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Position Number: 003249

Department: Academic Affairs (Adm)

Employment Type: Permanent - Full-time

Months Per Year: 12

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Business Officer, Graduate and Undergraduate Education (BO- GUE ) is a senior, strategic leader who provides comprehensive financial, personnel, and operational oversight for two central academic affairs units: the Graduate School and the Office of Undergraduate Education. Serving as a key and trusted member of both deans’ leadership teams, the BO- GUE acts as a delegated authority on financial and human resources, enabling the deans to focus on broader strategic priorities. This role requires an advanced understanding of higher education trends and the ability to influence strategy and policy in alignment with the university’s academic mission.

Strategic Leadership & Financial Management

The Business Officer is the executive-level leader for the strategic and long-range financial goals for both Graduate and Undergraduate Education units within Academic Affairs. This position directs all financial operations, including dynamic budgetary planning, forecasting, and reporting for a diverse portfolio of funds.

+ Financial Oversight & Planning: Champions financial planning and provides expert advisory oversight for a diverse portfolio of funds, including state appropriations, fees, endowments, and tuition. Leads the budgetary planning and forecasting process, integrating both short- and long-term financial plans.

+ Data-Driven Strategy: Serves as a division-level subject matter expert, designing and implementing data systems to provide data-driven recommendations for financial and personnel decisions, program prioritization, and new program requests.

+ Transactions & Compliance: Holds full signature authority, approving all electronic routing processes and overseeing executive-level financial transactions. The role is also responsible for ensuring financial compliance and overseeing risk management and audits, collaborating with auditors to address findings and implement corrective actions.

Human Resources & Operational Excellence

As the dean’s delegated authority for all HR functions, this position assesses HR needs, designs optimal organizational structures, and directs personnel actions.

+ HR Leadership: Directs all personnel processes, including hiring, compensation, and complex actions for staff in both the Graduate School and the Office of Undergraduate Education. This includes overseeing all aspects of the Graduate Assistant Support Plan ( GASP ).

+ Personnel Supervision: Provides direct supervision of the Business Office Team in both units who have job responsibilities related to budget and human resources, ensuring effective talent management and compliance with university policies.

+ Workforce Planning & Development: Leads initiatives related to staff development, workforce planning, and succession strategies.

+ Operational Improvement: Troubleshoots and develops solutions for complex business and personnel issues. Leads initiatives to establish and revise policies for business, financial, and personnel operations, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and university regulations, including FERPA . This role also resolves personnel issues in a fair and timely manner.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

The Business Officer is a strategic advisor to the deans and associate provost, championing cross-divisional collaboration and influencing financial, personnel, and operational strategies to meet the long-term goals of the division.

+ Strategic Advising: Serves as a trusted advisor to the deans, providing strategic input on all financial, personnel, and operational matters. The position prepares analyses and reports in response to complex university and system office inquiries.

+ Liaison with Campus Partners: Serves as the key liaison with various university offices, including Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Human Resources, and Internal Audit, ensuring the division’s operations are aligned with university policies and procedures.

Minimum Experience / Education:

+ A relevant post-Baccalaureate degree with a minimum of five (5) years or greater of related professional experience, or

+ A relevant undergraduate degree and a minimum of seven (7) years or greater of relevant experience may be substituted for the advanced degree.

Preferred Education Skills and Experience:

+ Advanced degree, MBA preferred.

+ Higher education experience, preferably working within academic affairs.