Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Director of Administration and Finance

Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree or relevant certification preferred.
  • Minimum of seven years experience in administration, ideally within higher education.
  • Significant experience in financial management and research administration.
  • Demonstrated skills in leadership, team building, and personnel management.
  • Proficient in MS Office, Google applications, and MIT software (SAP, COEUS, Parley).
  • Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion and good judgment.
  • Familiarity with AI-enabled processes is a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the senior administrative and financial officer for the department.
  • Provide strategic leadership and oversight for department operations and finance.
  • Develop and manage departmental budgets, projections, and reports.
  • Monitor expenditures for effective use of operational and research funds.
  • Supervise HR, payroll, finance, and operations staff to ensure compliance with MIT policies.
  • Prepare financial and personnel reports for planning and accreditation processes.
  • Identify and recommend improvements for operational challenges.

Benefits

  • Opportunity for strategic leadership within a prestigious department.
  • Engagement with interdisciplinary teams in a higher education setting.
  • Access to MIT resources and professional development programs.
  • Exposure to cutting-edge developments in research administration and finance.
Full Job Description
Posting Description
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE, Aeronautics and Astronautics , to serve as the senior administrative and financial officer for the department; provide strategic leadership and oversight for departmental administration, finance, personnel, payroll, research administration, and operations in support of the department head and associate department head; develop budgets, projections, and reports; monitor expenditures and ensure effective use of operational, research, and endowed funds; oversee research administration and ensure proposals and budgets comply with Institute and sponsor requirements; supervise HR, payroll, finance, and operations staff and ensure compliance with MIT policies and procedures; administer faculty appointments, leaves, and appointment changes; identify operational challenges and recommend process, staffing, and workflow improvements; prepare financial, personnel, and statistical reports for planning, accreditation, visiting committees, and budget requests; participate in space planning; facilitate productive faculty/staff relations and appropriate routing of concerns; handle confidential matters with discretion; and perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED : Bachelor's degree; a minimum of seven years of experience in administration, preferably in higher education, with significant experience in financial management, research administration, and personnel management/human resources; demonstrated leadership, team building, consensus-building, supervisory, recruitment, performance management, training, and professional development skills; good judgment, diplomacy, tact, and discretion with sensitive/confidential matters; excellent problem-solving, goal-setting, decision-making, analytical, organizational, project management, and written and oral communication skills; ability to manage changing priorities, pressure, multiple tasks, and deadlines; and proficiency with MS Office, Google applications, Excel, and MIT software (SAP, COEUS, Parley). PREFERRED : Master's degree or relevant certification; MIT experience; or familiarity with AI-enabled processes, including agentic AI.

8/11/2026

About Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university is known for its strong emphasis on scientific and technological research and its engineering programs. MIT was founded in 1861 and has a long history of innovation and entrepreneurship. The university has produced numerous Nobel laureates, Rhodes Scholars, and MacArthur Fellows.
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