Associate Director, Financial Operations and Institutional Research Analyst at The University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Department

Booth Marketing and Communications: Institutional Research and Strategic Insights



About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.


Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.


Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.


As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.


For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.



Job Summary

The primary responsibilities of the Associate Director, Financial Operations and Institutional Research Analyst is to support financial strategic analytical projects at Booth. The portfolio of the role combines strategic management, analytical evaluation of marketing campaigns, management of marketing budgets, invoicing, vendor management, contract review, RFP preparation, evaluation of the ROI of marketing initiatives, conversion cost optimization, budget impact assessment, contract evaluation, among others.


This role entails an ability to perform data collection, strategic research design setting, analysis, and evaluation. This also includes closely tracking and communicating project timelines with the team and its internal and external partners. The role will work with the Institutional Research and Strategic Insights team withing Marketing and Communications, senior leadership, centers, and internal and external departments, including the Deans.



Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains marketing budgets, including campaign-specific and overall departmental budgets. Prepares regular budget reports and forecasts for marketing leadership and makes recommendations to the CMO.


• Manages the invoicing process, manages the relationships with the university and the marketing vendors. Collaborate with marketing managers to develop budget proposals for new initiatives. Oversees budget management for all the functions within Marketing, including budget preparation, purchasing, and contracts.


• Monitors marketing expenditure and identifies areas for potential savings and budget reallocation. Provides financial analysis to support marketing strategy and decision-making.


• Analyzes departmental expenses, forecasts trends, and recommends cost saving strategies to optimize financial performance. Analyzes market trends and competitor spending on advertising to inform budgeting decisions.


• Analyzes vendor contracts and provides recommendations for internal reporting, contract evaluation, alongside developing financial models for forecasting and long-term planning for vendor engagement, among other tasks as identified by CMCO.


• Leads institutional research for Booth's priority projects aligned with the school's internal and external priorities. Understands Booth's goals and translates those to research strategy. Develops strategic recommendations to inform faculty hiring, promotion and tenure projects.


• Manages ongoing strategy and oversight of Chicago Booth's participations in rankings, including understanding multiple publications' ranking methodology, ensuring the school's compliance through data validation, analyzing ranking results and maintaining reporting dashboards. Works with the operations team for the execution of these projects.


• Manages and leads internal and external institutional reporting needs and audit requirements.


• Translates research results to digestible dashboards, outputs and tracking studies, as relevant. Translates data to storytelling and meaningful output that allow decision-making.


• Makes sure that timelines are closely followed and met on a consistent basis.


• Deep understanding of methods to analyze complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information. May develop and maintain infrastructure that connects data sets.


• Guides staff or faculty members in defining the project and applies principals of data science in manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling.


• Responsible for tracking progress, conducting analysis, as well as preparing for and facilitating project meetings.


• Acts as a resource for a project team and provides analytical guidance. Interprets complex project issues and provides analytical guidance to a project team.


• Coordinates the successful integration of vendor tasks and tracks and reviews vendor deliverables.


• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications




Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.



Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.



Certifications:




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Preferred Qualifications




Education:

• Bachelor's degree.


• Master's degree.

Experience:

• Previous experience with top tier higher education market/institutions and higher education rankings.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficiency with Tableau software or other visualization tools.


• Working knowledge of statistical software and statistical methods.

Preferred Competencies

• Proven ability to create and deliver cohesive presentations.


• Strong communication skills and formulate research methodology for financial, operational and institutional projects, interpret data and generate actionable insights.


• Identify efficiencies in operational, financial, contracting and research processes, and implement solutions to improve processes.


• Excellent project management skills. Proven ability to respond to and prioritize multiple, simultaneous project requests with stringent deadlines.


• Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes.


• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty and corporate contacts in a multitude of communication methods i.e., in person, email, phone.


• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.

Working Conditions

• This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)


• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.



Job Family

Administration & Management



Role Impact

Individual Contributor



Scheduled
Weekly Hours

37.5



Drug Test Required



No



Health Screen Required



No



Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required



No



Pay Rate Type

Salary



FLSA Status

Exempt



Pay Range

$70,000.00 - $85,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.



Benefits Eligible

Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.



Posting Statement



The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.


Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.


We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.


All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.


The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Apply Now