Director Of Financial Operations Jobs for OPT Students
Director of Financial Operations jobs on OPT require employers who can sponsor H-1B or support cap-exempt pathways, since your 12-month OPT window (29 months with STEM extension) is limited. These senior finance roles typically require CPA credentials, advanced degrees, and deep experience managing treasury, reporting, and compliance functions.
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Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Regular
End Date if Temporary:
Hours Per Week: 35
Standard Work Schedule:
Building:
Salary Range: $83,000 - $90,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Summary
Reporting to and working closely with the Associate Director of Financial Operations, the Assistant Director of Financial Operations serves as a central resource for the School’s client populations and operational units on financial policies and procedures. The scope of duties include reviewing, developing and submitting budgets into the University’s financial accounting system for client units and populations; performing budget analyses to assist in data-driven decision-making; and reconciling payroll and non-payroll expenses and submitting appropriate corrections to bring spending in line with established budgets.
Responsibilities
- Provides guidance to faculty, staff, and students by proactively managing and providing clear, timely, and University compliant solutions on a wide range of financial matters. This includes serving as a resource to concentration directors and coordinators as needed.
- Budgets, reconciles, monitors, and reports on discretionary funding allocations for approximately 75 fulltime faculty members and 8 concentrations. Anticipates and takes actions to prevent overdrafts in academic program and faculty research accounts; performs financial analyses as needed. Works closely with the Associate Director of Financial Operations on grant administration.
- As part of the HRF team, formulates annual budgets in the University’s Budget Tool (Finsys). Assists with the annual budget submission process, quarterly updates, and other regular and ad hoc financial and reporting requirements.
- Working with the SIPA HR team, prepares reports and conducts data analytics on personnel and salary metrics for SIPA's annual budget submission to the Trustees.
- Generates salary histories, reconciles disbursements against ARC, and tracks and researches expenditures against master budgets. Working closely with the SIPA HR team, prepares reports on year over year and quarterly variances and assists in preparing feedback for submission to the Office of Management and Budget.
- Collects, reviews and submits quarterly and annual budget updates from affiliated Institutes, Centers and Programs into ARC (IGP, CWP, CIEP, Picker, etc.)
- Working closely with the Associate Director of Financial Operations, distributes revenue and expense reports for review and reconciliation to SIPA cost centers, Institutes, Programs and Centers and troubleshoots related issues as they arise.
- Reviews budget requests from School units for hourly employees (casual and Federal Work Study) and temporary staffing assignments, and updates ARC chartstrings as appropriate, flagging potential overdrafts to the Associate Director of Financial Operations.
- Working with the SIPA HR unit, clears suspense and submits payroll cost transfers and salary distributions for student and temp payments on a quarterly basis or as needed for sponsored projects.
- Liaises with other SIPA and CU offices to ensure compliance with all policies and procedures.
- Manages financial records retention in accordance with University guidelines.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and or its equivalent.
- Minimum of three years of full-time related experience in financial management.
- Demonstrated ability to prepare reports, summaries, and analyses of financial and HR data.
- Highly proficient use of Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
- Highly proficient with financial and human resources management systems such as PeopleSoft and ARC or similar systems.
- Must be detail-oriented with excellent organizational, critical thinking, interpersonal, written, and oral skills, and have the ability to communicate effectively with all client populations.
- Must have good judgment and the ability to exercise initiative and discretion with highly confidential information.
- Must be able to identify priorities across multiple assignments in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, and work with diplomacy and efficiency.
- Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.
- The successful candidate will be flexible in nature with a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and cooperation across the team, School and University.
Preferred Qualifications
- Five+ years of directly related experience.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Regular
End Date if Temporary:
Hours Per Week: 35
Standard Work Schedule:
Building:
Salary Range: $83,000 - $90,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Summary
Reporting to and working closely with the Associate Director of Financial Operations, the Assistant Director of Financial Operations serves as a central resource for the School’s client populations and operational units on financial policies and procedures. The scope of duties include reviewing, developing and submitting budgets into the University’s financial accounting system for client units and populations; performing budget analyses to assist in data-driven decision-making; and reconciling payroll and non-payroll expenses and submitting appropriate corrections to bring spending in line with established budgets.
Responsibilities
- Provides guidance to faculty, staff, and students by proactively managing and providing clear, timely, and University compliant solutions on a wide range of financial matters. This includes serving as a resource to concentration directors and coordinators as needed.
- Budgets, reconciles, monitors, and reports on discretionary funding allocations for approximately 75 fulltime faculty members and 8 concentrations. Anticipates and takes actions to prevent overdrafts in academic program and faculty research accounts; performs financial analyses as needed. Works closely with the Associate Director of Financial Operations on grant administration.
