Director Of Budget & Analytics

About ACU

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All applicants must be professing Christians and willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of Abilene Christian University while employed by the university.

Title of Position Director of Budget & Analytics Posting Location Abilene Department Finance Employee Class Exempt Full-time Basic Responsibilities

• Strategic Budget Oversight: Spearhead the development and management of Budgets for current and future university spending.
• Financial Stewardship Analysis: Examine critical areas with the most significant impact on financial stewardship.
• Resource Allocation Models: Craft adaptive and sustainable models for resource distribution.
• Strategic Decision Insights: Offer strategic insights crucial for informed decision-making.
• Risk Mitigation Strategies: Identify key risk areas and design strategies for mitigation.
• Team Leadership: Lead the financial analyst team, offering budget and analysis support to various departments.
• Process Enhancement: Collaborate with campus members to refine budgetary processes.
• Reporting Excellence: Deliver forecasts and insights to drive areas for improvement.
• Optimization and Efficiency: Enhance workflow efficiency through analysis tools, training, and performance enhancements.
• Accuracy and Timeliness Assurance: Ensure all budgetary functions are carried out with utmost completeness, accuracy, and timely execution while evaluating for improvement to processes and policies.

Essential Duties

• Budgeting and Forecasting: Lead the development of the annual budgeting process, collaborating with departments and stakeholders to create a comprehensive budget aligned with the university's strategic goals. Manage the process to solicit and review current and projected needs of all academic/administrative units; evaluate defined priorities to clarify/reconcile programmatic objectives and scope for institution alignment with executive leadership and unit administrators; monitor, update, and communicate adjustments to the budget as needed during the course of the annual cycle. Develop rolling forecasts and analyze budget variances to provide insights for informed decision-making.
• Financial Analysis: Conduct thorough financial analysis, including ROI assessments, cost analysis, and program contribution margins. Present findings to senior leadership, offering strategic recommendations based on data-driven insights.
• Financial Modeling: Develop and maintain advanced financial models to project the university's financial performance under different scenarios. Use these models to inform strategic planning, support priority initiatives, and assess the impact of changing major assumptions on the ability to maintain financial strength and flexibility.
• Data Analysis: Utilize data analytics and financial tools to extract meaningful insights from financial data. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards to monitor the university's budgetary spending and performance.
• Risk Management: Identify financial risks to the budget and work collaboratively with the leadership team to develop proactive risk mitigation strategies. Continuously assess internal financial controls, processes, and policies to uphold ethical and responsible financial management.
• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor a team of financial analysts, fostering their professional growth, and relationships with university departments, thereby ensuring the department's success in supporting the university's financial objectives.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with university departments, including academic affairs, student services, advancement, administrative offices, facilities, enrollment, and IT to gather data and insights that inform financial analysis, planning, and decision-making.
• Reporting: Prepare and deliver regular financial reports to the Chief Financial Officer and university leadership, emphasizing key insights, financial performance, and areas for improvement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Professional Development Requirements

Training:

• Continued professional development through higher education associations offerings on relevant topics
• Networking opportunities with other institutions
• Continuous evaluation of industry best practices through current reading

Qualifications

Professional:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field (Master's degree preferred).
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in financial planning and analysis, with 3 years in leadership.
• Strong expertise in financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.
• In-depth knowledge of accounting principles, financial analysis, and data-driven decision-making.
• Proficiency in financial tools, including Excel, ERP systems, and data visualization software.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex financial information to diverse stakeholders, as well as strong organizational and management abilities.

Personal:

• Strong level of personal integrity
• Ability to meet deadlines with accuracy and efficiency
• Ability to work effectively with school administrators, faculty, students, and staff as well as university administrators at various levels
• Ability to handle multiple projects, set priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain a high level of performance in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality

Physical Demands

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer terminal
• Viewing computer screens for long periods of time
• Possible travel to other buildings on the campus, other system campuses, conferences and training sessions at in- or out-of-state locations.

Additional Information

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions.