Senior Director, Finance and Administration

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Senior Director of Finance and Administration will lead a team and provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and/or advisory support for key functions within the Facilities & Capital Planning division of Rice Real Estate & Facilities (RE&F). These areas include finance, inventory and customer service management, and business analytics.
This role supports RE&F’s strategic vision by advising on financial and administrative matters, resolving operational issues, and serving as the division’s primary resource on department guidelines and procedures in alignment with university policy. The Senior Director also plays a key role in budget development, working closely with departmental budget managers and serving in an advisory capacity to leadership. The role will also be involved in strategic leadership or advisory support for key data analytics decisions and reporting, as well as inventory and customer service management.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented leader with a strong background in finance and analytics. They are an excellent communicator and relationship builder, able to advise on sensitive and complex administrative matters while maintaining strict confidentiality. This individual has a proven track record of successfully managing teams or programs aligned with strategic institutional goals and can navigate both operational and strategic challenges with professionalism and discretion.

Workplace Requirements:
This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 6 years of related professional experience in administration, budget planning and management, financial analysis, and/or financial reporting, including experience in managing people, systems, processes, and functions

Skills:

• Advanced   knowledge of fund accounting, budget planning, financial forecasting, modeling, and reporting. Strong data analysis and problem-solving capabilities with a keen attention to detail. Proficient in financial software, spreadsheet applications, and data visualization tools. Holds relevant financial industry certifications.
• Skilled in working within Windows environments, specifically Excel, and other data-based tools / platforms with the ability to import, export, and analyze financial data. Extensive experience with the Microsoft Office suite and other business tools used for reporting and analysis.
• Proven ability to work effectively with executive leadership to translate strategic objectives into actionable plans.
• Proven ability to lead a team and provide guidance to direct