What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Administration and Finance position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology?
Posting Description
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
, Aeronautics and Astronautics , to serve as the senior administrative and financial officer for the department; provide strategic leadership and oversight for departmental administration, finance, personnel, payroll, research administration, and operations in support of the department head and associate department head; develop budgets, projections, and reports; monitor expenditures and ensure effective use of operational, research, and endowed funds; oversee research administration and ensure proposals and budgets comply with Institute and sponsor requirements; supervise HR, payroll, finance, and operations staff and ensure compliance with MIT policies and procedures; administer faculty appointments, leaves, and appointment changes; identify operational challenges and recommend process, staffing, and workflow improvements; prepare financial, personnel, and statistical reports for planning, accreditation, visiting committees, and budget requests; participate in space planning; facilitate productive faculty/staff relations and appropriate routing of concerns; handle confidential matters with discretion; and perform other duties as assigned.
Job Requirements
REQUIRED : Bachelor’s degree; a minimum of seven years of experience in administration, preferably in higher education, with significant experience in financial management, research administration, and personnel management/human resources; demonstrated leadership, team building, consensus-building, supervisory, recruitment, performance management, training, and professional development skills; good judgment, diplomacy, tact, and discretion with sensitive/confidential matters; excellent problem-solving, goal-setting, decision-making, analytical, organizational, project management, and written and oral communication skills; ability to manage changing priorities, pressure, multiple tasks, and deadlines; and proficiency with MS Office, Google applications, Excel, and MIT software (SAP, COEUS, Parley). PREFERRED : Master’s degree or relevant certification; MIT experience; or familiarity with AI-enabled processes, including agentic AI.
8/11/2026