The Office of Finance at Oberlin College and Conservatory seeks applications for the position of Director of Budget and Financial Planning is a full-time, continuing 12-month Administrative and Professional Staff (A&PS) that reports to the Associate Vice President for Finance.

The Director of Budget and Financial Planning has primary responsibilities that include developing, organizing and performing budget activities, data extraction and analysis, and internal and external reporting duties; ensuring compliance with budgeting processes and procedures; and implementing financial forecasting and modeling techniques.

• Oversee all aspects of the preparation, communication, maintenance and analysis of the College’s annual operating budget. Identify opportunities to eliminate redundancies and create efficiencies ensuring College resources are focused on the strategic goals set by senior leadership.
• Align the budget request process with the College’s strategic planning process and provide expertise and assistance College-wide. Develop budgetary policies and guidelines to meet the College’s short and long-term financial goals.
• Ensure compliance with current budget and spending policies, and propose improved policies and systems regarding spending guidelines, cost savings, cost allocation and annual planning.
• Provide leadership to divisional budget managers in the development and implementation of the College’s annual operating budget.
• In collaboration with CIT, work to streamline internal financial reports and reporting processes to deliver efficient, effective and useful reports and analysis.
• Evaluate and improve budget monitoring and control strategies, including the maintenance and accuracy of budget data and the analysis of budget versus actual results.
• Monitor and analyze performance against budget for overall operating budget and key metric indicators and provide necessary variance reporting. Model impacts and communicate to the College’s senior management team.
• Prepare annual College-wide budget allocation correspondence that includes analyses of impactful issues relevant to each division or department. Provide timely response to all requests for information.
• Evaluate and recommend budget development procedures and staff training that provides for efficiency and effectiveness of overall budgeting and financial management processes at all levels of the College.
• Provide the College’s senior management team and the Board of Trustees with forecasts of the College’s financial performance, updates of key metric indicators and scenario planning.
• Assist as required with feasibility studies, process improvement/re-engineering analyses, benchmarking, strategic planning development and evaluation of key performance indicators and executive management strategic objectives.
• Assist in the preparation of management reports for senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
• Develop and use complex systems, databases, and report writing queries to extract, analyze, summarize, and report data.
• Develop and refine financial forecasts and budget and long-range planning models for key budget drivers (including, but not limited to, enrollment and other revenue categories, endowment spending, interest and depreciation expense).
• Conduct analyses of the College’s budget allocations. Analyze drivers, trends, and make policy recommendations based on the analysis of the data.
• Continuously develop planning and leadership skills as well as accounting and other industry related proficiencies through targeted Continuing Professional Education.
• Identify and capitalize on opportunities to cross train finance and accounting personnel and ensure documentation of process and procedures are updated on a regular basis. Ensure staff time is spent on value added functions and technology is utilized to capacity, reducing redundancies and improving internal controls.
• Monitor employee position and salary information in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources; recommend process improvements.
• In conjunction with the Controller’s Office monitor actual monthly activity against budget (i.e. payroll, cost allocations, etc.) and recommend process improvements as necessary.
• Respond to ad hoc requests for financial information.
• Provide financial data and reports to external agencies and organizations as necessary and assist with external survey requests.
• Ensure budgeting and financial planning and reporting conform to industry standards.
• Work independently, under broad organizational guidelines, to provide analytical support and manage departmental requests for information.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or other relevant field.
• Five or more year of related financial experience in a similarly complex organization.
• Expertise with Microsoft Excel
• Familiarity with higher education policies, practices, and financial trends.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred

Desired: 

• Ability to work as an exemplary team member.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret various accounting standards / publications, financial reports, and legal documents.
• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from college stakeholders. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and detail-oriented.
• Ability to handle stressful situations and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural environment.