The Budget and Finance Manager serves as the College of Natural Resources’ central resource for budget planning, financial management, and fiscal strategy within the Dean’s Office. Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Finance and Business, this role provides leadership and oversight for the college’s complex portfolio of state, federal, trust, receipts, sales and service, and other funding sources. Working closely with college leadership, department business offices, Human Resources, Procurement, and Research Administration, the Budget and Finance Manager ensures sound financial stewardship while supporting informed decision-making across the college.
In this role, you’ll help shape the college’s financial direction by transforming complex financial data into meaningful insights that guide strategic decisions. You’ll serve as a trusted advisor to administrators and departmental leadership, balancing long-term planning with day-to-day fiscal oversight while identifying opportunities to improve financial processes, strengthen internal controls, and support the college’s academic, research and extension mission.
Key Responsibilities fall within the following functional areas.
Strategic Budget Planning & Financial Management:
- Lead college-wide budget planning, forecasting, and financial analysis across multiple funding sources to support strategic and operational priorities.
- Direct the development, monitoring, and reconciliation of college and departmental budgets, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and funding commitments are maintained.
- Provide comprehensive financial reporting, projections, variance analyses, and recommendations that support executive decision-making.
Oversee budget structures, including Department IDs, projects, phases, and funding allocations, ensuring financial integrity and accurate budget administration.
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Position Budget Management & Workforce Financial Planning:
- Provide financial oversight of position budgets and recurring personnel commitments to ensure alignment between HR position funding and college financial plans.
- Review and approve salary funding changes, personnel-related budget actions, and workforce funding requests while ensuring budget availability and compliance with funding source requirements.
- Monitor personnel expenditures, vacancy funding, reserves, and future-year salary commitments to support workforce planning and fiscal sustainability.
Coordinate salary release funding and other personnel-related financial activities in partnership with the College Research Office.
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Financial Oversight, Compliance & Business Operations:
- Provide fiscal guidance to departmental business and personnel staff, promoting consistent financial practices and sound stewardship across the college.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, university, and college financial policies while maintaining effective internal controls and responsible use of institutional resources.
- Exercise financial approval authority for budget revisions, journal activity, procurement transactions, and other financial actions within delegated authority.
Monitor financial activity to identify potential risks, resolve issues proactively, and ensure expenditures remain within authorized funding and spending guidelines.
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Financial Leadership & Operational Excellence:
- Serve as a strategic financial advisor to college leadership by interpreting fiscal data, evaluating financial impacts, and recommending practical solutions to complex budget challenges.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen financial processes, enhance operational efficiency, and support consistent business practices across the college.
- Foster collaborative relationships with campus partners, including Human Resources, Procurement, and Research Administration, to ensure coordinated financial and operational support.
Provide leadership and operational continuity for the finance function as delegated by the Assistant Dean for Finance and Business.
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This role is ideal for someone who takes initiative, exercises sound judgment, responds quickly and communicates effectively communicates with confidence, and is committed to responsible stewardship of university resources while helping others succeed. If you are a strategic financial leader who enjoys solving complex challenges, building collaborative partnerships, has a passion for accuracy and turning data into informed decisions, we encourage you to apply.
