Director, Development Administration

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Executive Director, Development and Alumni Operations, the Director of Development Administration has management and oversight of multiple operational support functions that serve as the backbone for the fundraising and engagement efforts of the Development and Alumni Relations Division at Rice University. These functions encompass finance, budget, human resources, IT desktop support, and office management for a division of approximately 160 staff members. This individual participates on the team that aids in implementing the vice president’s overall strategic vision and strategy for the division, providing specific updates to the team related to administrative and financial activities and annual planning efforts. The Director of Development Administration operates as troubleshooter, problem-solver, and advisor when special administrative, financial, and IT support issues arise within the division; serves in an advisory capacity for budget preparations by departmental budget managers and the vice president for development and alumni relations; and serves as the division’s source of information for official university policies and procedures.

The ideal candidate for this position is strongly detail-oriented with an analytical background; is an excellent communicator and relationship builder, having an ability to both advise and maintain confidentiality on sensitive, and sometimes complicated, administrative issues; and is a leader with demonstrated success in managing and guiding a team or program in achieving the goals that support the mission of the institution.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change. 

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Four or more (4 ) years of related professional experience in administration, budget management, and/or financial reporting, including experience in managing people, systems, processes, and functions 

Skills: 

• Demonstrated leadership, supervisory, planning and change management skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to influence people, solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively and resolve conflicts
• Advanced financial expertise in budget planning and financial forecasting
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent data analysis skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time management skills 
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Maturity in judgment and ability to maintain confidentiality

Preferences:

• Master’s Degree
• 5 years of related professional experience described above
• Previous work in a similar role at Rice University, or at another university or non-profit organization
• Familiarity with fund accounting
• Experience in collaborating with executive-level leadership
• Ability to translate executive leadership needs into understandable and actionable items
• Ability to effectively create documentation and training materials and to conduct training sessions in an efficient and understandable format
• Strong computer skills in a Windows environment with ability to import, export, and analyze financial data
• Relevant financial industry certifications
• SHRM or other human resource certification

Essential Functions:

• Provides operational support and serves as divisional expert on campus enterprise system (Oracle) for financial reporting, human resource transactions, procurement, and expense reporting processes 
• Collaborates with the Talent Management team in Development and Alumni Relations on hiring divisional staff
• Processes personnel actions for new hires and existing employees 
• Guides supervisors in the interpretation and implementation of human resources policies, procedures, and programs
• Manages a divisional budget of approximately $21M and facilitates the annual budget process, providing reports/metrics to the executive leadership team
• Maintains databases and provides oversight for tracking divisional expenditures
• Manages space allocation and directs/coordinates facilities maintenance and security access for staff areas
• Develops, refines, interprets, and implements policies for the division
• Oversees the IT effort in the division, including the installation, support, and security of desktop systems
• Directly manages three administrative staff and two IT staff, with indirect oversight of the receptionist and reception function
• Accountable for the professional development and performance of direct reports
• Maintains contact with various administrators on campus and attends administrator forums, staying up to date on university initiatives and the potential impact on the division

• Performs all other duties as assigned 

   

Additional Functions:

• Participates in benchmarking efforts, including compilation of data for external surveys
• Participates in salary and wage administration efforts, including survey reviews and compensation/equity analyses
• Evaluates the effectiveness of business processes and facilitates revisions as needed
• Has frequent contact with division staff and other university offices
• Works with outside vendors as needed

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.