The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.
If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.
Job Description
The University of Nevada, Reno is seeking applications for a Director of Finance for Student Services to provide strategic leadership and oversight for all fiscal planning, budgeting, and financial management functions within the Division of Student Services. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Student Services (VPSS) and serving as a key member of the Division’s senior leadership team, this position acts as the chief financial advisor to the VPSS, ensuring sound fiscal stewardship and alignment of financial strategy with divisional priorities.
The Director serves as the primary liaison between Student Services and the University’s Planning, Budget, and Analysis Office, representing the Division on institutional budget matters and advancing best practices in financial planning and accountability. The role also provides guidance, training, and strategic support to departmental leaders across the Division to strengthen fiscal management capacity and ensure compliance with university policies and procedures. Key responsibilities include leading the comprehensive development, analysis, and oversight of Student Services budgets across all funding sources; producing complex financial modeling and scenario analyses; and delivering timely, accurate, and actionable financial reporting to inform executive decision-making. In partnership with the VPSS, the Director advises senior leadership on fiscal impacts, long-range financial planning, and resource allocation strategies.
The Director oversees divisional budget tracking, forecasting, commitments, and expenditures, while identifying and implementing process improvements to enhance transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness in budget administration. This role is critical to ensuring financial integrity, sustainability, and strategic resource alignment across the Division of Student Services.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree and six (6) years of professional work experience OR
Master’s Degree and four (4) years of professional work experience
Related Experience: Budget planning, management, or business affairs experience acting as a leading manager over a group function or organization or related experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
Progressive financial leadership experience within higher education, student affairs, or a complex public-sector environment.
Demonstrated experience managing large, multi-fund budgets (including state funds, auxiliary, self-supporting, grants, and donor-restricted funds).
Strong working knowledge of public-sector financial regulations, audit standards, and compliance requirements, including procurement, contracts, and internal controls.
Experience supporting auxiliary and student-facing operations, such as housing, dining, student unions, health services, or student programs.
Proven ability to provide strategic financial analysis and forecasting to senior leadership, informing data-driven decision-making.
Experience with budget modeling, scenario planning, and resource allocation in response to enrollment, fee, or policy changes.
Demonstrated success partnering with division leadership, campus finance offices, and external auditors to ensure fiscal stewardship and transparency.
Advanced proficiency with financial management systems, ERP platforms, and reporting tools; ability to translate financial data into clear, actionable insights.
Experience supervising and developing professional finance or administrative staff.
Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial audiences, including student services leaders and governance bodies.
Familiarity with risk management and financial implications related to student safety, compliance, and institutional liability.
Commitment to equity, access, and student success, with the ability to align financial decisions with divisional mission and institutional priorities.
Schedule or Travel Requirements
Variable work hours (to include occasional nights and weekends).
Travel as needed.
Compensation Grade
Administrative Faculty D (Salary Range: $115,260 - $144,075)
Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience, budgets, and equity. To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select Administrative Faculty D.
Remarkable Retirement
Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.
Perks of Working at UNR
Health insurance options including dental and vision - Health Insurance
Generous annual and sick leave and life insurance – Faculty Benefits
E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options. E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
Reno is proud to be a University town! Many local businesses offer discounts to WolfCard holders
Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate
No state income tax!
Grants-in-Aid for Faculty Employees
The University is proud to provide a reduced-rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner. Faculty Grants-in-Aid
Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program
The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program
Contact Information
Vicki Seaton at vseaton@unr.edu
Exempt
YesFull-Time Equivalent
100.0%Required Attachment(s)
Please note that once you submit your application, the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, or additional documents sections of the application will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, before the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu.
Attach the following attachments to your application
1) Resume/CV
2) Cover Letter
3) Contact Information for Three Professional References
This posting is open until filled
Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.
Posting Close Date
Note to Applicant
A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.
HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.
References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.
Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.
As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.
For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.
Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.
The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).
About Us
The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”
Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.
The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.
Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.
Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.
The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.
Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.
For more information, please visit the University’s website.