Position Title: Director of Financial Planning and Analysis

Department: Finance

Line of Report: The Director of Financial Planning and Analysis will report to the Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Salary: $125,000 - $150,000

Under the direction of the Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis is a proactive, data-informed professional who works closely with the University ’s senior leadership and the Board of Trustees, as well as with departmental managers and colleagues across the institution, to prudently support the collaborative goals of the University. The University ’s annual operating and capital budgets are designed and intended to be the financial manifestation of the University ’s mission and its strategic priorities.

The Director is responsible for the budget and planning process, including but not limited to the preparation, administration, data and financial analysis, and maintenance of the University ’s budget throughout all stages. The Director is involved in recommending and implementing approved policies, procedures, tools, models, and systems to help coordinate, plan, and report on the budget and planning activities of the University. Throughout this work, the Director reviews, prepares, and has access to confidential, sensitive, and proprietary information and, therefore, must display exceptional discretion.

A principal role of the Director is to help develop and coordinate the alignment of the annual operating and capital budgets with the University ’s mission and strategic objectives. To this end, the Director leads a budgeting process, helping to confirm the availability and sufficiency of resources to achieve the University ’s goals.

This is an in-person, on-campus, non-remote position.

Primary Responsibilities

The Director’s principal responsibilities include:

• Implement and oversee an efficient and effective annual budget and planning process, including working with many colleagues across the University related to their budget submissions

• Monitor results compared to approved operating and capital budgets and analyze variances

• Perform high-quality quarterly (and periodic) budget and variance reports

• Perform long-term modeling and sensitivity analyses

• Work in close coordination with University leadership and Human Resources, managing the University ’s position control functions

In addition to the principal charges referenced above, the items below may be typical functions and activities undertaken or overseen by the Director:

• Communicate frequently with senior staff members and departmental managers in support of budgeting questions and alignment of financial resources

• Strengthen the University ’s budgeting and financial planning and support strategic decision-making by developing a comprehensive understanding of the financial complexities and competing needs of the organization and developing useful and robust analyses and long-term financial models to inform discussions of critical issues

• Work closely with the Office of Human Resources to ensure budget alignment and support for workforce recruitment and development

• Perform financial analyses in key operating revenue and expense areas to identify key drivers, trends, benchmarks, risks and opportunities, and recommends appropriate actions

• Work with senior leaders to provide budgetary and analytic support to optimize the deployment of resources. Proactively works with department leaders to improve financial outcomes

• Work closely with the Provost’s office to support development and management of the budget for academic programs, including faculty staffing, departmental budgets, and support for institutes and centers. Provides support to the Provost’s office in determining optimal funding sources for academic program priorities and maximizing the use of endowed funds

• Perform financial modeling and financial analysis for new and ongoing initiatives, ensuring consistent integration of key budgetary and financial information to support institutional goals

• Develop and maintain budget models and tools to administer the current year budget, multi-year budget and dashboard sensitivity analyses

• Maintain multiple informational data sets related to the annual budget preparation and analysis of University financial operations and positioning

• Review and approve compensation for all requested new positions, replacement positions, revised positions, and proposed departmental restructuring

• Provide analytical support related to salaries and benefits adjustments and scenarios, in partnership with Human Resources

• Prepare detailed fiscal year-end budgetary reporting on the annual operating and capital budget results

• Integrate key budgetary and financial information from internal and external sources and identify trends, opportunities, and risks that will inform the budgeting and financial planning process

• Support the work of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees, preparing materials in a timely fashion

• Analyze restricted and endowed funds and ensure use of such funds has been incorporated into the annual budgets

• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree

• Five (5) years of experience in budgeting or finance with at least five (3) years spent in higher education

Professional Competencies:

• Budgeting expertise in a non-profit and collaborative setting

• An unwavering commitment to compliance matters, ethical standards, and integrity

• Experience with endowment-supported institutions and with research, restricted, and grant funding mechanics for universities

• Management experience and a capacity to mentor and lead team members and colleagues

• A receptiveness and willingness to consider and engage in feedback and suggestions from all constituents on campus

• A client service focus and mindset

• Ability to solve problems proactively, creatively, and innovatively

• A nimbleness and agility to efficiently manage external forces and internal considerations

• A commitment to transparency

• Exceptional analytical capacity and quantitative skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in the fields of accounting, economics, finance, or management; or a Masters of Business Administration or similar graduate degree

• Experience with University finance and budgeting

• Knowledge of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and accounting principles and practices for universities

• A solid knowledge of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and sophisticated budgeting tools; a working familiarity with Ellucian’s Banner v9 is beneficial

• Experience in a leadership role as the principal budgeting and planning administrator for an institution, school, or University

• Effective written, verbal, communication, presentation, and organizational skills

• Business savvy and superior negotiating skills

• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, specifically advanced Excel

Founded in 1853, Manhattan University is an independent Catholic Lasallian institution located in Riverdale, NY that embraces students of all faiths, cultures, and traditions. The mission of the University is to provide a dynamic student-centered educational experience that prepares graduates for lives of personal development, professional success, civic engagement, and service to their fellow human beings. We expect our faculty, administration, and staff to be knowledgeable about our mission and to make a positive contribution to the mission.

Manhattan University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, marital status, partnership status, pregnancy, caregiver status, domestic violence victim status, gender identity or expression, arrest or conviction record, criminal history, credit history, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, unemployment status and salary history. Manhattan University values and celebrates diversity and is committed to providing an inclusive environment for all employees. All interested, qualified persons are encouraged to apply.