Director of Global Finance

About this role

Department SSD Development Economics Center: Staff and Temporary Employees About the Department The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer. Job Summary The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for the financial management of operating and capital budgets for divisions and/or University-wide administrative units. Develops long and short term plans to achieve financial goals, business strategies/plans, and financial forecasts/models for all major service programs and initiatives. Manages quarterly and year-end reporting for the operating budget.

The Director of Global Finance will lead financial strategy and grant management for the Development Innovation Lab (DIL), serving as a trusted financial partner to the Lab’s senior leadership, faculty researchers, and global project teams. This role is responsible for managing a global portfolio that supports research initiatives in low-income communities across multiple countries, including Kenya, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, among many other international locations.

This role oversees financial management of the Lab, compliance with university and external funding regulations, and is responsible for the successful life-cycle management of grants, gifts and internal funds. The Director is responsible for the financial management of funds from multiple sources, including grants and gifts from foundations and government as well as internal University budgets. The Director will manage a team of professional staff.

The Director of Global Finance will work collaboratively with Lab staff to build the systems and processes that help the team oversee finances across projects. This includes managing operating budgets, leading the annual and quarterly budgeting process, and reporting regularly to Lab leadership and project managers on financial status — flagging concerns and offering recommendations as the work develops. The Director will also work closely with Lab leadership to analyze the Lab’s overall financial picture, including risks and opportunities. DIL operates in a dynamic research environment where priorities shift and funding constraints evolve; the Director must adapt fluidly and maintain rigor without rigidity.

This position serves as a key liaison between DIL and central university offices. The Director will work routinely with the Director of Financial Operations for the Social Sciences Division, the University Budget Office, and University Research Administration to ensure alignment on financial reporting, budget processes, and policy compliance.

Beyond the operational work, the Director serves as a senior advisor and thought partner to the Lab’s faculty director, research PIs, and project leads. This includes doing strategic planning, advising on big-picture financial decisions, working with staff to determine how to best structure new funding streams, and monitoring financial spending across categories of funding. DIL values experienced professionals who communicate financial information clearly and concisely — translating complexity for non-finance audiences — and who offer well-reasoned recommendations that reflect a thorough understanding of the Lab’s priorities, constraints, and preferences. Responsibilities • The Finance Director will be responsible for the overall financial management of the Lab’s finances. • Lead and manage a team of grant and finance managers who are responsible for managing project-level budgets with research teams for funding proposals, managing project spending through the project, and reporting regularly to donors. • Provide financial analysis and well-considered recommendations to support unit-wide decisions made by the Lab’s faculty director and executive director. Develops guidance with sufficient depth and contextual grounding to be genuinely useful — attuned to the Lab’s priorities, known preferences, and operating constraints — and supports final decisions made by those leaders fully. • Provide reports at least quarterly analyzing the Lab’s financial performance including analyzing spending against annual fiscal year budgets. • Regularly project financial outcomes by modeling revenue and spending, including conducting Monte Carlo simulations of projected fundraising, thinking strategically about which funding source to use, and communicating with leadership about iterative decisions as the funding environment changes. • Lead budgeting processes and oversee Lab’s financial picture. • Manage organization-wide budget development and budget process, including monthly forecasting, fiscal year close out, and reporting to the Unit, Provost, Dean, and Budget Office. Offering strategic guidance throughout the planning and reporting processes. This includes gathering budget requests from across many projects and consolidating them for leadership, including flagging issues and ensuring data validity. • Track performance against budget and provide strategic advice to the Lab’s leadership team as well as regularly provide actuals to the project teams. • Partner with international colleagues to oversee financial management of global research programs, ensuring compliance across multiple funding sources and country requirements. • Oversee the Lab’s interactions with the University’s financial system. • Oversee and audit reporting within the University’s General Expense Management System (GEMS) system each month. This includes reviewing individual expenses charged to various Lab accounts for correctness, applicability, and compliance with any donor requirements. • Ensures compliance with University financial policies and procedures and builds systems that work for DIL culture that help ensure compliance and efficiency. • Sponsored award oversight, including: Ensures adherence to Uni

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