DIVISION BUDGET OFFICER

Company: Western Washington University
Location: Bellingham
Posted on: February 3, 2020

Job Description:

DIVISION BUDGET OFFICER
Work type: Permanent Full TimeLocation: Bellingham, WACategories: 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.
        
        
        
        
        
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Keywords: Western Washington University, Bellingham , DIVISION BUDGET OFFICER, Accounting, Auditing , Bellingham, Washington