Communications & Development Business Manager

Job Type: Regular Communications & Development Business Manager Position Description RAND has an exciting opportunity for a Business Manager to join the Communications & External Affairs (CEA) and Development (DEV) teams. This role is organized within CEA and supports the day-to-day business and financial administrative needs of two separate groups: CEA and DEV. This role offers a chance to apply advanced financial and operational expertise to support RAND’s mission of improving policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. The position reports directly to the Senior Manager, Operations in CEA, and will take daily direction from both that supervisor and the Executive Director, Development Operations. This position will be responsible for producing a wide variety of detailed financial budgets, reports and analyses for both groups across a number of multi-million-dollar budgets. This position also oversees CEA’s complex Communications Service Center and provides guidance and financial direction on new initiatives and issues within the Service Center. The Business Manager provides key administrative and operational support to ensure compliance, effective communication, and smooth business processes. The Business Manager may serve as the primary point of contact for each group on financial matters, providing high-level operational support and fostering collaboration across teams. Duties include but are not limited to: Prepare annual overhead (OH) and RAND-funded (RF) budgets, including leading quarterly meetings with senior managers to provide financial direction. Participate in midyear and annual business planning processes to ensure budgets align with both department and corporate strategic goals. Conduct ongoing financial analyses across budgets and projects to review actuals and identify trends and opportunities. Oversee Service Center budgets and actuals; set cost center rates and coordinate ongoing meetings with relevant managers and financial stakeholders to review FYTD reports. Manage and maintain budget charging infrastructure, including set-up of new projects and tasks. Ensure hierarchies align with evolving activities and needs, with special attention to new initiatives. Distribute the annual timekeeping memo to staff in alignment with approved budgets and meet all Finance deadlines. Review and approve purchases across departments. Collaborate closely with leaders in each department to understand needs, gather input, and support initiatives with financial resources. Support and contribute to team training and internal process-improvement efforts, including creating and maintaining robust documentation. Qualifications Minimum of 6 years of relevant work experience in strategic initiatives, operations, communications, or project management. Foundational understanding of financial and operational policies and best practices, including FAR, GAP and DCAA guidelines. Expert-level proficiency with Microsoft Excel. Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including Teams, OneNote and SharePoint. Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, matrixed environment. Exceptional organizational and project management skills. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, including experience working with complex financial datasets and drawing actionable insights. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders across different functions and levels of seniority. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing reports for leadership. Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion. Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality. Preferred Qualifications Familiarity with RAND or similar organizations, particularly those with complex business and funding models. Experience working in mission-driven environments. Education Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s in business or finance related preferred Location This position will be located at one of the following RAND offices: Santa Monica, Calif. Pittsburgh, PA; or Washington DC. This position is eligible for RAND’s hybrid work environment, which enables a blend of on-site and remote work. Some on-site presence will be required to meet business needs, including on an ad-hoc basis; on-site needs will vary from week to week. Salary Range : $88,000 - $130,900 RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate’s work experience, education/training, skills, expertise; and internal equity. The salary range includes base pay plus RAND’s sabbatic pay (which provides additional compensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more. Equal Opportunity Employer RAND is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND’s research and analysis address issues that impact people everywhere, including security, health, education, sustainability, growth, and development. RAND has approximately 2,025 people from more than 50 countries working in offices in the United States, Europe and Australia, with annual revenues of $435.8 million. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. Our research is sponsored by government agencies, international organizations, and foundations. We rely on philanthropic support to pursue visionary ideas; address critical problems that are under-researched; and devise innovative approaches for solving acute, complex, or provocative policy challenges. RAND values objectivity and integrity in both its research processes and internal interactions. We emphasize a collegial environment that respects the contributions and dignity of all staff. RAND's reputation is built on quality and objectivity. RAND provides an exciting intellectual environment and opportunities for career growth with challenging assignments. As collaboration in interdisciplinary teams is an essential operating principle at RAND, we hire highly qualified talent and empower our people to do their best work by fostering a culture in which different views, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued and respected, and staff have a sense of belonging with their colleagues, fair access to opportunities, and feel comfortable bringing their best selves to work each day. As part of our commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment, we welcome all applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences to apply for this exciting opportunity. RAND is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact Human Resources at (310) 393-0411 or at jobs@rand.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Salary : $88,000 - $130,900