Finance and Operations Coordinator

Finance and Operations CoordinatorThe Office of the Provost Academic Budget and Finance Team is a collaborative, high-performing group dedicated to supporting the university's academic mission through strategic financial management, planning and analysis. Team members benefit from meaningful project ownership, exposure to university leadership and strategic initiatives, and a strong commitment to professional development. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals seeking to expand their expertise, build cross-campus relationships, and grow their careers while contributing to impactful institutional decisions.Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume): Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, or a related field. Three (3) full time years of progressively responsible financial, budgetary, or business management experience. Demonstrated experience with budget development, financial monitoring, and multi-fund expenditure management. Proven experience reconciling complex financial transactions, analyzing large data sets, and maintaining fiscal records. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, lookup functions, pivot tables, macros, data validation, and financial modeling. Demonstrated ability to analyze operational trends, evaluate financial risks, and formulate strategic recommendations for leadership. Experience utilizing enterprise financial systems, reporting tools, or business intelligence platforms to support decision-making.Preferred Qualifications: Four (4) or more full time years of financial and administrative experience within higher education, government, or a large public-sector institution. Direct experience with SUNY, Research Foundation, New York State, or comparable public-sector financial, accounting, and procurement structures. Experience utilizing enterprise platforms such as WolfMart, Power BI, Tableau, or major ERP systems (e.g., Oracle, PeopleSoft). Advanced expertise in conducting financial compliance reviews, procurement reconciliations, and internal control assessments. Demonstrated experience in capital budget tracking, facilities project coordination, or operational workflow optimization.Brief Description of Duties: The Finance and Administration Coordinator provides high-level financial, analytical, administrative, and operational support to the Academic Affairs vice-presidential area. The Coordinator ensures that budget, financial and procurement activities are processed accurately, timely, and in full compliance with university, SUNY, State, Stony Brook and Research Foundation regulations. The incumbent oversees purchasing across multiple funding sources, establishes robust internal controls, and conducts transaction reconciliations to maintain transparency and audit readiness. Beyond core fiscal administration, the role coordinates cross-functional special projects and tracks facilities and capital renovation timelines in partnership with campus stakeholders, utilizing independent judgment to address complex administrative challenges, support business process improvement, and advance organizational efficiency. Additionally, the incumbent supports capital renovation and facilities-related initiatives by partnering with campus stakeholders to track project progress, monitor budgets and timelines, and provide leadership with timely updates on project status and resource requirements. The successful candidate possesses demonstrated experience in budget administration, financial reporting, and complex procurement operations, alongside a strong ability to interpret and enforce institutional guidelines. This position requires rigorous attention to detail, commitment to data integrity, sound judgment in managing confidential information, and strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively across all organizational levels. The incumbent must demonstrate the ability to independently evaluate operational issues, propose strategic solutions, and ensure fiscal accountability. Through fiscal oversight, operational coordination, and process optimization, the Finance and Administration Coordinator plays a vital role in ensuring sound financial stewardship, effective budget management, and compliant administrative operations across Academic Affairs. Essential to this role is strong organizational, analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.Financial and Budget Develop dynamic financial models, forecasting tools, and scenario analyses to support institutional strategic planning and multi-year resource allocations. Utilize advanced Excel techniques, macros, pivot tables, and reporting tools to analyze complex datasets, model financial outcomes, and identify spending trends across funding sources. Design, build, and maintain recurring and ad-hoc dashboards, financial reports, and key performance metrics for leadership. Perform budget-to-actual and period-over-period variance analyses; identify fiscal risks and opportunities and formulate recommendations for senior leadership. Evaluate departmental financial and operational data to identify structural efficiencies, cost-containment options, and workflow enhancements. Monitor key financial indicators across academic units and proactively inform leadership of material variances or emerging budget trends.Financial Operations and Procurement Monitor financial and procurement operations to ensure transactions are executed accurately, efficiently, and in strict compliance with respective regulations. Monitor procurement and expenditure activities across state, research, and foundation accounts to evaluate resource utilization and manage fiscal exposure. Review complex financial transactions, account allocations, and journal entries to ensure proper account coding and institutional compliance. Analyze procurement patterns across academic units to identify cost-saving opportunities, vendor consolidation options, and operational efficiencies. Establish and maintain internal financial controls, standard operating procedures, and reconciliation guidelines to promote operational transparency and accountability. Partner with Central Procurement, Accounts Payable, and unit administrators to resolve complex policy, transactional, and reporting discrepancies. Coordinate financial audit requests, compliance reviews, and reporting submissions across departmental finance or procurement activities. Serve as a divisional resource regarding procurement policies, approval workflows, and financial system utilization.Administration and Operations Monitor capital renovation and facilities projects in coordination with Campus Planning, Design, and Construction, tracking schedules, budget allocations, and actual expenditures. Lead operational initiatives, special projects, and process improvement efforts across Academic Affairs to enhance business efficiency. Prepare high-level analytical summaries, briefings, presentation materials, and official correspondence for executive review. Serve as a primary administrative liaison between the Office of the Provost and reporting units for resolving administrative issues. Promote accountability and operational integrity by reinforcing internal controls across departmental administrative units.Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate to rank and departmental mission