Director, Budget and Financial Planning

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $155,000 - $168,700

Position Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Budget and Analytics, the Director the Director provides operational guidance and transactional oversight for the Financial and Budget Management functions of the Columbia Climate School. The Director manages the annual budget as well as long-term forecast and model; designs and develops ad hoc financial analyses to support goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

Budget Development and Management

• Create, test, and maintain budget and other financial planning models and tools needed to accurately and efficiently forecast and record the annual and long-range administrative and financial aid forecasts. Prepare quantitative and qualitative analyses to support the budget submission and update processes.
• Enter, analyze, and reconcile approved entries in the University's budget and payroll tools. Reconcile budgets against actuals, review financial and budgetary reports, and identify key drivers for variance analyses. Prepare detailed narratives about specific areas of variances and describe budget assumptions, actual trends, and variances between fiscal years and budget iterations for senior administrators as well as central University finance offices.
• Conceptualize the design as well as the implementation of tracking sheets, templates, and process enhancements to improve efficiency and meet reporting needs. Document budget decisions. Work with administrators to improve budget and forecasting accuracy; identify ways to best use resources to support strategic goals; escalate important issues for discussion and decision-making as necessary.
• Prepare, maintain, and disseminate a standardized set of dashboards on revenues and expenses against budget for department heads and senior management. Generate reports, tables, and graphs from the University's financial data stores and other sources for the purposes of preparing budgets and reconciling actuals against budgets.
• Coordinates quarterly meetings with various CS stakeholders for budget submission reviews and year-end budget reviews.
• Work closely with the Assistant Dean of Budget and Analytics to develop assumptions about long-term planning parameters and incorporate those assumptions into financial planning documents.
• Ensure the realization of on-target financial performance through effective budget management and accounting operations.
• Provide successful and on-time month-, quarter-, and year-end closing of the budget in line with the University policies and procedures.

Financial Oversight

• Ensure compliance with all University policies and procedures and adherence to all University deadlines.
• Provide financial reporting and analysis, ensuring that the CS departments receive the data needed for their financial management on a monthly, quarterly and year-end basis.
• Escalate complex financial transaction issues to appropriate University financial offices to resolve policy issues as needed.
• Review and ensure consistency for all aspects of the CS chart of accounts structure; create chart fields as needed for CS departments, ensuring the integrity of all attributes.

Compliance and Other Duties:

• Review all CS-funded programs, make recommendations, and implement new programs and policies as needed.
• Ensure appropriate controls and compliance for all financial transactions under their purview.
• Make recommendations for internal control protocols, financial and administrative procedures, and process improvements for CS departments.
• Ensure effective communication of existing University financial policies to all CS departments, as well as changes to those policies, to make sure that all compliance requirements are being met.
• Collaborate with central administrative and academic offices across the University to make sure that the needs of CS are addressed and satisfied with respect to the increasing complexity of processes, technologies, and policies.
• Create training materials and improve support. Collaborate with central University financial offices to design training sessions that are specific to the operations of CS. Provide one-on-one training to staff as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervision

• Supervise Financial Analysts to ensure the successful implementation of service with well-trained staff providing high-level "customer-oriented" service; standard reporting, and proactive portfolio management.
• With the Assistant Dean of Budget and Analytics, establish standardized, automated reports for team leaders to manage their overall financial portfolio proactively;
• With the Assistant Dean of Budget and Analytics, develop standard operating procedures to ensure all transactions are completed accurately and in a timely fashion

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of seven years of related experience required.
• Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Excel including complex formulas and macros.
• Excellent oral, written, organizational, and interpersonal skills required, with the ability to handle confidential information with exceptional judgment and discretion necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years working with Senior leaders.
• Familiarity with Columbia Systems including ARC, FDS, PAC, and Concur.
• Accuracy, thoroughness, and attention to detail are essential.
• Must be able to identify priorities within multiple assignments in a high-pressure, short-deadline environment, and able to work with diplomacy and efficiency in such an environment.
• Must be a team player and able to effectively interact with all levels of faculty, staff, and stakeholders.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.