LIMITED TO CURRENT UCONN EMPLOYEES

JOB SUMMARY

The School of Fine Arts seeks qualified applicants for a full-time position as Business Operations Specialist 2 (Job Level 4) within the Office of the Dean. Under the direction of the Assistant Dean and COO, this position provides cross-functional operational and technical support to all areas of the School of Fine Arts and is primarily responsible for compensation and budgeting analysis, hiring administration, and serves as a key member to support financial and management reporting, developing and supporting a culture of evidence, assessment, and continuous quality improvement by working collaboratively on optimization projects with key stakeholders and partners. Additionally, this position provides administrative and operational assistance to other Shared Services key functional areas (Financial Shared Services, Facilities and Travel). The ideal candidate is a self-motivated, detail-oriented individual capable of working in a fast-paced shared service setting. The School of Fine Arts is committed to being a welcoming community that reflects and enacts the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We seek skilled, engaged candidates who will enhance our representational diversity and contribute to diverse, equitable, inclusive, and belonging environments throughout the University.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Supports the annual budgeting and quarterly forecast process by assisting with data analysis, financial interpretation, and the preparation of key planning materials, primarily related to headcount and compensation analysis; serves as a resource to track, model and analyze compensation expense, reconcile discrepancies and ensures compliance with state, University, and School policies/procedures.
• Performs complex what-if analysis on demand and develops modeling tools to inform annual budget preparation, ad hoc reporting, quarterly projections and long-range forecasting to support institutional decision-making.
• Works closely with the Financial Shared Services Office, updates and monitors the designated baseline and vacancy control. Process accounting and budget-related transactions resulting from personnel actions (new hires, attrition replacements, backfills, change of title, transfers, salary adjustments, etc.).
• Extracts, consolidates, and manages large datasets from various sources to develop and maintain a wide range of financial and budget reports and templates; creates and maintains reports and tools that enhance budgeting practices across the school, driving continuous improvement by developing innovative tools and reports that improve data transparency and accessibility for end users
• Assists with the School’s hiring appointments in accordance with governing policies and the associated budget.  Works in tandem with the hiring department and Financial Services Office to ensure HR/Payroll activities are contained within the established budgets and processed in accordance with appropriate procedural/approval workflows. 
• Provides guidance to departments on a wide range of human resources topics/acts as a liaison between hiring departments, new hires, and University Human Resources to resolve issues related to hiring, compliance, etc.
• Identifies deficiencies in business operations and workflow and recommends process and system changes and training needs. Assesses potential internal control issues and recommends solutions.
• Responsible for facility and space management related matters, including serving as the point of contact for addressing facility issues and/or small projects in assigned building(s); initiate work requests, monitor completion; performs regular walk-throughs of common areas, recording and reporting any facility or custodial related problems; serves as primary administrator to school-wide card reader system; manages reservations for the Dean’s Conference Room and other requests for spaces and resources managed by the Dean’s Office.
• Serve as a resource for committees and/or meetings; may be responsible for preparing detailed briefing materials for the Assistant/Associate Dean(s) or committee chair prior to meetings, note-taking, transcription and tracking of assignments made to others for actions to be taken on behalf of committees or Assistant/Associate Dean(s).
• As needed or assigned, they may be responsible for special short-term or ongoing projects that require planning, coordination and supervision.
• Draft and research policies and procedures.
• Performs other related duties as required.

EXAMPLES OF PROVEN SUCCESSFUL COMPETENCIES

• Analytic and technical reporting capabilities.
• Ability to work well under the pressure of deadlines and the stress of undertaking multiple deliverables/projects at one time.
• Ability to distill complex issues into simple, coherent ideas.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with proven ability to forge and deepen effective working relationships across a broad set of stakeholders.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Current UConn employee.
2. Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a comparable degree.
3. Minimum of 5 years of experience in workforce planning, budget and headcount analysis, preferably in higher education.
4. Proficiency in financial modeling, data analysis, and statistical forecasting.
5. Advanced working knowledge of Excel.
6. Experience with data management systems and data integration.
7. Exceptional analytical skills with attention to detail and strong problem-solving abilities.
8. Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
9. Proven ability to meet deadlines.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. MBA or working towards a Master's in a finance-related curriculum.
2. Expertise in financial analysis and data visualization software, such as Power BI or Tableau.
3. Experience in working with Kuali Financial Systems and KFDM/Webfocus or related enterprise GL/reporting systems.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, permanent, 12-month position with an anticipated start date of December 2025. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and the expected range is $65,000 to $70,000. The University offers a competitive salary, and outstanding benefits, including employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn, and a highly desirable work environment. For additional information regarding benefits visit: https://hr.uconn.edu/health-benefits/.

Other rights, terms, and conditions of employment are contained in the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY

Please apply online at https://hr.uconn.edu/jobs, Faculty and Staff Positions, Search #499254 to upload a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three (3) professional references.

This job posting is scheduled to be removed at 11:55 p.m. Eastern time on October 21, 2025. 

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at https://portal.ct.gov/Ethics/Statutes-and-Regulations.

All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.

The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce. The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner. This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO Employer.