Director, Strategic and Financial Initiatives

Overview

The Finance Division provides strategic financial leadership, stewardship, and operational support to advance Tufts University's academic, research, and service missions. The division oversees a broad portfolio of functions including financial planning and analysis, budgeting, accounting, treasury, tax, procurement, post‑award research administration, shared administrative services, and financial operations.

Through the Budget Center, Financial Planning and Analysis, Controller's Office, Treasury, Tax, Procurement, Research Administration, and Tufts Support Services, the division partners with academic and administrative leaders across the university to support informed decision‑making, effective resource allocation, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and long‑term financial sustainability. Finance division teams provide critical services ranging from strategic financial planning and analysis to payroll, benefits administration, accounts payable, and other transactional support functions that enable the university's schools and units to focus on their core missions.

The Director, Strategic and Financial Initiatives serves as a strategic partner to the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, supporting the execution of key Finance Division and university‑wide priorities. Acting as an extension of the Office of the Vice President, the Director advances strategic initiatives through project leadership, stakeholder engagement, financial analysis, executive communications, and operational coordination.

Working across schools, administrative units, and Finance Division functions, the Director gathers and synthesizes information, develops executive‑level analyses and presentations, coordinates complex initiatives, and helps drive implementation of projects that support institutional priorities. The position provides broad exposure to university operations, governance, financial management, and strategic decision‑making.

The position is intended to provide high‑potential professionals with broad exposure to university leadership, strategic planning, finance, operations, and institutional governance.

As a strategic partner to the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, this role relies heavily on in‑person engagement with stakeholders across the university. The position is expected to be on campus for a minimum of three days per week to support meetings, information gathering, project execution, and relationship management.

• Strategic Initiatives and Project Leadership Lead and support Finance Division and university‑wide strategic initiatives, including organizational redesign, procurement transformation, operational improvement efforts, financial systems implementation, outsourcing evaluations, and other projects that advance institutional priorities. Coordinate project activities, facilitate stakeholder engagement, track progress, identify risks, and support successful implementation.
• Executive Decision Support and Strategic Analysis Conduct strategic, financial, and business analyses to support executive decision‑making. Gather information from Finance Division leaders and institutional stakeholders and synthesize findings into actionable recommendations. Support long‑range planning, organizational assessments, and evaluation of strategic opportunities.
• Executive Communications and Presentation Development Develop presentations, briefing materials, board‑facing analyses, executive summaries, talking points, and reports for senior leadership, committees, and trustees. Translate complex financial, operational, and organizational information into concise and compelling narratives tailored to executive audiences.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination Build relationships with leaders and staff across schools, central administrative units, and the Finance Division. Represent the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer on project teams, working groups, and meetings as appropriate. Facilitate collaboration across stakeholders and ensure timely follow‑up on action items and project deliverables.
• Operational and Administrative Support Support management of…