Associate Director, Administrative & Fiscal Ops (Department of Medicine)

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Associate Director, Administrative & Fiscal Ops (Department of Medicine)

Job Profile Title

Associate Director E, Research

Job Description Summary

This position reports to the Director, Administrative & Fiscal Operations, and provides a lead support role for the department's university and PSOM fiscal operations. This includes direct support of core activities including monitoring financial and administrative policies, reconciliation, accounting, and management of non-sponsored University funds (gifts, endowments, discretionary funds) and corresponding financial operations. This position will have shared administrative responsibility in key areas including Workday governance and routine audit of financial systems access and security roles across the Department.
This position provides support in oversight of compensation and payroll activities, expense reimbursement, purchasing, regular financial reporting for non-sponsored projects, and routine reconciliation of faculty commitments, as well as assisting in preparation of annual budgets and forecasts. The Associate Director will supervise finance personnel, ensuring staff effectiveness and providing opportunities for coaching and development as needed. The incumbent will make recommendations for policy and procedure updates to ensure compliance with department/PSOM/University guidelines and to streamline processes within the Central business office. This will include documentation and maintenance of SOPs and related knowledge-building resources.
This position will support the Director, Administrative & Fiscal Operations, with decision-making in key areas of financial management and strategic planning within the department, including financial modeling and multi-year planning. Engagement and knowledge of all three components of the mission (clinical, research, and teaching) will be required.

The ideal candidate will posses:
*knowledge and experience in academic finance, leadership, and operational effectiveness
*ability to work cross-functionally in a heavily matrixed environment
*demonstrated experience managing complexity
*demonstrated experience collaborating with internal/external stakeholders
*knowledge of University policy and procedure
*strong technical skills, particularly Microsoft excel and Workday HCM
*strong written communication skills, professional judgment, and a high level of adaptability and accountability