Director, Fiscal Affairs - 139301

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine is a diverse patient, research, education, and academia focused, high-performing Department with a commitment to quality, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Orthopaedic Surgery provides treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal system, offering comprehensive and innovative services. The Department offers a full spectrum of musculoskeletal clinical care, specializing in foot and ankle, hand and microvascular surgery, joint reconstruction, physical medicine and rehabilitation, spine, sports medicine, orthopaedic oncology, and trauma. Research expertise includes advancements in muscle metabolism and physiology, neuromuscular bioengineering, intervertebral disc, and musculoskeletal physiology and epidemiology. The Department supports an ACGME accredited residency program and fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery, as well as fellowship programs in joint reconstruction, spine, and trauma.

The Director, Fiscal Affairs is responsible for the oversight and coordination of financial operations, resource management, and administrative activities within the department. Operating with a high degree of independence, the role receives broad objectives and determines appropriate strategies to allocate resources, prioritize work, and achieve organizational goals. The Director has primary responsibility for directing the preparation, administration, and control of complex departmental budgets and financial resources across multiple funding sources. This includes ensuring compliance with institutional policies and external regulations, maintaining strong internal controls, and aligning resource utilization with approved financial plans and strategic priorities. The position plays a critical role in supporting strategic initiatives, mitigating risk, and advancing operational and programmatic objectives.

The role reviews and approves financial planning, transactions, forecasting, and resource allocation recommendations across the clinical, academic, and research missions, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with departmental objectives. The Director coordinates day-to-day operations across assigned functional areas, ensuring effective implementation of policies, procedures, and business processes. The Director establishes and maintains administrative and financial processes that support effective budget management, long-term planning, and operational execution. The role oversees key financial and administrative programs, including faculty compensation plan development and administration, contracts and grants management, clinical trials oversight, and compliance activities such as conflict of commitment and conflict of interest.

The position provides leadership and supervision to financial, research, and resource analyst staff, including assigning work, setting priorities, managing workload distribution, and ensuring timely and accurate completion of deliverables. The Director is accountable for staff performance, development, and alignment of team activities with departmental and organizational goals. Using advanced professional concepts and organizational objectives, the Director resolves complex issues with organization-wide impact in creative and effective ways. The role frequently addresses complex matters with little or no precedent, requiring in-depth evaluation of variable factors and data. The Director exercises sound judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria, and is recognized as a subject matter expert. Internal and external interactions often involve organizational plans, priorities, and strategic objectives.

Performance is evaluated based on achievement of objectives, adherence to timelines, and effective management of staff, resources, and financial outcomes. Decisions at this level have a direct and significant impact on departmental financial performance, operational effectiveness, and the department's ability to meet strategic goals. The Director may act on behalf of departmental leadership, including in the absence of the Vice Chair for Administration, to ensure continuity of operations, financial oversight, and decision-making. Having wide-ranging experience, uses professional concepts and organizational objectives to resolve complex issues with organization-wide impact in creative and effective ways. Works on complex issues with little or no precedent where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors. Exercises judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results. Is considered a subject matter expert. Internal and external contacts often pertain to organizational plans and objectives.

• Advanced degree in related area and seven or more years of relevant financial experience, or equivalent combination of experience, education and training.

• Extensive knowledge of finance policies, practices and systems, budgeting and reporting techniques, accounting and bookkeeping.

• Solid understanding of financial and resource planning concepts as well as how to control organizational budgeting.

• Ability to prepare and present materials to internal and external constituents.

• Extensive knowledge of human resource policies, practices, and planning.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.

• Advanced skills in the use of spreadsheet and database software.

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively across the organization at all levels.

• Proven ability to deal with changing priorities and direct the work of others accordingly. Ability to multi-task.

• Prior supervisory experience. Demonstrated ability to screen applications, interview candidates, and either make selection decisions or recommend individuals for hire.

• Thorough knowledge and understanding of internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources.

• Client services oriented; has good listening, communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

• Advanced skills in short- and long-term strategic planning, analysis, problem-solving and customer service

• Ability to effectively and efficiently manage the daily operations of a large, complex department responsible for the teaching, clinical and research missions of the University.

• In-depth knowledge of clinical revenue cycles, physician practice plans, clinical productivity metrics (e.g., wRVUs, FTE normalization), and benchmarking methodologies.

• Working knowledge of faculty compensation plans, including clinical and academic compensation models, incentive structures, and compliance considerations.

• Knowledge of variance analysis, forecasting methodologies, and financial modeling techniques used in strategic and operational planning.

• Master's degree in business administration, accounting or leadership.

• Five or more years of experience supervising/managing staff.

• Eight or more years managing a complex financial department and/or operations, with decision making authority.

• Experience working in an academic medical center and/or School of Medicine.

• Advanced knowledge of University rules and regulations, processes, protocols and procedures for budget, accounting and fund management, and/or key controls.

• Current UC San Diego employee.

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.