DU is the oldest and largest private, independent university in the Rocky Mountain Region, welcoming approximately 5700 undergraduate and 8000 graduate students to campus either in-person or virtually each year. Our students complete a rigorous, comprehensive core curriculum in addition to a deep, hands-on immersion in their technical curricula. DU is a research university with high research activity and an exceptional commitment to its students.
Denver, the Mile-High City, consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the United States. Denver’s economy is rapidly growing and diversifying, with strengths in the aerospace, healthcare, financial tech, telecommunications, and IT-software sectors. Our region features a dry climate with 300 days of sunshine annually and surprisingly mild winters. The nearby Rocky Mountains provide beautiful views and abundant recreational opportunities year-round. The city of Denver is home to several major league sports teams, diverse neighborhoods, and strong cultural and food scenes. Situated in this vibrant metropolitan community, the University is committed to building and sustaining a culturally diverse faculty, staff, and student body. The Chancellor’s diversity statement can be viewed here: https://www.du.edu/equity.
MCE is a leader in innovative and effective approaches for promoting learning, information literacy, healthy lifestyle, and civic participation throughout the lifespan. Transcending traditional ideas about education, schooling, and meaningful community engagement, we embrace a new, comprehensive vision of learning as a lifelong activity that involves the whole person and can occur through a variety of methods, anywhere and at any time. We promote educational change and social equity in addition to providing leadership for the improvement of education, mental health, libraries, and information services and systems.
The University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education (MCE) invites applications for the position of Manager, Business and Operations for Ricks and Fisher Schools. The Ricks School for Gifted Children (Ricks) and the Fisher Early Learning Center (Fisher) are lab schools associated with the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. The Ricks school is an innovative leader and model for gifted learning, serving students Pre-School to Grade 8. The Fisher center serves students from 6 weeks old through age 5, providing a quality program that establishes a foundation of skills and knowledge essential to the development of competent and caring young children.
Position Summary
The Ricks & Fisher Manager of Business and Operations partners with the Dean and the Assistant Dean managing financial, human resources, and general business operations functions for Ricks and Fisher and managing transactional processes associated with the overall budget for the two schools. The Manager serves as a business partner for the schools and ensures all current-year transactions align with the current-year budget and supports long-term strategies. In addition, the Manager is responsible for working with the AD to establish financial policies and procedures; developing and monitoring the budgets for the two schools; monitoring compliance and processes in the schools’ human resources; and providing financial tools and research to facilitate planning to ensure the schools’ economic sustainability and growth.
The Manager is also vital in assisting the AD with the overall efficacy of the schools’ processes and functions. The position reports directly to the college’s AD and serves to provide comprehensive support to the schools’ leadership teams. Additionally, this position will work closely with school stakeholders, including teachers and staff while also serving as a point of contact for transactional processes for central offices across the university. The ideal candidate will have the proven skills outlined below and the ability to manage financial, human resources, and operational projects from inception to completion.
Essential Functions
Financial
- Leads current year forecasting for the schools and collaborates on the process with the Controller’s Office.
- Co-Leads the future year budget development process with the AD.
- Assists the AD with planning strategic funding and general business operations.
- Directs the processes for analysis of salaries, departmental salaries and expenses, and other areas as directed by the AD.
- Oversees systems for auditing personnel expenditures, ensuring departments remain within budgetary limits or allotments.
- Coordinate expense/P-Card review and approval.
- Gift and Endowment financial management as applicable.
Human Resources/Payroll
- Coordinates human resources related transactions for benefited staff in Ricks and Fisher, including hiring, separations, and permanent and temporary position changes.
- Partners with the AD and the Business Coordinator to manage the staff hiring processes in Ricks and Fisher, ensuring compliance with university and unit policies.
- Assists the Dean and AD with creating and implementing hiring procedures for Ricks and Fisher.
- Assists departments throughout the hiring process, including ensuring representation from the dean’s office business and operations group on committees for staff positions with a financial/HR component in their job duties.
- Provides data and specified reports to the dean and AD as required.
- Ensures that DUs values of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusivity are installed within all hiring processes and maintained through personal management practices.
- Assists the dean and AD with the execution of the annual merit process and serves as DU liaison for yearly performance management processes.
Operations and Supplemental Support
- Assists the MCE Business Team to accomplish the following:
- Process general ledger entries related to human resources, finance, and other transactions as needed or directed.
- Conduct training sessions and coordinates onboarding for new staff members with budgetary and HR responsibilities.
- Work to review the college’s business process and their continuous improvement.
- Provides and manages backup support for essential business functions in college departments during staff vacancies.
- Other duties as assigned by the dean and AD.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
- Ability to develop, read, analyze, and interpret general business, financial documents, and budget reports.
- Excellent computational and analytical skills in understanding budgets, calculating payroll, and making multi-year projections.
- Excellent ability to work independently, solve problems, provide positive leadership, and demonstrate due discretion and excellent judgment.
- Excellent skills in conflict resolution.
- Proven ability to work with a high level of independence, maintain confidentiality, prioritize assignments and division needs
- Ability to conceptualize, analyze and strategize numerous budgets, financial planning and outcomes as they apply to the financial health of the schools.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Five years of experience working in a financial and human resources environment.
- Experience with budget forecasting and development, financial management, and accounting oversight.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in business, accounting, or related field.
- 2-3 years of work experience with budget forecasting and development, financial management, and accounting oversight.
- Higher education experience.
- Proficiency in two or more languages.
- Experience working with state, federal and private grants, and gifts.
- Advanced knowledge of Banner and Concur.
Working Environment
Physical Activities
Work Schedule
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) September 8, 2023.
Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.
Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is 11.
Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $68,000 – $75,000.
The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.
Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver .
Please include the following documents with your application:
The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university’s educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university’s complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non-discrimination-statement .
All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.
Advertised: August 18, 2023
Applications close: