Associate Director of Finance & Operations, AC4

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary: N/A
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: Commensurate with experience

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director, the Associate Director of Finance & Operations manages the general operations of the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC4 ). The Associate Director works to implement the following regular duties and responsibilities: 1) Management and oversight of financial operations, including serving as departmental approver for all operations, conducting regular financial accounting on restricted and unrestricted funds, overseeing financial transactions, and training staff on EI policies, 2) management of staff and human resources operations including general supervision of AC4 staff and time, effort reporting and payroll for all AC4 personnel, 3) Office and infrastructure management, and 4) other limited duties as needed.

Responsibilities

Management of AC4’s Financial Operations:

• The Associate Director manages the financial operations of AC4, including oversight of all financial reporting. They serve as the Department Administrator inside AC4 and oversees all financial transactions for the unit. The Associate Director runs the Financial Data Store reports for all AC4 gifts, grants and unrestricted accounts, ensuring that all financial transactions are applied and allocated correctly. They work closely with EI Finance and EI Development to create gift accounts and manage AC4’s financial portfolio, tracking transfers and adjusting allocations if needed. The Associate Director monitors and trains staff on all financial budgeting for their programs as well as accounting and purchasing policy which includes hiring consultants, external vendors and all AC4 external workshops. The Associate Director submits AC4 financial reports to Earth Institute to validate spending. They design and implement financial tracking reports for managing program spending and meets with program manager or project leads to train them on CU finances. In addition, they assist the Director by providing financial projections for fiscal year planning purposes. They also meet with AC4 PIs to assist them with tracking and monitoring the finances for their grants, gifts and projects. They create annual financial budgeting reports to external sponsors and donors when needed.
• The Associate Director checks ARC, approves and reconciles charges made to AC4 budget. The Associate Director trains staff on CU accounting and purchasing policies. They provide budget updates to EI budget office in February and July annually. They are responsible for all AC4 Accounting approvals and payment processing on ARC, including TBERs, Invoices, Purchase Orders, and Vendor Management. They train and support AC4 in submitting invoices, paying service providers, TBERs and travel advances. She attends training meetings in accounts payable and purchasing to keep AC4 staff apprised of CU policies and procedures. In addition, they process internal transfers and external payments to AC4’s non-Columbia institutional partners.

Staff & Human Resource Management:

• The Associate Director is responsible for all Human Resource actions including coordinating with the Director on hiring, modification of job descriptions and payroll, training, management of AC4 staff time, leave, and effort reporting, and other HR actions as needed. The Associate Director provides administrative supervision for AC4 staff, and interfaces with Project PI’s on technical supervision. The Associate Director conducts interviews for interns, certain service providers and administrative staff. The AC4 Associate Director troubleshoots any difficulties in hiring staff and coordinates timesheets and act as primary or secondary timesheet signatory. The Associate Director also handles additional compensation and honoraria requests for AC4. The Associate Director maintains compliance with all Earth Institute Human Resources policies. They convene regular staff meetings and coordinate closely with the Director to share staff experiences and improve human resources practices.

Office & Infrastructure Management:

• The Associate Director is the primary point of contact for AC4, which involves monitoring email and telephone lines and maintaining a physical presence on campus. They manage the offices and infrastructure of the unit. This includes managing and maintaining office space in coordination with EI Facilities, managing rent payments and invoicing, maintaining logs of all AC4 property including computers and equipment, and coordinating with property managers to ensure adherence to all building and public health protocols.

Other limited duties as needed:  

• In addition to the regular duties outlined above, the Associate Director may be tasked with other ad hoc responsibilities to ensure AC4 is able to effectively pursue its mission. This may include supporting strategic planning for the unit, contributing to events, supporting affiliated centers and programs at CU and other partner organizations, representing AC4 in strategic and administrative meetings. Once the Associate Director becomes proficient in other responsibilities, they may be able to scope out and propose new initiatives to design and implement.

Minimum Qualifications

• BA degree is required plus a minimum of four years related experience.
• Exceptional analytical, and organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail required.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills necessary, including the ability to give clear and concise presentations of complex material.
• Must be able to function independently and to exercise discretion and judgment in sensitive and potentially controversial matters.
• Broad computer skills required, including word-processing, budgetary tools and databases.
• Flexibility and adaptability along coupled with attention to detail, and experience and comfort working efficiently on multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s in business administration or equivalent preferred.
• Knowledge of CU administrative offices and policies including Sponsored Projects Administration and Finance, ARC and PAC, Procurement & Vendor Management, and HR Policies
• Demonstrated commitment to conflict resolution, non-violence, peacebuilding and sustainability
• Working knowledge of interdisciplinary research and practice, particularly related to peace, conflict, climate, and sustainability.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.