Description

SUMMARY
This position oversees the institution’s financial planning and analysis (FP&A) functions, serving as both a strategic partner to executive leadership and a hands-on financial practitioner. This role stewards the university’s operating and capital budgets, guides resource allocation to support mission-aligned priorities, and delivers forward-looking analyses that inform decision-making across academic and administrative units. This is a hands-on role that designs and drives CIIS’s financial planning framework; leads annual and multi-year budgeting; develops operating and capital forecasts; builds and refines Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); and delivers succinct, actionable analyses that enable data-driven decisions aligned to CIIS priorities. This Senior Manager also fosters financial literacy, accountability, and technology adoption throughout the organization. There will be direct supervisory responsibility over other personnel.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting
Lead the annual budget cycle and monthly/quarterly reforecasting; ensure alignment of unit plans with institutional goals.

Gather, validate, and consolidate budgetary and resource requirements; prepare trended requirements and multi-year operating forecasts (sources/uses, contribution margin, headcount, and salary modeling).

Create, maintain, and publish KPIs, metrics, and benchmarks across entities, programs, and departments; develop dashboards for executive and Board reporting.

Produce clear budget vs. actual variance analyses (monthly/quarterly/annual) with drivers, insights, and recommendations.

Strategic Analysis & Decision Support
Perform complex modeling and scenario analysis (tuition/revenue, enrollment sensitivity, program P&Ls, pricing, grants/gifts/endowments, user fees, and capital projects).

Exceptional analytical skills with demonstrated ability to interpret complex data, identify trends, and present insights through clear, well-designed charts, dashboards, and visual reports.

Write business plans and financial cases for strategic initiatives; quantify ROI and risk; recommend allocation approaches.

Provide concise executive briefings and “one-page” decision memos; facilitate tough, data-grounded discussions.

Partnering, Training & Governance
Serve as primary financial partner to budget managers: proactive outreach, office hours, and responsive support.

Design and deliver training on forecasting, reports, and enterprise systems to strengthen financial literacy.

Draft and socialize budget/financial policies, practices, and controls; advise on implications of proposed policies.

Reporting & Board Support
Prepare accurate management reports for leadership and as needed for the Board of Trustees and committees.

Create analytical studies and background materials on campus-wide resource topics and permanent budget management.

Data, Systems & Process Improvement
Improve financial data flows and reporting processes; champion automation and integration between enterprise systems for centralized, reliable data.

Define critical data elements, institute quality checks/audits, and maintain historical and consolidated datasets.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain compliance with policies and procedures.

Maintain compliance with all state and federal laws and regulatory requirements.

Engage in and with the CIIS Community events, programs, and other activities as available and appropriate (if remote, participate in virtual hosted activities).

Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, business, or related field (or equivalent experience).

7–10+ years of progressively responsible experience in financial planning & analysis, budgeting, and/or strategic finance (higher education or mission-driven nonprofit experience a plus).

Demonstrated experience leading organization-wide budget cycles and developing multi-year forecasts and KPIs.

Alternate pathway: Candidates with 10+ years (or 15+ years without a bachelor’s) of directly related experience in strategic planning/financial analysis/accounting will be considered.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MSF) and/or professional certification (e.g., CPA, CMA) preferred.

Expertise with Higher Education Enterprise Systems, such as Ellucian Colleague and Syntellis Axiom (or comparable ERP/EPM suites).

Advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Proven ability to communicate complex, technical information to non-finance audiences; excellent writing and presentation skills.

Ability to respectfully challenge the status quo, influence senior leaders, facilitate candid debate, and drive consensus.

Strong organizational skills; ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment; high attention to detail.

Experience designing financial training and job aids for budget managers.