Director of Global Finance at The University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description

Department

SSD Development Economics Center: Staff and Temporary Employees

About the Department

The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

Job Summary

The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for the financial management of operating and capital budgets for divisions and/or University-wide administrative units. Develops long and short term plans to achieve financial goals, business strategies/plans, and financial forecasts/models for all major service programs and initiatives. Manages quarterly and year-end reporting for the operating budget.

The Director of Global Finance will lead financial strategy and grant management for the Development Innovation Lab (DIL), serving as a trusted financial partner to the Lab’s senior leadership, faculty researchers, and global project teams. This role is responsible for managing a global portfolio that supports research initiatives in low-income communities across multiple countries, including Kenya, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, among many other international locations.

This role oversees financial management of the Lab, compliance with university and external funding regulations, and is responsible for the successful life-cycle management of grants, gifts and internal funds. The Director is responsible for the financial management of funds from multiple sources, including grants and gifts from foundations and government as well as internal University budgets. The Director will manage a team of professional staff.

The Director of Global Finance will work collaboratively with Lab staff to build the systems and processes that help the team oversee finances across projects. This includes managing operating budgets, leading the annual and quarterly budgeting process, and reporting regularly to Lab leadership and project managers on financial status – flagging concerns and offering recommendations as the work develops. The Director will also work closely with Lab leadership to analyze the Lab’s overall financial picture, including risks and opportunities. DIL operates in a dynamic research environment where priorities shift and funding constraints evolve; the Director must adapt fluidly and maintain rigor without rigidity.

This position serves as a key liaison between DIL and central university offices. The Director will work routinely with the Director of Financial Operations for the Social Sciences Division, the University Budget Office, and University Research Administration to ensure alignment on financial reporting, budget processes, and policy compliance.

Beyond the operational work, the Director serves as a senior advisor and thought partner to the Lab’s faculty director, research PIs, and project leads. This includes doing strategic planning, advising on big-picture financial decisions, working with staff to determine how to best structure new funding streams, and monitoring financial spending across categories of funding. DIL values experienced professionals who communicate financial information clearly and concisely – translating complexity for non-finance audiences – and who offer well-reasoned recommendations that reflect a thorough understanding of the Lab’s priorities, constraints, and preferences.

Responsibilities

• The Finance Director will be responsible for the overall financial management of the Lab’s finances.
• Lead and manage a team of grant and finance managers who are responsible for managing project-level budgets with research teams for funding proposals, managing project spending through the project, and reporting regularly to donors.
• Provide financial analysis and well-considered recommendations to support unit-wide decisions made by the Lab’s faculty director and executive director. Develops guidance with sufficient depth and contextual grounding to be genuinely useful – attuned to the Lab’s priorities, known preferences, and operating constraints – and supports final decisions made by those leaders fully.
• Provide reports at least quarterly analyzing the Lab’s financial performance including analyzing spending against annual fiscal year budgets.
• Regularly project financial outcomes by modeling revenue and spending, including conducting Monte Carlo simulations of projected fundraising, thinking strategically about which funding source to use, and communicating with leadership about iterative decisions as the funding environment changes.
• Lead budgeting processes and oversee Lab’s financial picture.
• Manage organization-wide budget development and budget process, including monthly forecasting, fiscal year close out, and reporting to the Unit, Provost, Dean, and Budget Office. Offering strategic guidance throughout the planning and reporting processes. This includes gathering budget requests from across many projects and consolidating them for leadership, including flagging issues and ensuring data validity.
• Track performance against budget and provide strategic advice to the Lab’s leadership team as well as regularly provide actuals to the project teams.
• Partner with international colleagues to oversee financial management of global research programs, ensuring compliance across multiple funding sources and country requirements.
• Oversee the Lab’s interactions with the University’s financial system.
• Oversee and audit reporting within the University’s General Expense Management System (GEMS) system each month. This includes reviewing individual expenses charged to various Lab accounts for correctness, applicability, and compliance with any donor requirements.
• Ensures compliance with University financial policies and procedures and builds systems that work for DIL culture that help ensure compliance and efficiency.
• Sponsored award oversight, including: Ensures adherence to University financial regulations and standards, stays updated on changes in financial policies, grant requirements, and best practices.
• Serve as the primary financial resource for research and policy teams on project-level questions, ensuring finance support is timely and responsive to the operational needs of project staff.
• Oversees the management of payroll allocations across funding sources, ensuring funds are used appropriately as budgeted and for the efficient use of donor or other funds.Responsible for working with Lab leadership to avoid over- or under-staffing of activities.
• Manage time tracking system to aid leadership in project management and ensures grant and gift spending on salaries accurately aligns with staff effort.
• Develops, communicates, and implements financial policies and procedures. Communicates University guidelines and policies to staff and ensures that all expenses are compliant with those policies.
• Develops and conducts in-house staff trainings around pre- and post-award administration.
• Manages the preparation of financial statements, activity reports, financial position forecasts, and/or reports required by regulatory agencies.
• Manages, negotiates, and resolves financial compliance issues with various governmental agencies.
• Perform other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in operations, grant administration, finance, or other related fields.
• Budget planning and forecasting, financial operations, and fiscal reporting.
• Working in a higher education or non-profit environment.
• Managing restricted funding such as endowments, sponsored awards, or contracts.
• Working effectively with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• High-level proficiency with spreadsheets, computer applications such as Word, Excel and accounting systems.
• Familiar with financial and accounting systems used in large organizations, such as Workday or Oracle/Peoplesoft.

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience managing multiple direct reports, including mentoring, training, and development.
• Engage effectively with a diverse workforce in a complex research environment.
• Clear, concise, and warm communicator – in writing and in person. Able to convey financial information accurately and specifically without being overly technical, and to adapt tone and framing for different audiences, from faculty and research leads to program staff and external donors.
• Exceptional organizational skills, with previous project management experience.
• A resourceful problem-solver and critical thinker who is proactive in leveraging opportunities and anticipating and averting problems in a global environment.
• Handle all employment information and issues with absolute discretion and confidentiality.
• Strong cross-cultural communication and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with senior academic or organizational stakeholders – including faculty, Principal Investigators, or executive leadership – building trust and providing financial guidance that is both accurate and genuinely useful to non-finance audiences.
• Comfortable in a dynamic, consensus-driven environment where research priorities and resource constraints evolve. Adapts fluidly as plans shift – maintaining operational rigor without rigidity – and brings a collaborative, ego-free orientation to a senior advisory role. Offers recommendations with confidence and substance, and supports final decisions made by Lab leadership fully, including when those decisions take a different direction.

Working Conditions

• This is a hybrid position, with an expected 3 days in-person per week. Candidates will be expected to come into the office as needed.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Professional References Contact Information (3)(required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled

Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$121,000.00 – $150,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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