Budget Director

Position Summary

The University Budget Director leads the institution's financial planning and budgeting functions, including coordination of the annual operating budget, maintenance of the long‑range financial planning (LRP) model, and delivery of strategic financial analysis to senior leadership, Cabinet, and the Board of Trustees. The director develops integrated, forward‑looking financial models that account for tuition dependency, enrollment sensitivity, endowment draw strategies, balance sheet considerations, and multi‑year sustainability planning, translating these inputs into clear budget projections, scenario analyses, and variance reporting to support institutional decision‑making and long‑term financial health.

• Maintain the LRP model and update its underlying variables to align with the university’s financial strategy.
• Identify external and internal trends, issues, and recommendations, and assist with cost reduction, revenue enhancement, and risk reduction initiatives.
• Coordinate the process of building and loading detailed budgets into People Soft, ensuring consistency and alignment with institutional goals.
• Develop a thorough understanding of operating activities and the balance sheet to inform planning and budgeting.
• Collaborate with Human Resources to maintain staff position and contingency budgets that reconcile to People Soft HR and Financials.
• Manage the Budget Variance Report, reconciling People Soft Financials to the LRP and providing regular variance analysis to leadership and the Finance & Facilities Committee.
• Coordinate budget and/or budget variance projections for Net Tuition and Fee, Educational and General Compensation, University Relations Budget, and Auxiliary Budget.
• Provide executive support and perform additional FP&A functions as required by the CFO, Cabinet, Budget Task Force, board committees, and others.

• Collaborate with the Finance team to ensure a shared understanding of investment activities.
• Develop and maintain endowment financial models, including payout projections for individual and pooled endowment investments.

• Perform selected financial reconciliations, including Commitment Control and General Ledger actuals in People Soft.
• Track discretionary funds and work with Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound on budget development and reporting.
• Monitor designated and restricted funds, communicating balances to budget managers to guide adjustments during the year.

• Provide support to the Finance & Facilities Committee and other board committees, drafting financial projections and budget materials.
• Assist in producing financial analysis and reports for the Board of Trustees.
• Support the Budget Task Force annually as needed by the CFO and AVP Finance.

• Administer People Soft budget training sessions for new hires.
• Lead projects assigned by the AVP Finance or CFO, including research, analysis, and executive summaries.

While this position does not have direct spending authority, the Budget Director holds significant fiduciary responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of the university’s financial plans, forecasts, and budget models, directly informing senior leadership and Board decisions on tuition pricing, financial aid strategy, compensation planning, endowment draw levels, and long‑term financial sustainability.

No direct supervisory responsibilities; may supervise student employees as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a related field; CPA licensure preferred.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in financial management, budgeting, accounting, treasury, endowment accounting, or related areas. Experience in a private, not‑for‑profit higher education environment is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated understanding of endowment accounting, draw policies, or ability to rapidly acquire the expertise.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and analyzing multi‑year financial…