Division Budget Officer
Division Budget Officer
Work type: Permanent Full Time
Location: Bellingham, WA
Categories: Business and Financial Affairs
Position Title: Division Budget Officer
About the University: Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
About the Department: The division of Business and Financial Affairs support Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.
About the Position: Serves as the Business and Financial Affairs (BFA) division Budget Officer. Develops and manages all aspects of the BFA division budgets. Monitors expenditures and reports actual to budget variances on a regular basis to the BFA directors. Collaborates with BFA directors to ensure that each BFA director unit goal is understood and identifies needs for additional budget requests. Makes recommendations to BFA directors to ensure financial stability and health.
Provides analytical support for the Associate Vice President (AVP) business units, including performing complex, multi-dimensional, operational and financial analysis. Works with the AVP and AVP directors/assistant directors to develop, implement and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs). Uses operational data to report on and improve business practices.
This position reports to the AVP for BFA.
Position Responsibilities:
Develops BFA division budgets and forecasts. Monitors BFA division budget activity on an ongoing basis. Provides financial support to divisional leadership.
Tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Prepares, monitors and analyzes the BFA division operating and self-sustaining budgets. Reports budget to actual variance analysis with detailed narrative.
- Develops biennial budget requests for the BFA division. Aligns budget requests with the strategic planning process, and provides budgetary expertise to BFA directors in the development of proposals.
- Responsible for preparing and presenting standardized BFA division budget variance and fund balance reports to senior management.
- Serves as liaison between the University Budget Office, AVP unit, and BFA directors for information on budget requests and processes, allocation and expenditure control procedures, and budgetary policy changes.
- Responsible for monitoring and processing all personnel budget activity for the BFA division to ensure budget is available and appropriately allocated. This includes processing employee Personnel Action forms for new hires, promotions, transfers, and terminations.
- Monitors financial trends and develops projections for the BFA division.
- Serves on the Budget Management Advisory Council, the Budget Working Group, and other committees as needed.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Analyzes AVP business units to understand the processes and anticipated outcomes, and develops solutions to achieve optimum efficiency and effectiveness.
Tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Defines key performance metrics for AVP business units, developing concise narratives, complex reports, dashboards and other data driven information to present to the AVP and directors/assistant directors. Analyzes data for trends and compares with peer institutions. Performs business process analysis for AVP units as necessary and recommends changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Designs ad hoc financial reporting as needed.
- Assesses AVP business unit policies, procedures and tasks for completeness and accuracy and works with the Risk, Compliance and Policy Services unit to ensure that policies and processes are compliant with state and federal regulations.
- In collaboration with the AVP's Business and Financial Systems unit, reviews and evaluates the functionality of AVP business systems (including Accounts Receivable, Payments, Parking, Travel, and Marketplace) to ensure optimum efficiency as well as compliance with state/federal regulations and University policies.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree
- 5 years of budgeting experience in a complex working environment
- 5 years of financial analysis experience, including business process analysis
- Demonstrated knowledge of computerized information systems used in financial and/or accounting applications
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, prepare reports, and identify, research and resolve discrepancies
- Demonstrated ability to conduct ad hoc analysis and enhance operating efficiencies
- Demonstrated ability to effectively translate, simplify and communicate (written and verbal) information to diverse stakeholders
- Demonstrated commitment and ability to cultivate work environments that are equitable and inclusive for individuals from diverse social identities and backgrounds
- Highly self-driven, self-motivated, and the ability to work collaboratively in a professional and productive manner
- High level analytical skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master of Business Administration or equivalent degree
- 7 years of financial analysis experience
- Knowledge of higher education or public sector financial and budgeting principles/procedures
- Experience with Kaizen or Lean Six-Sigma
Salary: Commensurate with experience, includes an excellent benefits package
Application Instructions A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.
Also required is a separate statement describing your demonstrated commitment and ability to cultivate work environments that are equitable and inclusive for individuals from diverse social identities and backgrounds.
Please include the names and contact information of three professional references.
Failure to include this information will result in an incomplete application.
Closing Date Notes Position closes February 15, 2020
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity and Employment Diversity, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Equal Opportunity Office, Western Washington University, Old Main 345 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); eoo@wwu.edu
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3774 or 711 (Washington Relay).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires.
Job no: 497665
Advertised: Jan 15 2020 09:00 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close: Feb 15 2020 23:55 Pacific Standard Time