Stanford Job Title: Academic Operations Manager 1

Working Title: Director of Finance and Administration

VPUE Unit: Program in Writing and Rhetoric

Location: Stanford Main Campus; Hybrid (3 or more days/week on site)

Job Code: 4131

Job Grade: J

Exemption Status: Exempt, 100%, Continuing

 Heralded as a hub of undergraduate innovation, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) creates and sustains meaningful interactions between students and faculty both within and outside the classroom. As a collaborative team member of VPUE, you have a unique opportunity to advance and support programs that touch and enhance the lives of every undergraduate student at Stanford. 

The Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) is a unit in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education that manages required and elective academic programs as well as tutoring across the undergraduate community: The Writing and Rhetoric Requirement (PWR1 and PWR2), the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking, the Oral Communication Program, the Stanford Storytelling Project, Bing Honors College, Writing in the Major, and the Notations in Science Communication and Cultural Rhetoric.  
 

The Program in Writing and Rhetoric is seeking a dynamic leader and business expert to work in a collaborative higher education environment as the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA). Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost and Director of PWR, the DFA will provide overall management oversight and direction for the operations, administration, and finances within the unit, while also supporting lecturers and playing a ‘hands-on’ role in support of the team, including administrative oversight for the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking. As a vital member of the PWR senior staff team, the DFA will play a crucial role in areas such as making recommendations to leadership for changes in staffing, facilities, health and safety compliance, finance, technology and/or administrative functions.  This position is integral to designing and implementing effective operational and financial strategies aimed at achieving PWR's goals of supporting and enriching the culture of writing at Stanford. The DFA will directly and indirectly supervise a team of five administrative staff, focusing on key functions related to administration, business operations, and course support, while also overseeing the hiring and payroll of academic staff and student employees. Additionally, the DFA will manage an annual operating budget of approximately $9M, ensuring financial sustainability and support for PWR's initiatives. 

In this role, you will:

• Oversee finances across all sources for the annual budget cycle, including developing, monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and regular reporting of a complex budget, with systems of financial controls that meet Stanford and VPUE standards. You will work closely with and support financial planning and spending across teams in PWR, including meeting regularly with the staff who lead those areas. In addition, you will collaborate with the PWR director on holistic budget planning. 

• Lead day-to-day PWR administrative functions, including oversight and active involvement in business team operations, developing approaches to administrative infrastructure, directly supervising staff, and meeting the needs of the PWR lecturers and staff. 

• Manage administrative and financial staff, including hiring, retention, career coaching, professional development, and performance management of two direct reports. A willingness to learn new systems is an important aspect of this position. 

• Oversee HR and Academic Affairs functions, including interpreting policies and ensuring compliance with university policies, particularly as these policies relate to Human Resources and undergraduate student compensation. You will provide guidance to program directors on changes in policy and their potential impact and consider creative ways to accomplish our academic goals while remaining in compliance. You will oversee the compensation processes related to annual salary setting and the approval process and supplement payment for faculty and TAs who are affiliates in our PWR awards. You will also oversee the student employment and payment process. In years when PWR searches for academic lecturers, you will play a significant role in managing the search process from placing the initial announcement to hiring and onboarding.

• Plan for future changes in PWR program needs, particularly as they relate to finances and administration, staffing and facilities, workplace safety and wellness, compliance with policies, and technologies. Planning may involve analysis and creation of annual and multi-year plans, creative thinking about alternative methods for achieving goals, and advising the PWR leadership group on ways to improve processes, ways of working, and collaborations.

• Represent PWR and collaborate with peers in meetings of directors of Finance and Administration from multiple units in VPUE, as well as liaise with directors of HR, Finance, and IT to guide PWR in interpreting and implementing policies, guidelines, and procedures.

• Represent PWR’s finance and administrative operations in other settings within VPUE and the university, including facilities, technology, finance, and HR. 

• Project Management to oversee and execute a variety of initiatives, including marketing campaigns, coordinating tabling events, and administering award programs. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills and be adept at collaborating with diverse teams to ensure successful event execution and project completion. Responsibilities will also include basic website editing to enhance our online presence and to maintain accurate information related to PWR financial processes for lecturers.

*The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.