- As part of the HRF team, formulates annual budgets in the University’s Budget Tool (Finsys). Assists with the annual budget submission process, quarterly updates, and other regular and ad hoc financial and reporting requirements.
- Working with the SIPA HR team, prepares reports and conducts data analytics on personnel and salary metrics for SIPA's annual budget submission to the Trustees.
- Generates salary histories, reconciles disbursements against ARC, and tracks and researches expenditures against master budgets. Working closely with the SIPA HR team, prepares reports on year over year and quarterly variances and assists in preparing feedback for submission to the Office of Management and Budget.
- Collects, reviews and submits quarterly and annual budget updates from affiliated Institutes, Centers and Programs into ARC (IGP, CWP, CIEP, Picker, etc.)
- Working closely with the Associate Director of Financial Operations, distributes revenue and expense reports for review and reconciliation to SIPA cost centers, Institutes, Programs and Centers and troubleshoots related issues as they arise.
- Reviews budget requests from School units for hourly employees (casual and Federal Work Study) and temporary staffing assignments, and updates ARC chartstrings as appropriate, flagging potential overdrafts to the Associate Director of Financial Operations.
- Working with the SIPA HR unit, clears suspense and submits payroll cost transfers and salary distributions for student and temp payments on a quarterly basis or as needed for sponsored projects.
- Liaises with other SIPA and CU offices to ensure compliance with all policies and procedures.
- Manages financial records retention in accordance with University guidelines.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and or its equivalent.
- Minimum of three years of full-time related experience in financial management.
- Demonstrated ability to prepare reports, summaries, and analyses of financial and HR data.
- Highly proficient use of Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
- Highly proficient with financial and human resources management systems such as PeopleSoft and ARC or similar systems.
- Must be detail-oriented with excellent organizational, critical thinking, interpersonal, written, and oral skills, and have the ability to communicate effectively with all client populations.
- Must have good judgment and the ability to exercise initiative and discretion with highly confidential information.
- Must be able to identify priorities across multiple assignments in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, and work with diplomacy and efficiency.
- Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.
- The successful candidate will be flexible in nature with a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and cooperation across the team, School and University.
Preferred Qualifications
- Five+ years of directly related experience.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Director Of Financial Operations
Target companies with a sponsorship track record
Search OFLC disclosure data for employers who have filed LCAs for finance director roles. Companies that have sponsored similar positions before are far more likely to sponsor again than those with no history.
Apply early if you have a STEM degree
A STEM-eligible degree in finance, economics, or a related quantitative field extends your OPT to 29 months. Starting your job search six to nine months before expiration gives you realistic runway to secure sponsorship.
Focus on large corporations and financial institutions
Enterprises with established HR and legal infrastructure sponsor most senior finance hires. Smaller firms often lack the internal resources to navigate H-1B petitions for a Director-level position effectively.
Clarify your authorization timeline upfront in applications
State your OPT status, current authorization end date, and STEM extension eligibility in your cover letter. Recruiters filling senior finance roles need to plan timelines, and ambiguity about work authorization typically ends conversations early.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as a Director of Financial Operations?
Yes. Director of Financial Operations is a specialty occupation that qualifies for both OPT work authorization and eventual H-1B sponsorship. Your F-1 OPT lets you work full-time in the role for 12 months, or up to 29 months if you hold a STEM-eligible degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related quantitative field.
What degrees qualify a Director of Financial Operations for a STEM OPT extension?
Degrees in finance, accounting, economics, mathematics, statistics, and management information systems commonly qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. The degree must appear on the official STEM Designated Degree Program List, and your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. Confirm your specific CIP code with your DSO before assuming eligibility.
How do I find Director of Financial Operations jobs that sponsor OPT or H-1B?
Migrate Mate is the recommended platform for F-1 OPT students searching for sponsorship-friendly senior finance roles. You can filter by roles open to OPT candidates and focus your applications on employers with a documented history of filing H-1B petitions for finance directors and similar positions.
Does a CPA license help with H-1B sponsorship for this role?
It significantly strengthens the petition. USCIS requires specialty occupations to demonstrate that a specific bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field is the standard minimum for entry. A CPA license reinforces the degree-to-role nexus and helps employers justify the position classification to USCIS, which can reduce the risk of an RFE.
What happens to my OPT status if my employer restructures and eliminates the Director role?
You enter a 60-day grace period from the date your employment ends. During that window, you can transfer to a new employer using your existing OPT, return to school, or begin exploring a change of status. You cannot legally work during the grace period. Notify your DSO immediately so they can update your SEVIS record accurately.
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