Director of Strategic Capital Finance Planning

Job Description

Join a world-class academic healthcare system,
UChicago Medicine
, as the Director of Strategic Capital Finance Planning responsible for providing strategic leadership and financial oversight for capital budgeting, planning, and project execution. This role reports to the Vice President of Budget and Financial Planning & Analysis and serves as a critical liaison between operational leadership, finance, supply chain, facilities, and regulatory bodies to ensure capital projects align with organizational goals, budgets, and compliance requirements.

The Director leads the annual capital budget process, manages capital project financial performance, oversees construction and equipment acquisitions, directs regulatory compliance activities including Certificate of Need (CON) processes, and ensures robust financial controls and reporting in accordance with GAAP. This role is a flexible position with some flexibility to work from home, but is based at the Hyde Park campus in Hyde Park, IL with the expectation to be onsite 1-2 days per week.

Who you are:

A collaborative and innovative leader with a passion for improving clinical quality and patient safety and:

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or related field.
• At least 8 years of experience in capital budgeting, financial management, and project oversight within healthcare or complex organizations.
• In-depth knowledge of Certificate of Need (CON) processes and healthcare facility planning regulations, preferably in Illinois.
• Experience with construction project management, contract review, and competitive bidding processes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to forecast budget risks and manage financial performance proactively.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and build collaborative relationships with senior leadership and operational managers.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for reporting to executive committees and regulatory bodies.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Financial analysis and forecasting.
• Budget development and management.
• Regulatory compliance and reporting.
• Contract and project management.
• Cross-functional collaboration and leadership.
• Effective communication and presentation.

What you’ll do as the Director of Strategic Capital Finance Planning:

• Lead the annual capital budget process: develop request forms, evaluate and justify departmental requests, and prepare summary reports and cash flow forecasts.
• Develop multi-year capital budget plans through the annual prioritization process, ensuring alignment with projected capital funding availability established through the operational budget process.
• Develop and implement controls to ensure capital budgets are not exceeded, including asset acquisition/purchasing processes, spend monitoring, forecasting, and ongoing financial status reporting for large, complex multi-year projects.
• Oversee maintenance of financial systems and procedures for accurate authorization and recording of commitments and disbursements related to capital.
• Manage general ledger activities including month-end and year-end close oversight of subsystems, reconciliation, journal entries, and reporting related to cash, investments, capital assets, and liabilities.
• Liaise with Foundations and Auxiliaries regarding donation commitments and billing for expenditures.
• Foster collaborative working relationships between supply chain, capital construction, Information Technology, Accounting, and Decision Support teams.
• Facilitate updates to the organization’s 5-year capital plan in collaboration with CFOs, supply chain, IT, construction management, and other key stakeholders.
• Lead the development, submission, and defense of CON applications to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Serve as the primary contact for regulatory agencies regarding capital project approvals, reporting, and compliance.
• Provide regular reporting on capital asset management and capital project health to senior leadership and the Board, ensuring compliance with GAAP and…