Department: College of Public Health

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The College of Public Health prepares graduates to function as professionals and citizens who provide leadership, care, and services as related to wellness and quality of life through promotion of physical, social, and environmental health.

About the Position:

The Chief Business Officer (CBO) will report to the Dean of College of Public Health. The CBO will facilitate the planning and implementation of the unit's financial and operational vision as it relates to the full range of business functions and activities for the college. The CBO will facilitate short and long-range strategic planning for new and/or expanding programs, partnerships, revenue generation, facilities, IT, and new ventures. The CBO will be accountable for and provide overall leadership, supervision, management, and coordination of these functions, as well as provide oversight for the development of implementation of policies and procedures to achieve desired outcomes. The CBO will maintain relationships with central administration and other University departments, as well as other unit CBOs, and serve on the Enterprise Business Network (EBN) to facilitate these outcomes.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Analysis & Planning:

• Drive creative methods to manage and operate financial resources to allow for opportunities to advance the organization's strategic plan;
• Direct those in the organization to produce analysis and projections related to nontraditional revenue opportunities;
• Develop annual forecasts and longer-term (3-5 year) financial plans for the organization considering the strategic initiatives of the University and the unit. Include multiple scenarios that allow for changes to variables and "what if" analyses;
• Generate Return on Investments (ROI) analysis reports on programs as requested; and
• Oversee creation of studies to conduct short-term and long-range analyses to support management strategic plans. Examples may include:
  • Budget Incentive Model
  • Program profit-loss analysis
  • Year-over-year financial revenue income and enrollment compression analysis
  • Term/Tenured faculty compensation compression analysis

Financial Management Oversight:

• Oversee the annual operating budget process, including developing detailed budgets in support of multiple cost centers supporting departmental activities showing revenue, expense, and contribution to Central budget targets each fiscal year;
• Review detailed analyses of variances from budgets at year-end or ad hoc throughout the fiscal year. Identify budget risks and opportunities for savings;
• Review and approve budget justifications for submissions; appropriate adequate resources among programs to align with organization's strategic goals. Oversee preparation of business case analyses for proposed initiatives and funding requests;
• Oversee and track separate revenue sources, such as tuition revenue and research revenue;
• Implement tools and metrics to measure unit's financial performance against plans/targets. Provide quarterly organizational financial reporting on unit variances against budget and prior year, including expenses, surpluses, spending trends, etc.;
• Provide financial management stewardship and oversight of internal controls, policies, and procedures governing financial operations. Ensure compliance with State and University policies and procedures;
• Responsible for oversight and managing workflow for all fiscal activities;
• Respond to new initiatives and facilitate disbursement and management of funds appropriately;
• Oversee approval of all expenditures for the organization, e.g., leases, travel forms, renovation funds, etc.;
• Develop and maintain an appropriate system of internal controls for the organization's fiscal policy;
• Monitor all expenditures in accordance with federal/state fiscal rules and the university's fiscal policy. Assure compliance in anticipation of internal or external audits;
• Ensure authorized signature authorities for the organization are monitored and updated;
• Oversee approval of all proposed contracts prior to submission to central Procurement; and
• Create a review and approval process for changes (when necessary) to the organization's administrative policies.

Information Technology:

• Coordinating with the Director of IT, create and maintain an IT roadmap for the organization, all IT hardware, software, and data needs for the organization, and liaise with central IT services as needed.

Collaboration & Process Improvement:

• Lead meetings for both internal and external customers, advise on and interpret policies and regulations and resolve complex issues. Facilitate budget consultation sessions with organization leadership and staff to promote accountability within organizational units. Proactively educate the organization's community on updated policies and guidance;
• Represent the College on various university committees related to principal areas of responsibilities; and
• Collaborate with other CBOs across the university on initiatives as appropriate.

School/Unit Specific Functions:

• Coordinate with Associate Dean of Research and/or Director of Research on charging instructional faculty effort to research projects;
• Oversee FCPS Tuition Sharing Program project management; and
• Manage response to annual ABA Report and U.S. News & World Report with regards to Fiscal, Scholarships, and Financial Aid sections.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a field related to business, accounting, finance, or fiscal management, and extensive experience with progressively responsible and comparable duties and assignments. B.A. or B.S. degree with additional experience and training may be substituted for a Master's degree;
• Adept at building effective teams and overseeing diverse professional and administrative staff;
• Extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of budget planning, evaluation, and execution;
• Familiarity with payroll, procurement, operational, and financial reporting;
• Evidence of aligning strategic initiatives with financial plans and forecasts;
• Proven ability in using team-driven approaches to efficiently execute an organization's finance and administrative functions;
• Effective communication skills (both written and oral), especially when communicating with a wide range of stakeholders with varying levels of financial acumen;
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively with minimal supervision; and
• Extensive experience and gravitas to interface at the executive level.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive experience in developing, implementing, managing, monitoring, and evaluating financial and administrative policy, preferably in a university or non-profit environment;
• Experience overseeing financial operations for complex organizations with various forms of revenue streams and allocations;
• Skilled in teambuilding, generating consensus, resolving conflicts, and making sound judgments in a complex environment; and
• Knowledge and experience with both federal and university grants management accounting policies and procedures.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Chief Business Officer at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date: March 1, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: March 15, 2024

Open Until Filled?: Yes