making through clear financial insight and operational stewardship.
Core responsibilities are organized within the four functional areas outlined below.
Financial & Business Operations Management:
- Provide operational oversight of the Center's financial and business activities, ensuring strong internal controls, fiscal accountability, and compliance with applicable requirements.
- Monitor and manage financial activity across state, sponsored projects, F&A, fee-for-service, and gift/endowment funding sources.
- Oversee day-to-day business transactions, including accounts payable/receivable, vendor payments, travel, PCard activity, journals, and purchasing.
- Manage gift and endowment funds to ensure alignment with donor intent, approved spending plans, and applicable policies.
- Supervise and provide work direction to the Business Services Coordinator and support effective workload management.
- Partner with Center leadership to evaluate funding strategies and financial scenarios that support long-term sustainability.
Financial Reporting, Analysis & Decision Support:
- Prepare financial reports, projections, and concise narrative analyses to support planning and decision-making.
- Partner with the Director of Research on sponsor-facing financial reporting and required external submissions.
- Monitor budgets to identify trends, risks, or funding constraints and recommend corrective actions.
- Process budget journals, funding transfers, and cost corrections in accordance with institutional guidance.
- Coordinate year-end closeout for state projects and support compliant closeout for non-state projects.
Compliance, Sponsored Projects & Risk Management:
- Provide post-award financial administration for sponsored projects, ensuring expenditures align with approved budgets and requirements.
- Prepare and submit subaward requests, Project Modification Requests (PMRs), and related documentation in coordination with campus partners.
Serve as a liaison with the College of Education Business Office, Sponsored Programs, and other university units to support compliance and risk mitigation.
Human Resources Administration:
- Provide HR operational coordination in partnership with Center leadership and College of Education HR.
- Support position development, recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and offboarding activities.
- Serve as the WolfTime administrator for the Center and coordinate timekeeping and leave processes.
- Support workforce planning and staffing needs in collaboration with leadership.
If you enjoy partnering with leadership, translating complex financial information into clear guidance, and supporting mission-driven work through thoughtful stewardship and collaboration, this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
Minimum Education and Experience:
Other Required Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience managing financial operations and post-award sponsored project portfolios in higher education or a large, complex organization.
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles and applicable federal and state fiscal regulations.
- Proven ability to manage, reconcile, and report on multiple funding sources (e.g., federal, state, foundation, and institutional).
- Experience using enterprise financial systems (e.g., PeopleSoft Financials or comparable ERP systems) and financial reporting tools.
- Demonstrated experience supervising or coordinating the work of professional or administrative staff to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant operations.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).
- Experience interpreting complex sponsor requirements and university policies.
- Experience working within a research center, institute, or similarly complex academic environment.
Posting Number: PG194417EP
Position Number: 00109604
Anticipated Hiring Range: $70,000–$82,000
To apply, visit https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/227035
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