Budget Officer/Management Consultant
BUDGET OFFICER/MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
Work type: Permanent Full Time
Location: Bellingham, WA
Categories: Business and Financial Affairs
Position Title: Budget Officer/Management Consultant
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 83,000 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 supports 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
Job Summary
Serves as the Budget Officer for the Business and Financial Affairs (BFA) division and Management Consultant for the Associate Vice President (AVP) unit. Provides support with budget preparation, budget management, budget planning, expenditure monitoring, and makes recommendations to assure financial stability and health. Provides complex, multi-dimensional, operational and financial analysis for the AVP business units. Works with the AVP, directors, and assistant directors in developing and implementing key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational data to report on and improve management and business practices, as well as organizational design. This position reports to the Associate Vice President for BFA.
Budget Officer Responsibilities
Develop budget forecasts and monitor and review budget activity on an ongoing basis. Provide financial support to divisional leadership as needed.
Tasks include:
- Provide leadership in the development of the BFA division biennial budget request, including aligning the budget request process with the strategic planning process, and providing budgetary expertise and assistance to divisions in the development of proposals.
- Oversee the preparation, communication, maintenance, analysis and oversight of the BFA division annual operating and self-sustaining budgets.
- Serve as an active communication liaison between the Budget Office, AVP, and directors for information on budget requests and operating budget processes, allocation and expenditure control procedures, and budgetary policy changes.
- Monitor, process and maintain personnel budget activity and information for the division, including processing all employee personnel action forms for hiring, promotions, transfers, and terminations.
- Oversee and analyze the divisional state and self-sustaining budgets including one-time requests and salary savings.
- Prepare reports and provide information for review and approval. Prepare budget reports as requested by divisional leadership to assist with fund balance and budget variance analysis; monitor financial trends and develop projections; develop long-term planning documents; and prioritize the use of limited resources.
- Maintain and update BFA division budget activity calendar in coordination with the Budget office. Monitor calendar events to ensure timely completion of events.
- Serve on the Budget Management Advisory Council and the Budget Working Group.
- Provide the Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs with standardized budget roll-ups and summarized divisional variances across all business units.
Management Consultant Responsibilities:
Analyze AVP unit operations to fully understand the business processes, anticipated outcomes and formulate solutions to achieve optimum efficiency and effectiveness.
Tasks include:
- Perform business process analysis for AVP unit operations and recommend changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Develop financial models (including the preparation of pro forma balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements) based on specified input and assumptions.
- Define key performance metrics and interpret results to analyze the data for trends and comparison with peer institutions.
- In collaboration with Accounting Services, participate in audit department fieldwork providing interpretation of the auditor's needs. Follow-up on audit recommendations to ensure best practice processes are implemented.
- Audit policies, procedures and tasks for completeness and accuracy to ensure processes are compliant with state and federal regulations.
- Audit cash receipting processes on campus (de-centralized cash handling areas).
- Identify trends and develop concise narratives, complex reports, dashboards and other data driven information.
- Analyze and report accounts receivable trends, such as aging, revenues, waivers, and allowance for bad debt, including documenting support for all assumptions used in analysis.
- Develop quarterly budget to actual variance analyses with detailed narrative.
- Maintain the Parking Financial Capital Plan and develop financial projections and profit/loss summaries.
- Serve as liaison with support staff from Business and Financial Systems to test, develop specifications, and implement desired modifications to programs.
- Utilize expert functional knowledge of financial reporting to design ad hoc and regularly scheduled reports to identify discrepancies in functional activity.
- In collaboration with Business and Financial Systems, review and evaluate the functionality of the student and non-student receivables system and the University cashiering and parking systems to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations and University policy.
Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance or related field
- Five (5) years of budget management experience
- Five (5) years of consulting or financial analysis experience, including business process analysis
- Demonstrated knowledge of computerized information systems used in financial and/or accounting applications
- Demonstrated ability to effectively translate, simplify and communicate (written and verbal) information to diverse stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, prepare reports, and identify, research and resolve discrepancies
- Highly self-driven, self-motivated, and the ability to work collaboratively in a professional and productive manner
- Demonstrated ability to conduct ad hoc analysis and enhance operating efficiencies
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy
- Demonstrated commitment and ability to cultivate work environments that are equitable and inclusive for individuals from diverse social identities and backgrounds
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance or related field
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Knowledge of public sector financial and budgeting principles and procedures
- Experience working in higher education
- Seven (7) years of consulting or financial analysis experience
- Experience with Kaizen or Lean Six-Sigma
Salary
Salary range is $72,099 - $80,110 and is 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.
Closing Date Notes
Review of applications begins October 7, 2019; position is open until filled
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.