Director, Finance, Budget and Procurement

Department

UCPE Administration & Operations

About the Department

Innovative, career-driven learning experiences define University of Chicago Professional. In our commitment to spread the University's knowledge as broadly as possible, we offer impactful and flexible programs and courses that introduce individual and corporate audiences to up-to-the-minute research, the latest standards in their field, a new professional network, and the University of Chicago's rich intellectual community. Our instructors, seasoned professionals all, deliver unparalleled expertise drawn from years of industry experience. We give our students the tools to succeed in our fast-moving, interconnected world and achieve a competitive edge at any stage of their careers.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Senior Director of Administration and Operations, the Director of Finance, Budget and Procurement will lead and manage the operating budget, financial planning and analysis, and procurement for UChicago Professional, its revenue- and non-revenue generating departments, and other University-wide programs the unit supports. This role requires hands-on ownership of the unit’s full financial operation, balancing day-to-day financial processing with higher-level strategic budgeting and analysis. The Director serves as a subject-matter expert to UChicago Professional and its supporting units, and as the primary liaison to the University Budget Office, Procurement and Payment Services, and the Financial Services unit employees.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a source of staff support for the programs and sub-units, performs complex evaluations, and resolves difficult problems in these areas.
• Provides financial input based on the development of data collection, metrics, reports, and other analytical applications.
• Understands available data sources and uses that information for creating clear and concise presentations to leadership.
• Supports initiatives to optimize resource utilization to achieve unit strategic objectives and manage all aspects of the unit’s financial operations, including accounting, financial analysis and reporting, budgeting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, procurement, and financial controls.
• Creates financial management models for establishing financial analytics and forecasts. Responsible for regular, internal financial reporting to unit and University leadership.
• Develops financial projections, including long-range planning models and corresponding methods for tracking critical operating metrics.
• Operates with an entrepreneurial mindset, building, refining, and iterating financial models, processes, and reporting structures as the unit’s portfolio evolves.
• Organizes and oversees budgeting systems and procedures for researching, compiling, monitoring, and analyzing the unit’s monthly budget-to-actual status.
• In collaboration with unit leadership, sets budgetary priorities.
• Supports the development of fiscal policies, financial plans, procedures, and controls for the unit.
• Reviews, evaluates, and advises the unit on multi-year program financial plans, program objectives, level of program activities, resource requirements, and program effectiveness.
• Recommends strategies proactively to address issues or problems with financial results and ensure balanced operations; provide financial reports with supporting data and analyses of specific issues.
• Identifies and explains variances and suggests revenue enhancements and cost containment measures. Employs methodology for ongoing reporting, analysis, and updates of budget variances.
• Provides financial input based on the development of data collection, metrics, reports, and other analytical applications.
• Conducts quantitative and qualitative analyses to monitor and manage for expense optimization by identifying market drivers, enhancing strategies, or improving revenue generation.
• Helps develop budget models for new programs and provides recommendations to unit leadership.
• Manages and interprets reports and data to recommend revenue, budget, or similar unit financial strategies.
• Works with unit leadership to recommend long- and short-term plans to achieve financial goals, business strategies/objectives, and financial forecasts/models for the unit and all degree and non-degree programs, as well as unit initiatives.
• Analyzes and models academic program financial data, including historical vs. current enrollment data, program costs, and other academic program variables, to determine program break-even benchmarks and profitability goals.
• Manages annual budgeting and planning process on behalf of unit leadership; administers and reviews all financial plans and budgets; monitors progress and changes; and keeps