Top Merchandise Planning and Allocation Executive jobs in Chicopee, MA

Supervisor: Senior Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services

Status: Full Time

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Exempt (Yes/No): Yes

Job Summary:

The Executive Director of Budget and Financial Planning will support the financial management of the university including short and long-term planning and resource allocation decisions. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and providing strategic, high-value, integrated budgeting, financial reporting, and financial management services across the university. The Executive Director will provide support to the university community by leading the budget development and budget monitoring phases of the comprehensive planning and budgeting cycle and for providing expertise and input into multi-year forecasting, performance management, risk assessment and institutional effectiveness. This position will also play a key role in the financial integration of Cambridge College during the federal two-step process and beyond.

The Executive Director will provide effective leadership and direction across a wide range of financial functions and will work across the university providing expertise, guidance, and training regarding financial management-related issues. The incumbent will independently conduct research and analysis, identifying and implementing best practices in higher education financial management, long-term growth and financial stability plans, financial reporting, and continuous improvement and will effectively communicate recommendations to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

The Executive Director is responsible for the oversight, development and monitoring of the annual revenue and expense budgets, preparing reports, presentations, and financial studies of key variables in the University's financial model, along with providing training, the execution of strategic plans, and enhancing budget and position management reporting applications.

Essential Responsibilities:
Support management in planning, allocation of resources, and formulation of processes regarding the financial management of the University. Provide leadership and vision with the use of information, data, and research in planning and decision making. Develop and recommend strategies based on emerging industry trends, expansion opportunities, and competitive threats. Work in a collaborative manner with other Finance Department staff and other university personnel to present and interpret financial, human resources, and student related data. Collaborate with the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness on key forecasting and statistical analyses including student enrollment, student credit hours, academic program modeling, and tuition and fees revenue generating models.

Provide oversight and support of the University's operating, and capital, budgets, revenue generation, budget development and expenditure activities, preparation of projections, timely forecasts, and future year scenarios. Lead the university's annual budget development process. Identify major areas of concern and make recommendations to alleviate any unfavorable outlook. Monitor, review and revise the operating budget working with cost center directors and management to align with the strategic plan. Provide timely reporting and analysis to support decision making, including design and implementation of monthly budget reports.

Plan, facilitate, and execute projects and initiatives within a highly collaborative, shared-governance environment; serve as a key contributor in teams and work groups across the campus, providing financial and administrative policy expertise and occasionally be called upon to lead special project initiatives. Provide support and respond to inquiries concerning the budget and related activity. Identify and provide closure on financial issues, system and process issues, and reporting needs in collaboration with the university controller. Ongoing review of standard key performance indicators and comprehensive analyses as needed.

Oversee position control management and related budget process management in coordination with Human Resources, the Finance Department, and cost center directors.

Assist the senior vice president for finance and administration in preparing Board of Trustees presentations related to budgetary matters, and tuition and fees.

Other Responsibilities:

• Ensure data integrity and compliance including internal controls, internal /external audit requests in coordination with the controller.
• Maintain the budget and financial planning documentation and university coordination of reporting requirements.
• Lead direction and training for university staff on budget process, systems, and data management.
• Assume responsibilities for special projects as assigned.

Competencies:

• Familiarity with the university's mission, strategic goals, and compliance requirements.
• Exceptional critical thinking, deductive and inductive reasoning skills. Creative thinker who proposes innovative ways to look at problems using data mining, analysis and ability to conceptualize, document, and communicate complex data processes and technical concepts to all levels of colleagues.
• Strong positive interpersonal skills. Ability to work collaboratively, build effective working relationships, work effectively with university leadership and faculty, and be a team-oriented leader.
• Strong quantitative, analytical, and reporting skills required including an understanding of how the budget, human resources, financial, and accounting data correlate and identify potential cause-effect relationships.
• Demonstrated supervisory and change management leadership experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite with advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

REQUIRED AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education and Experience:

• Master's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or related field; or a Certified Public Accountant.
• Minimum of five years progressive professional responsibility in management and financial administration.
• Understanding of organizational budget, financial planning, and operational reporting related issues.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, and aptitude for databases, data retrieval / analysis and reporting.
• Highly motivated with ability to prioritize. Ability to complete multiple tasks and high volume of work in a timely manner and on deadline. Adaptable to process, policy, and other changes as part of a dynamic environment.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Five years progressive work experience in higher education.
• Possess a strong enthusiasm to progressively learn about higher education and respective regulations.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Bay Path University is a diverse community devoted to proactively nurturing a campus-wide culture that promotes and ensures equity, respect, inclusion and safety for all members regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic background, or physical ability. We are one University that opens our hearts and minds to conversations, to learning and to creating a community that is welcoming of all. Regardless of position, it is expected that each employee will embrace this commitment and demonstrate an attitude of respect toward and acceptance of all members of our community.