Director of Finance & Administration of Neurology

Our Purpose

Stanford Medicine is leading the biomedical revolution in precision health. We are transforming health care away from after-the-fact diagnosis to prediction and prevention and away from one-size-fits-all medicine to personalized care that empowers people to lead healthy lives. We are leveraging the art and science of medicine to predict and prevent disease before it strikes and cure it decisively if it does.

To achieve our Precision Health vision, we are integrating, building, and leveraging our strengths in fundamental research, the new field of biomedical data science, and nine transformative biomedical platforms. As a learning health system, we will develop, teach, and apply these advances in the Stanford School of Medicine (SoM) and our hospitals and health care delivery systems within Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health.

The Department of Neurology (DoN) is one of 19 clinical departments and 12 basic science departments within the SoM. The DoN is a leader in research areas that include basic neuroscience studies, quantitative data sciences, translational studies, and clinical trials. The DoN is currently ranked among the top fifteen neurology departments in the US in NIH funding and has NIH and other formally designated Centers of Excellence in multiple areas. In addition, Stanford University is recognized for its outstanding, high-impact neuroscience community consisting of several hundred faculty including numerous international leaders in multiple areas.

Our Values

Fulfilling our promise to humanity requires the engagement of a diverse, creative, and collaborative team of professionals who work together to advance our research, education, and patient care mission. We strive to create a culture of inclusion and belonging to ensure all employees have the meaningful employment experience that is necessary to do their best work. We are looking for leaders who can contribute to making excellence inclusive. Are you ready to make your impact and join our team?

Our Work

The Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) provides strategic and operational leadership in finance, administration, and operations for the Department of Neurology.

The DFA has a primary reporting relationship to the Departmental Chair with a secondary reporting relationship to the Associate Dean/Chief Financial Officer for the School of Medicine, to ensure organizational alignment between the department’s strategy and the broader SoM mission. As a lead business partner to the department chair, this critical leadership position will be accountable for simultaneously managing department operational service units and working deftly and capably with the chair, vice chairs, divisions chiefs, and key faculty on strategic and operational initiatives in the mission domains of research, clinical care, and education. Additionally, the DFA serves as the liaison for the department to the school and university in all business and compliance matters. The DFA will be responsible for overseeing a department wide budget of more than $120M annually, that supports 125 faculty, approximately 90 residents and advanced trainees, 35 administrative staff, 145 research staff, and 50 post-doctoral fellows.

As the administrative leader for the department, the DFA will possess a broad breadth of knowledge and experience in academic administration, providing leadership and direction for all financial and administrative functions including: budgeting and financial management, strategic planning, human resources, grant and contract administration, academic affairs, facilities/space, compliance, and safety. The DFA will directly manage department operations, continuously evaluate and enhance the administration's organizational structure and culture, and will maintain, adapt, and develop administrative policies and procedures in the department to meet the needs of the environment. The DFA will also be adept at talent management, sourcing subject matter resources and serving as a mentor who will be focused on developing leaders in the department to increase capability and the overall effectiveness of the administration team. The DFA will be an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, ensuring that resources are put forth to support the faculty and staff infrastructures to support education and awareness. In addition to the above department responsibilities, the DFA will work with leaders across Stanford Medicine’s four affiliated hospitals: Stanford Healthcare, Stanford Children’s Health, VA Palo Alto, and Stanford Healthcare Tri-Valley.

CORE DUTIES:

• Independently initiate and create strategic plans for organization or program(s) managed. Establish business and administrative mission and goals.
• Partner with faculty and hospital(s) leadership to advocate for the needs of the department’s goals to internal and external parties. Develop long-range business plans in conjunction with leadership.
• Independently and/or collaboratively initiate and support the execution of strategic plans of considerable complexity and scope for the department.
• Propose and/or manage the implementation of complex and significant programmatic changes that may impact the department’s academic and research capabilities. Consult and advise senior leadership.
• Responsible for the financial viability and success of the department. Develop and deliver complex, comprehensive financial analysis, high level strategic modeling both short and long term and provide advice to senior leadership decisions.
• Oversee the management of the consolidated annual budget plan, including developing, monitoring, analyzing forecasting and reporting. Recommend and develop strategies for general cost containment, strategic investments, and growth management.
• Negotiate with the hospital(s) regarding programmatic needs and fiscal matters.
• Direct staff and provide leadership to achieve goals and vision of the department. Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, personal development for direct reports and accountable for the performance of employees.
• Independently or in collaboration with human resources managers, guide faculty and staff supervisors in the interpretation and implementation of human resources policies, procedures and programs.
• Partner with hospital(s) and in the development of business plans and program planning; negotiate and monitor funds flow and productivity targets. Leverage hospital(s) and School of Medicine fiscal affairs resources to manage department cost accounting, revenue management, and productivity reporting.
• Represent and advocate for department needs with hospital(s) and central units in the areas of research, clinical care, education, and space; including current and future needs.
• Partner with hospital(s) and department leadership on activities to plan and meet physician improvement goals.
• Manage the direction of internal academic and administrative policy development for programs and administrative operations. Make recommendations for changes in staffing, facilities, health and safety compliance, finance, technology and/or administrative functions. Work with the Chair and /or Dean’s Office regarding resources to support faculty activities and interests.
• Evaluate business processes and operational and/or financial effectiveness.
• Interpret, implement and ensure compliance with academic and administrative policies and procedures within the department, School of Medicine, and University.

Education & Experience:

• Master’s degree (BA, Health Care Administration, Public health or related field) or combination of education and relevant experience. Five years of progressively responsible managerial experience including financial and budget preparation. Three years of supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated strategic and operational leadership, planning, organizing, and change management skills
• Ability to demonstrate an elevated level of diplomacy in persuading and influencing a wide variety of people at various levels to achieve results.
• Exceptional negotiation and effective people skills, negotiation and political acumen.
• Excellent communication skills. Able to influence people, solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively and resolve conflicts.
• Ability to establish a culture of integrity within their unit and with those external to the units.
• Demonstrates to others that he/she is direct, truthful and credible.
• Demonstrated skill as a receptive listener, influential and persuasive and seeks to understand the differing sides of each situation.
• Makes decisions effectively and decisively.
• Demonstrated expertise in business and management concepts
• Advanced financial expertise in accounting, budget planning, and financial forecasting.
• Strong knowledge of industry standards and/or regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and analyze all pertinent information/data to make and communicate decisions to meet the unit's current and future financial, research, academic and administrative needs.
• Demonstrated experience implementing financial funding concepts and regulatory agency policies and guidelines throughout multiple unit(s). Working knowledge of grants and contract administration.

DESIRED SKILLS :

• Master’s degree (MBA, Health Care Administration, Public health or related field)
• Experience managing NIH and NIS portfolios
• Experience with Pre-Award and Post Award management
• Experience fostering/building relationships across the School of Medicine as well as promoting the mission and initiative for Precision Health.
• Experience partnering with leadership to build and promote the educational curriculum within the department.
• Experience administering or managing operations and finance (faculty compensation and time allocation)
• Excellent communication skills, to include building relationships, conflict resolution, building consensus, and a solution-oriented mind-set.

CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES:

• None

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks.
• Frequently sitting.
• Occasionally stand/walk, reach/work above shoulders, use a telephone, writing by hand, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds;
• Rarely twist/bend/stoop/squat, sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh 11-20 pounds.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

The expected pay range for this position is $251,500 - $351,003 per annum/hour.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website ( provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

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