Assistant/Associate Vice President for Financial Planning

Finance Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Reporting to the Vice President for Finance & Administration (VPFA), the Assistant/Associate Vice President for Financial Planning (APFP) is a senior financial leader and the college’s lead strategic financial analyst. In partnership with the VPFA, the AVPFP helps to set the financial course of the college and implement that approach with senior leadership and the campus community. Responsible for the development and control of the college’s operating budget and multi-year financial plan, and for advising department heads, planning committees, and senior staff on budget issues. Partners with senior leadership on developing resource allocation plans that support the college’s strategic and operational priorities.

The AVPFP must be able to communicate effectively with the campus community about the financial affairs of the college. Externally, the position is responsible for supporting relationships with financial institutions, rating agencies and peer institutions. The ideal candidate must be well versed in industry trends and other economic activity that may impact the college and remain current with compliance regulations impacting college finances, laws, accounting standards and tax requirements.

Smith recently implemented Workday as it financial system of record and has plans to implement additional Workday tools to further support budget and financial planning. The AVPFP will play a leadership role in leveraging Workday to the fullest extend possible.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Planning & Analysis:

• Act as the college’s lead strategic financial and business analyst, analyzing and reporting key financial trends.
  
  
• Develop and implement frameworks for analyzing the college’s financial position in both absolute terms and in relation to the higher education industry.
  
  
• Create analytical approaches for financial analysis, forecasting, planning, and reporting.
  
  
• Manage tools to guide the college’s multi-year financial projections.
  
  
• Develop and maintain models and tools for projecting key balance sheet and operating line items, including the endowment, debt, net student income, gifts, compensation and depreciation
  
  
• In partnership with the Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations, provide multi-year capital projections and analyze trends that may affect capital investment
  
  
• Provide analytic support to debt issuances and credit rating process.
  
  

Budgets and Management Reporting:

• Lead the budget team to advise and educate department heads, planning groups, and senior staff on budget, financial, and staffing issues
  
  
• Identify and provide information for planning and decision-making; and recommend budget and staffing allocations, policies, and strategy
  
  
• Coordinate budget planning activities among operating units and senior staff
  
  
• Manage the development of the schedule and materials for preparation of the budget
  
  
• Advise and assist department heads in preparing budget requests
  
  
• Analyze departmental budget needs and trends and recommend allocations within and among departments
  
  
• Prepare the college’s operating and capital budgets for presentation to the Board of Trustees.
  
  
• Monitor budget performance, and analyze and report variances
  
  
• Advise department heads and senior leadership on corrective action and spending controls
  
  
• Manage the college’s budget reporting infrastructure
  
  
• Assist in the preparation of the annual financial report.
  
  

Management and Leadership:

• Manage the financial planning and analysis team and create structures to coordinate budget managers across the college
  
  
• Lead and staff institutional working groups and committee on key strategic and operational topics
  
  
• Convene groups to address key financial topics
  
  

Other duties:

The position may from periodically have responsibility for other business and finance operations and processes, including but not limited to:

• Enterprise Risk Management
  
  
• Debt and treasury services
  
  
• Compliance oversight
  
  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred. Minimum of 7 to 10 years of budget and financial management experience denoting increasing complexity and supervision; and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in higher education is a plus.

Skills: Demonstrated strong administrative and analytical skills combined with excellent verbal and written communication abilities. Exemplary interpersonal skills including the ability to interact effectively with people of all backgrounds. Experience working with complex budget and financial systems.

Please attach BOTH a current resume and a cover letter in order for your application to be considered for this position . You may combine your resume and cover letter into a single file or attach multiple files to your application, but BE SURE you have provided all attachments BEFORE SUBMITTING your application. You will NOT be able to attach additional files after you have hit the Submit button.

Review of applications will begin

June 28, 2021

Compensation Grade:

Grade B

Position Type:

Regular

About Smith College

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.

Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.