Chief Financial Officer and Director of Sponsored Programs

Department Summary

The Office of Advanced Research Computing (OARC) is embedded in the research enterprise through participation and collaboration in innovative research projects and initiatives with UCLA researchers and industry in support of the UCLA academic mission. OARC supports digital scholarship through the development, execution, and delivery of innovative and sustainable computational and data science expertise and training, research enabling programs, such as Early Career Researchers (ECR) and digital scholarship programs, research cyber infrastructure, and advanced and cutting-edge techniques and methodologies in the data and computational sciences and statistical analysis. OARC is a relationship-building organization and focuses on applied research in order to amplify and accelerate the societal impacts of UCLA research in the age of networked data and computation. OARC expertise and resources are available to all UCLA researchers who are engaged in digital research and scholarship. The group collaborates with faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, instructors, research staff, and industry.

Position Summary

UCLA's Office of Advanced Research Computing (OARC) is seeking a Chief Financial Officer & Director of Sponsored Programs (CFO/Director) to provide strategic leadership for a complex portfolio of sponsored research, advanced computing initiatives, industry collaborations, and research innovation efforts.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, this executive leader will oversee financial strategy, sponsored research administration, contract management, and business operations while serving as a key collaborator to university leadership, researchers, federal agencies, and industry collaborators. The position also provides oversight for major initiatives, including View email address on click.appcast.io and the OARC Build Smart Manufacturing Center.

This is a unique opportunity to help advance UCLA's research mission, drive operational excellence, and shape the future of research computing, AI, digital research, and innovation at one of the world's premier public research universities.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

Qualifications

• 10 or more years Progressive work experience in financial analysis, strategy, business management. (Required)
• Experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets with multiple funding sources, including all facets of financial planning, administration, control, and evaluation. (Required)
• Expert knowledge of financial policies, practices, and systems, advanced working knowledge of GAAP accounting principles, and proficiency in budgeting and reporting techniques. (Required)
• Demonstrated working knowledge of Contract and Grant Administration policies and procedures, with the ability to analyze and interpret various agency guidelines for both pre- and post-award fund management. (Required)
• Experience with intellectual property and tech transfer contract management. (Preferred)
• Proven skill in managing financial operations tailored to the unique complexities of higher education and research environments (Required)
• Strong executive-level communication and presentation skills (oral and written), with the ability to interact effectively with internal and external senior business partners. (Required)
• Exceptional interpersonal and collaborative skills to establish effective working relationships across leadership, staff, and external partners, lead teams toward common objectives, and resolve complex problems. (Required)
• High level of initiative, critical thinking, and advanced analytical skills to translate business issues into analytical problems, conduct special projects, discern financial trends, and formulate actionable, creative solutions. (Required)
• Ability to work independently while balancing competing priorities, managing resources, and maintaining strict confidentiality with sensitive information. (Required)
• Ability to understand unit operational needs and develop responsive plans, policies, and procedures that directly support the institution's academic mission. (Required)
• Working knowledge of UCLA’s personnel, purchasing, travel, and equipment management policies and procedures. (Preferred)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business. (Required) And
• Master's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business. (Preferred)

Special Conditions for Employment

• Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

Schedule

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

Union/Policy Covered

99-Policy Covered