Director of Finance and Administration, Stanford Race Institute

The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. The school encompasses 23 departments and 25 interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. As the university's largest school, H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major. Graduate students work alongside world-renowned faculty to pursue and shape foundational research that leads to breakthroughs and discoveries that shed new light on the past, influence the present, and shape the future. Together, faculty and students in H&S engage in inspirational teaching, learning, and research every day.

Department Description:

Racial and ethnic divisions are inextricably linked to every major challenge facing humanity.

The Institute harnesses the expertise of its globally recognized faculty, research centers, and the University's resources to work toward racial justice so that all people can thrive.

A new Institute on Race - The Institute is designed to produce knowledge for bold solutions to realize racial justice and understanding. Drawing on expertise from across the University's schools and departments, and in partnership with external partners, the Institute will be a global center of gravity. It will provide opportunities for a community of scholars and thought leaders, including government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations, to collaborate to move us closer to a just society. The Institute will also be a leader in developing and disseminating basic and solutions-oriented research and insights. Core activities of the institute include:

• Infrastructure, including financial support, a welcoming and functional space, and personnel to advance the core work required to develop knowledge and solutions that contribute to racial justice;
• Robust support for collaborations with external partners to identify, design, and implement solutions-focused research in domains demanding urgent attention;
• Activities focused on driving pragmatic solutions designed to produce racial justice.
• Programming to engage the public, academics, and policymakers

Position Summary: The Stanford Race Institute is seeking a Director of Finance and Administration (DFA.) The DFA will work under general supervision of the Executive Director and must possess and demonstrate a positive outlook on continuous process improvement efforts while maintaining a team-based and customer-focused mindset. This is a critical position that will work closely with the Faculty Directors and Executive Director during the startup phase of the Institute, taking the lead on finance and administrative matters for the institute. It is critical that this position exhibit the abilities to practice sound judgment and decision-making, effective written & oral communication, strong attention to detail and respectful relationship management. This position must also exhibit a strong desire to continuously learn new and unfamiliar business topics, policies and procedures as they relate to finance and administration - the ability to translate this information into operational successes will be critical.

This is a 100% FTE, benefits-eligible position. For consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter. All final candidates must complete a background check. This position will be based on the Stanford campus and will be considered for an option of telecommuting (hybrid of working on-site and off-site), subject to operational need.

If you believe that this opportunity is a match for your knowledge, skills and abilities, we encourage you to apply. Thank you for considering employment opportunities with the School of Humanities and Sciences.

In this role, you will:

• Direct staff and provide leadership to achieve goals and vision of the organization and the day-to-day operations. Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, personal development for direct reports and accountable for the performance of employees.
• May independently or in collaboration with human resources managers, guide faculty supervisors in the interpretation and implementation of human resources policies, procedures and programs.
• Develop business plans and infrastructure to support research and teaching. Provide analysis and review of multi-year plans, including providing alternative methods for achieving goals when necessary. Influence faculty leadership on specific recommendations for current operation and for future development of the organization and lead process improvement.
• Interpret, implement and ensure compliance with university academic and administrative policies and procedures within an operating unit. Recommend new internal policies, guidelines and procedures.
• Oversee and/or manage the finances across all sources for the annual budget cycle, including developing, monitoring, analyzing forecasting and reporting.
• Manage and coordinate grants and contracts for the department. Ensure compliance with institutional and external requirements.
• Represent the unit's business and academic operations within the organization. May represent the organization to external constituencies.