Conference Finance Senior Manager

The incumbent will lead and manage the financial and operational project management process for the IEEE conference financial management portfolio and to deliver a best-in-class user experience for our internal and external customers (staff and volunteers). This position is primarily responsible for coordination of project activities, producing the various documentation associated with project lifecycles addressing technical aspects of financial projects. Additionally, this position will be instrumental in identifying areas of opportunity and driving process improvement throughout the conference finance process life cycle.

The incumber will oversee the development, implementation, and change management of IEEE's conference finance business activities and interface with IEEE staff (including IT) and volunteers. Critical to success in this role is the ability to understand internal/external user needs in order to develop requirements for delivery and service management from a business requirements perspective that results in outstanding tools, services and applications for the IEEE Conference business and the conference organizer community. This includes, but is not limited to, collaborating with IT, providing business requirements and performing user acceptance testing, on system enhancements, integration and replacement.

This role collaborates and establishes an open line of communication with all levels within the organization (CEE, Treasury, Controllers, Tax, Business Financial, and other IEEE OU's) including upper management to maintain consistent best practices. In addition, this position is responsible for high-valued customer service and problem-solving expertise to the volunteers. The role also supports the financial reporting process that spans several hundred annual financially sponsored conferences and events including thousands of conference organizers across all ten IEEE regions. Some of the financial and non-financial reporting analysis which includes but is not limited to budgets, income statements, balance sheet position, bank account compliance, reserves and controls over assets such as signature authority, tax reporting (1099/1042, indirect tax) and non financial compliance matters such as COIs and audit processes over conferences. This role reports to the Director Conference Finance.

Key Responsibilities: 

Specific duties include but not limited to:

• Responsible for the project management of the NextGen systems, PPM, Tableau (ICX) and other financial platforms processes for Conference Finance staff and volunteers
• Recommends and leads the implementation of process changes to improve efficiency and meet business needs through technology. Implements and tests enhancements to financial systems and manages the rollout of all changes through project management across 600+ financially sponsored conferences. Assists IT management, as needed, with system enhancement requirements.
• Understand the big picture while maintaining laser focus on relevant detail; ability to quantify benefits through data and identify priorities, trade-offs and solution options.
• Participate in project planning, resource allocation, and support ad-hoc requests as determined by Volunteers and or Staff Leadership as needed.
• Monitor, identify and troubleshoot issues and problems related to platform functionality, performance, and user experience, provide recommendations and implement solutions.
• Work with program and technical teams to prioritize and implement bug fixes, performance improvements, and feature requests.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop documentation, project plans, and readiness materials. Acts as the primary point of contact and liaise with CEE, Treasury, Tax, Audit, Business Finance Solutions, and Legal & Compliance.
• Engage with stakeholders proactively to gather insights, address concerns, and ensure alignment with their needs, all parties are kept informed of progress and changes.
• Document platform feedback and deficiencies in need of escalation or resolution in subsequent releases. Directly assist users or stakeholders with more complex use cases
• Serves as the Financial Tool Administrator for 600+ financially-sponsored conference organizers to ensure proper system access and training is provided throughout the year by creating material for treasurers that can be rolled out virtually and in live training sessions.
• Drive problematic and challenging conference events which require intervention to a successful outcome (e.g. closing the event within the time frame of IEEE policies and satisfying internal audit requirements).
• Serve as the primary owner of the Internal Audit relationship, ensuring audit readiness and resolution of findings.
• Primary owner responsible for developing comprehensive conference event financial policies and procedures.
• Drive automation to reduce manual work and streamline work processes.
• Lead in special projects and other duties not listed above, which may vary from time to time as determined by management, to meet Conference Finance and IEEE company needs (e.g. payment system upgrades, expansion of conference finance best practices throughout the portfolios and entities).

Education:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience,  Business Administration, Information System, Finance, Accounting, or Economics, Required

Work Experience:

7-10 years,  Project/Program management, process improvement or related work experience, Required

Skills and Requirements: 

• Must possess strong project management skills, ability to create strategic plan, and able to build relationships and partnerships across the IEEE
• Time management and organizational skills, be able to multitask and to determine priorities with agility and confidence in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving capabilities with ability to quickly and accurately resolve issues
• Customer focus, strong communication and interpersonal skills, must be able to work well with various levels of staff and volunteers including IEEE senior management and volunteer leadership
• Expertise in Oracle ERP for Conferences
• Experience working with audit, compliance, and internal control frameworks
• Ability to understand the larger picture, within the context of the operating unit and at the IEEE level
• Technologically savvy knowledge worker who understands and seeks out technology solutions to business challenges
• Detailed and results oriented. Must be able to develop procedures and ensure that work is done thoroughly and correctly
• Self-motivated with the ability to undertake complex financial projects and analyses with large volume of data
• Strong technical and financial knowledge, including understanding of basic accounting and internal controls
• Working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, Oracle, Cloud Software, Tableau, and other financial ERP systems and MS products
• This position works with limited direction, under minimal supervision, and manages the process with general overall guidance