Finance Director of Strategy and Long Range Planning

Finance Director of Strategy and Long Range Planning

Wooster offers an excellent, comprehensive liberal arts education, culminating in a rigorous senior project, in which each student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor to conceive, organize and complete a significant research project on a topic of the student's own choosing. Through this distinctive program, every Wooster student develops abilities valued by employers and graduate schools alike: independent judgment, analytical ability, creativity, project-management and time-management skills, and strong written and oral communication skills.

Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 2,000 students.

The College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes:
Health, Dental, Retirement, and Tuition Remission for eligible positions.

Summary:

The Finance Director of Strategy and Long-Range Planning is responsible for providing advanced financial guidance, deploying capital strategically, and leading financial initiatives and decision support. As a thought leader and program manager, the Financial Director plays a key role in shaping the institution's financial strategy and supporting the decision-making processes of Cabinet and the Resources Committee.

Essential Departmental

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads advanced financial modeling, multi-year and interim forecasting, and core financial planning and analysis functions including budgeting, variance analysis and trend insights.
• Conducts scenario analysis and sensitivity testing to assess potential impacts on the institution's financial position.
• Strategically deploys capital to support key initiatives aligned with the College's strategic imperatives.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to optimize the allocation of financial resources for maximum impact.
• Leads enterprise-wide cost optimization initiatives, delivering sustainable annual savings while maintaining service quality and supporting institutional priorities.
• Drives continuous improvement in finance processes; refines workflows to enable timely, data-driven decision making.
• Serves as a thought leader and collaborates with cross-functional teams to implement and monitor strategic initiatives, providing financial leadership throughout the process.
• Stays abreast of industry best practices, trends, and innovations in financial management within the higher education sector.
• Shares expertise and insights with colleagues, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in financial decision-making.
• Leads the development and execution of financial strategies for the Resources Committee, providing guidance on key financial decisions.
• Presents financial reports, analyses, and recommendations to Cabinet and the Committee, facilitating informed discussions and decision-making.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education and/or

Experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field (such as finance, accounting, or business administration) is required.
• Proven experience in financial leadership roles within higher education or a similar complex organization.
• Demonstrated expertise with advanced financial modeling, analysis, and forecasting and process improvement.
• Proven track record of building compelling and insightful analysis, business cases, and reviews of initiatives and programs including costs and revenues that support an organization's strategic imperatives.
• Highly collaborative, well spoken, with excellent communication skills; understands how to achieve results and influence others.
• Relevant certifications, such as MBA and/or CPA preferred.

Knowledge

Skills and Abilities:

Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex financial information to diverse stakeholders.
• Advanced and demonstrated skills with excel, PowerPoint presentations (tells a story), and gravitas to influence and drive with peers, Cabinet Officers, and Board members.
• Strong project management, process transformation and technology enablement skills.

Knowledge:

• In-depth knowledge of industry best practices, trends, and innovations in financial management within the higher education sector.
• Experience in providing financial guidance to committees or boards, with a focus on driving financial strategy.
• Adheres to financial reporting standards and regulations.
• Proficiency in financial modeling and budgeting software/tools.

Abilities: (Safety, Mission, Ethics and Code of Conduct)

• Follow college mission and vision
• Adhere to all college processes and procedures.

This role is in an office environment. This is a primarily sedentary role but requires some travel between buildings and departments. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Flexible work…