CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware is comprised of four academic departments, three county offices, the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station in Newark, and the Carvel Research and Education Center in southern Delaware. It is distinguished nationally for its excellent academic programs, impactful Extension programs, and research contributions to genetics/genomics, , human dimensions of agriculture, sustainable food systems and One Health.

In the Land Grant tradition, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources receives over $9 million from federal, state and county sources for research and extension, in addition to a central university allocation of $24 million. The college also receives extramural grant support from USDA, NSF and other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry and foundation sources. In a typical year, faculty and staff generate ~130 awards totaling $27 million. Entrepreneurial ventures such as the UDairy Creamery and Newark Farm generate another $2 million. College endowments produce nearly $1 million per year in spendable revenue, and fundraising has averaged $5-6 million annually for the last several years.

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Senior Business Officer serves as an integral member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for financial management and strategic planning related to budget, purchasing, accounts payable, grants and contracts and other financial matters. The Senior Business Officer provides accurate and consistent reports for the dean, associate deans, directors and chairs, and provides reporting to state and federal government. The Senior Business Officer acts as liaison with colleges and departments across campus and is the focal point for communication to the university budget office. The Senior Business Officer serves as the senior leader for the Finance hub of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, ensuring that optimal services are being delivered and financial needs being met.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Senior Leadership

• Leads the development of CANR’s financial strategy, with a strong focus on operational excellence.
• Provides strategic consultation to the Dean and College Leadership on financial issues, to include financial analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, and revenue and expense analysis.
• Serves as senior leader to the College Financial Team to include the Financial Analyst, Grants Administration team and departmental Business Administrators.
• Ensures proper internal controls are in place for all applicable financial functions. Acts as a critical conduit of information between the Dean, Chairs and Directors, staff/faculty and University support and service units.
• Serves as primary College liaison between centralized units and college financial units. Ensures CANR financial and business-related policies and practices are compliant with University goals and regulations.
• Develops and presents budget summaries and projections to College and University to inform the strategic activities of the College.
• In conjunction with the College HR Director, approves the hiring process for full-time and part-time staff and faculty.
• Oversees the College-wide implementation of systems (e.g., Concur, UD Exchange). Effectively communicates changes to key employees in timely manner. Coordinates and/or leads training sessions to ensure competency of new systems.
• Reviews, interprets, recommends, and/or implements college policies and procedures related to financial operations.
• May serve on various college or University committees; participates directly in the formulation of college policy, ensuring that administrative and human resources practices are in compliance with university regulations, policies, and appropriate regulations.
• Fosters an environment of inclusive excellence, customer service, collegiality and mutual respect.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned

Budget and Planning

• Manages fiscal affairs of the college including budget planning (BTA), expenditure and cost analysis, procedures for expense payments, and financial projections; coordinates account reconciliation and financial reporting activities; develops systems to improve fiscal control and processing; participates in the development of new projects and/or programs; may prepare proposals for funding of equipment, remodeling, courses, or other needs of the college.
• In conjunction with departments/units, prepares and presents materials to summarize and justify unit/program budget requests, including data gathering/reporting and trend analyses in connection with budgetary formulation and administration.
• Analyzes, prepares and presents long-term financial and operational projections and plans.
• Identifies and assesses revenue growth opportunities for CANR, and closely monitors and contains costs.
• Manages financial and operational risk through the development, implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive system of internal controls and associated measures.
• Ensures compliance with applicable government rules and regulations pertaining to accounting procedures and related business operations.
• Responsible for complying with university policies, procedures, and best practices regarding protecting data and following UD data governance rules
• Leads the College’s business intelligence efforts using advanced analytics software to create dashboards and reports to ensure that strategic decisions are data informed.
• Routinely provides budget updates to College Leadership, including chairs and unit directors. Provides ad hoc financial reports and data as requested by College Leadership.
• Works with College units and University offices to facilitate the financial processing of grants, approve matching funds, and develop reports of College awards.
• Researches, reports, analyzes, compiles and/or completes information for financial audits, surveys and accreditation.

Staff Development and Support

• Directly supervises assigned staff. Monitors workload and productivity; evaluates performance and makes recommendations for personnel actions. Sets clear objectives and success metrics. Identifies skill gaps and creates development plans to address as appropriate.
• Provides support to and arranges coverage for the Manager of Grants Administration, Senior Business Administrator and departmental business administrators, as needed, to ensure continuity of services in their absence.
• Retains and develops the finance and business administration team through coaching, mentorship, professional development, and training.
• Establishes and leads onboarding and training plans for new financial and business administrator team members.
• Routinely meets with the College Financial Team to provide productivity metrics, strategies and budget updates. Provides operational guidance and helps to resolve complex financial issues.
• Cascades information regarding policy changes and/or updates from central university units such as procurement, payroll, graduate college, registrar’s office, research office, OEIP and HR to the College Financial Team.
• Assesses overall satisfaction across the CANR community to ensure optimal delivery of financial services.
• Liaises with the College units to determine appropriate staffing is available to meet the service deliverables.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or related field and eight years of progressively responsible professional management experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience with financial and budget planning.
• Demonstrated leadership ability including strategic planning, team building, and change management.
• Advanced analytic, financial modeling and critical thinking skills, and exceptional judgment and initiative.
• Ability to make administrative/procedural decisions and judgments and to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects.
• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.
• Knowledge of contracts and grants management, and of government regulations regarding the use of sponsored program funds.
• Ability to gather and analyze statistical data and generate reports.
• Ability to supervise and train employees, to include organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments.
• Effective oral and written communication and strong interpersonal skills with evidence of effective interactions with senior administration, faculty, and other constituents.
• Ability to gather, analyze, and interpret financial data and prepare statistical and financial reports, statements and/or projections.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to interpret, adapt, and apply guidelines and procedures.
• Ability to develop and maintain recordkeeping systems and procedures.
• Ability to plan, organize, implement, evaluate, and modify administrative support needs.