Associate Dean of Administration & Finance - College of Social Sciences and Humanities

About the Opportunity

About the College of Social Sciences and Humanities

The College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) combines Northeastern University’s signature approach to experiential learning with liberal arts education, interdisciplinary research, and community engagement, both locally and globally.

The College comprises 20 academic units, including two schools, eight departments, and ten interdisciplinary programs, as well as 15 research centers and institutes . Our faculty connects liberal arts education with the challenges of our time, and fosters ethical reasoning and critical thought, with attention to the enduring significance of history, literature, and culture. CSSH promotes inquiry with global perspectives across interdisciplinary clusters of expertise including: Resilience, Sustainability, Health, and Equity; Cultural studies, Governance, and Globalization; and Network Science, Computational Social Science, Digital Humanities, and Data Ethics.

• Job Summary
• The Associate Dean of Administration and Finance is the principal administrative and budget officer for the college and reports to the Dean. As a member of the college’s senior leadership team, the Associate Dean helps formulate the college’s strategic plan in a dynamic and fast-moving university environment.

As the college’s lead administrator, the Associate Dean oversees the implementation and planning of processes, policies, and projects related to budgeting, human resources, sponsored research administration, space, and college-specific information technology. The Associate Dean advises the Dean on the development of the college’s annual revenue and expense budgets and models multi-year financial scenarios. The position works closely with other associate deans, department chairs, and staff to determine budgetary needs and plan initiatives aligned with the college’s and university’s strategic goals.

The Associate Dean manages the budget and finance administration and research administration teams and leads staffing allocation decisions across the college. The position proactively identifies options to meet evolving academic and operational needs and applies sound change management practices to guide units through organizational and staffing transitions.

The Associate Dean supports strategic planning by providing analytical reports on enrollment, staffing, financial, and space trends and requirements to inform resource allocation decisions. The position works closely with Human Resources on faculty and staff recruitment, retention, performance reviews, and compensation changes. In collaboration with the Associate Dean of Research, the Associate Dean oversees sponsored research administration, including all pre-award and post-award grant management, and ensures compliance with federal, state, and other sponsor regulations.

The Associate Dean manages the college’s space portfolio of nearly 90,000 square feet across the university and coordinates space planning and capital projects in collaboration with university offices. The position regularly leads programmatic projects as directed by the Dean, works closely with counterparts in other colleges, and represents the Dean and the college to internal and external audiences and constituents. The Associate Dean is also responsible for providing college-level financial and space reporting to the Office of the Provost and other university-wide units.

Minimum Qualifications

• •Master's degree required, MBA preferred
• •At least 10 years of increasingly responsible leadership experience successfully managing all administrative facets of a large, multimillion-dollar operation
• •At least five years of managerial or supervisory experience
• •Experience with project management, change management, and resource and staff allocation
• •Experience using financial databases and developing reports
• •High level of analytical skill
• •Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and activities
• •Excellent communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills
• •Commitment to a culture of professionalism with a service focus
• •Experience in higher education preferred

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Financial Management and Budget Administration

• •Develop and manage the college’s annual operating budget and multi-year financial models under the university’s hybrid budget model
• •Report quarterly budget-to-actual performance and advise the Dean on revenue and expense planning
• •Oversee contracts and sponsored research administration, including pre-award and post-award grant management, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and sponsor regulations
• •Collaborate with the central budget office, the Office of the Provost, and counterparts across colleges on finance and administration matters

Strategic Planning and Analytics

• •Serve as a member of the senior leadership team and help formulate and implement the college’s strategic plan
• •Provide analytical reports on enrollment, staffing, financial, and space trends to guide resource allocation
• •Identify opportunities to enhance the college and proactively surface challenges and alternatives to keep college and university goals on track

People Operations and Management

• •Partner with Human Resources and Faculty Affairs throughout the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, retention, morale, training, performance reviews, promotions, job transfers and changes, and compensation for faculty and staff
• •Lead staff allocation across the college by assessing unit-level needs, evaluating options such as reallocation, restructuring, and shared services, and addressing gaps or imbalances in coverage
• •Lead staffing and organizational changes using change management practices, including stakeholder communication, phased implementation, and impact assessment, to minimize disruption and build support
• •Establish effective communication methods to ensure timely and accurate information is shared with faculty and staff and foster strong relationships throughout the college
• •Directly lead, coach, and develop the budget and finance administration and research administration teams by setting objectives, providing feedback, and fostering a high-performance work environment
• •Supervise the Director of Finance and Administration; Director of College Research Administration and Research Finance; Director of Belonging; and Director of Reporting and Financial Planning

Operations, Space, and Representation

• •Manage the college’s space portfolio of nearly 90,000 square feet across the university
• •Coordinate space planning and capital projects with university offices
• •Lead college-wide programmatic initiatives as directed by the Dean
• •Represent the Dean and the college to internal and external audiences and constituents
• •Represent the college on standing and ad hoc committees related to finance, administration, business processes, and data reporting
• •Provide college-level financial and space reporting to the Office of the Provost and other university-wide units

Applicants should include the following documents with their application:

• •Resume/CV
• •Cover letter
• •Name and contact information of three references

Position Type

General Administration

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

115S

Expected Hiring R