Director of Budget & Finance

Job Description

The UW Libraries has an outstanding opportunity for a Director of Budget & Finance to join their team.

The Director of Budget & Finance serves as a senior financial leader for the University of Washington Libraries. This position provides strategic direction, fiduciary oversight and ensures effective stewardship of state, gift, grant, and other funds in compliance with University policies and external regulations for the Seattle campus Libraries and University Press. This position reports to the Senior Associate Dean for Collections Finance & Partnerships.

The Director is responsible for the Libraries Budget & Finance department, directly leading and supervising a team of 7 FTE fiscal personnel. In this capacity, the Director sets priorities, establishes standards of practice, and builds organizational capacity for effective, consistent, and forward-looking financial management across the Libraries. In support of the teaching and research mission of the Libraries, the Director leads budget planning, financial analysis, long-range forecasting, and reporting.

The role serves as a key advisor to the Dean and Libraries leadership, providing actionable insights, modeling, and scenario analysis to support strategic decision-making. The Director also oversees financial systems, reporting infrastructure, and change management initiatives, including ongoing optimization of financial tools and processes. This includes leading business process design, staff readiness, and continuous improvement efforts to ensure accurate, timely, and effective financial operations in alignment with University of Washington Operational Excellence.

The Director works closely with and is key to providing accurate and timely information to the Dean, Libraries Cabinet and Seattle campus department Directors to ensure the Libraries is operating in a financially responsible and operationally effective manner and represents the Libraries at meetings of and on committees for university-wide financial leadership staff.

• Budget Development, Planning, and Compliance (30%)
• Fiscal Analysis, Management, and Reporting (25%)
• Leadership, Supervision, and Staff Development (25%)
• Partnerships, Communication, Training, and Organizational Support (20%)

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics, or related field. Five or more years of increasingly responsible financial and administrative leadership experience in higher education, to include reporting and analyzing financial data, policy development, budgets and budgetary processing, finance or financial transactions, or complex financial management systems and advising high-level decision makers, as well as administrative and financial oversight of complex programs.

Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Manager.

Demonstrated ability to supervise and lead a team while motivating and supporting colleagues through a management style grounded in respect, trust, patience, and collaboration, alongside a strong commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable work environment that advances Libraries-wide success.

Experience with change management projects for large-scale, system-wide business operations changes, applying a solutions-oriented and collaborative approach that emphasizes communication, flexibility, and responsiveness. Exceptional project management, organizational skills, and problem-solving ability with a proven ability to manage competing deadlines, ensuring accuracy, and responding quickly and effectively to emerging or urgent issues while maintaining professionalism and…