Financial and Operations Specialist

Job Summary

The Academic Resources and Planning unit is responsible for providing leadership and strategic oversight for the Provost and Executive Vice President’s financial and resource operations.

This unit is led by the associate vice president for Academic Resources and Planning and is responsible for financial and resource analysis, projections, modeling, and data analytics services that supports the decision-making processes in the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs and enables the division to ascertain the impacts of proposed initiatives and achieve institutional priorities.

The unit is responsible for strategic resource planning, which includes aligning university resources with the academic mission and implementing the academic priorities of the university’s strategic plan.

Under the general direction of the Associate Vice President for Academic Resources and Planning, this position provides specialized technical, analytical, and administrative duties for the financial and resource management operations for the division of Academic Affairs.

The incumbent conducts financial analysis and reporting; prepares reports and briefing materials; provides recommendations to courses of action and changes to policies or procedures;

oversees the Office of the Provost financials; coordinates and performs highly sensitive and confidential administrative duties, project and program management, and interprets and applies operational policies and procedures for the division of Academic Affairs.

Work is specialized and of a highly confidential nature, requiring access to a variety of sources and information including, but not limited to official collective bargaining negotiation or strategies, executive personnel records, financial records, and progress reports of campus programs / projects.

Work assignment affects the overall management of the Office of the Provost and the Academic Affairs division. This position requires a full awareness of the provost’s priorities and in-depth knowledge of the functions of the Office of the Provost as related to the overall campus environment.

Division Summary

The Office of the Provost provides guidance and support for faculty and staff in all six academic colleges, and for several offices that support students throughout their time at Cal Poly, including University Advising, the Robert E.

Kennedy Library, and others. The Office of the Provost is proud to work with students, faculty, and staff to ensure the Cal Poly experience is exceptional for all members of the campus community.

Key Qualifications

• Expertise in the execution of principles and best practices associated with budgeting, financial, data analysis and record keeping.
• Ability to apply accounting procedures and practices to analyze and interpret accounting data; apply problem-solving techniques in finding solutions to accounting problems;

and understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Expertise in investigating and analyzing problems with a broad administrative impact and implications. Ability to anticipate problems and address them proactively.
• Demonstrated expertise in, and advanced knowledge of, the principles, problems, and methods of public and business administration and operational and fiscal management.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare complex financial statements and reports and present statistical and mathematical data.

Ability to convey technical professional accounting information to non-accountants.

Ability to respectfully address diverse customer needs and interests.

Education and Experience

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university and three years of progressively responsible experience in Accounting, Finance or related fields.

A graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year- for-year basis.

Salary and Benefits

Salary commensurate with the background and experience of the individual selected.

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees.

See our for additional information.

Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy.

Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment.

Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world.

For more information, visit .

Diversity Statement

At Cal Poly, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees and our community.

Bringing people together from different backgrounds, experiences and value systems fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly's values of free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility.

Cal Poly's commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. Cal Poly is an equal opportunity employer.

Supplemental Information

CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so.

Any candidates advanced in a currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at and questions may be sent to