
Under the general direction of the CLA Director of Finance and Budget, the incumbent independently administers and analyzes college-wide travel, procure-to-pay, and Concur ProCard operations for the College of Liberal Arts. This position is responsible for interpreting and applying complex CSU, university and auxiliary policies; evaluating operational and financial processes; developing and implementing procedural improvements; monitoring compliance and fiscal activity; conducting analysis and reporting; and serving as a primary resource to departments regarding travel and procurement operations. The incumbent exercises judgment in resolving operational and procedural issues, identifying compliance risks, recommending process improvements, and supporting effective fiscal administration across the college. This position also collaborates with campus partners and provides guidance and training to faculty and staff regarding financial operations, purchasing procedures, and travel administration systems. The incumbent must be technologically proficient, have strong writing skills and be able to work well independently.
Department Summary
The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) consists of 17 academic departments and programs, with approximately 350 faculty and 70 staff, serving 3,700 students in 19 undergraduate majors and 4 graduate programs, and over 30 minors. The CLA includes disciplines that represent five broad areas of knowledge: the fine and performing arts, communications, the humanities, the social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. In addition to offering courses for its own majors, CLA offers a significant proportion of courses in general education, as well as courses that support minors and serve as electives for all majors throughout the university. The CLA is also home to the foundational disciplines that form the scholarly bases for cultural awareness, knowledge and skills, making the college’s commitment to inclusive excellence central to the college's curriculum and identity. Further, the CLA plays a significant role in providing activities that enhance the cultural and intellectual environment of the campus, including exhibits and performances offered by our academic departments (e.g., Art, Music, Theatre & Dance) and Cal Poly Arts, cultural programs and lecture series offered by all of our departments, and co-curricular programs such as Mustang Media, Debate, and Model UN. The college's degree program offerings combined with its general education offerings comprise approximately 30% of the university’s instruction. The College is also the home of Cal Poly Arts and Spanos Theatre.
Key Qualifications
Strong ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures independently and use sound judgment and discretion to act when precedents do not exist.
Ability to use tact and diplomacy to effectively handle a broad range of high level and sensitive interpersonal situations with diverse personalities, and to respond appropriately to conflicts and problems.
Excellent communication skills: ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to address a wide range of problems which requires interpreting policies and procedures and using ingenuity to put information together in new ways. Ability to use reasoning and judgment to develop practical, thorough, and creative solutions.
Education and Experience
Salary and Benefits
Anticipated Hiring Range: $63,588 - $75,996 per year
Classification Range: $57,588 - $83,904 per year
Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).
Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information.
Cal Poly
Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu
Please watch the video linked here to learn more about the CSU system.
Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment
This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.
Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.
Supplemental Information
Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
Cal Poly is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.
Positions are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days.

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students.
Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly.
The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU.
Learn more at https://www.calstate.edu/