Budget Director

If you have any questions about the position or our application process, reach out to us at recruiting-u@smith.edu.

Finance

Job Description

Job Summary

Responsible for the administration and oversight of the college’s operating budget, supporting the AVP for Finance in development of a multi-year budget plan, advising department heads, planning committees, and senior staff on budget issues. Oversee a team of professional budget staff.

Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Essential Functions

Advise and educate department heads, planning groups, and senior staff on budget, financial, and staffing issues; identify and provide information for planning and decision-making; analyze and report financial trends; and recommend budget and staffing allocations, policies, and strategy.  Communicate complex financial data in a way that is easily understood to create a common, shared understanding.

Create analytical approaches for financial analysis, forecasting, planning, and reporting. Partner with the Controller’s Office to align budget analysis with financial reporting.  Ensure a planning environment that focuses on continuous process improvement and proper documentation.

Coordinate budget planning activities among operating units and senior staff; develop the schedule and materials for preparation of the budget; advise and assist department heads in preparing budget requests; analyze departmental budget needs and trends; recommend allocations within and among departments; and prepare the college operating budget for presentation to the Board of Trustees.

Monitor budget performance; analyze and report variances; advise department heads and senior administrators on corrective action and spending controls; prepare periodic performance reports for department heads, senior staff, and the Board of Trustees; evaluate and make recommendations on requests for budget transfers and revisions; and maintain current line-item budgets in the financial accounting system.

Review and make recommendations on requests to fill, modify, or create positions; analyze and prepare reports on historical trends in staffing; and maintain current position authorizations and salary budgets within human resource/payroll systems.

Propose and draft budget and financial policies; design, implement, and maintain budget information systems, budget revision procedures, and budget control systems; maintain compatibility between the budget and accounting systems; and assist in the preparation of the annual financial report.

Plan and implement procedure and systems enhancements.

Other Functions

Periodically support compiling key financial data to support preparation of the Moody's, NECHE, NACUBO, and other surveys.

Support new projects and key financial initiatives as necessary

All employees are expected to participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses)

Bachelor's degree required.  Minimum of 5-8 years of budget and financial management experience denoting increasing complexity and supervision; and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience.  Experience in higher education is a plus.  Experience leading a team and managing staff is necessary.  Advanced Microsoft Excel including pivot tables, complex formulas, and financial modeling is a requirement.  A clear advancing career path in core financial planning and budget functions is essential.

Advanced level expertise with Microsoft suite of products to include MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Experience managing and participating on cross-functional teams with individuals from diverse backgrounds is necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree preferred.  Experience with Workday and/or Adaptive preferred.  Experience either leading or participating in the implementation of financial planning or budgeting software is strongly preferred

Skills

Demonstrated financial technical skills include budget development, forecasting, financial modeling, and complex analysis.  Exemplary interpersonal skills with a service mindset and community focus is necessary, including excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with people of diverse backgrounds.  Experience working with complex budget and financial systems is a requirement.  The ability to be nimble and work i