Virginia Commonwealth University
Director of Finance and Strategic Budgeting
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23214
Director of Finance and Strategic Budgeting
Benefits of working at VCU
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU's robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU's benefits here.
Job Code 18414
Recruitment Pool All Applicants
Posting Number req7995
Unit College of Humanit and Sciences MBU
Department Office of the Dean, College of Humanities and Sciences
Department Website Link https://chs.vcu.edu/
Location VCU
Address 828 West Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23284 USA
Duties & Responsibilities
Summary:
The VCU College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS)invites applications for the Director of Finance and Strategic Budgeting. TheCollege of Humanities and Sciences is where excellence and access meet and,like the university as a whole, is committed to fostering a welcoming andrespectful environment for individuals from all backgrounds and lifeexperience. We value a wide range of perspectives and are dedicated to creatinga workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contributefully.
VCU combines learning, research, creativity,service, and discovery. Ranked by U.S. News as one of the 30 "most innovative"public universities in the country, VCU is a premier, urban, public researchuniversity home to multiple nationally ranked programs. Here your success issupported, and your career can thrive.
VCU is proud to support and prioritize thehiring of veterans. As part of this commitment, your years of military servicecan be credited toward our leave plan, potentially increasing your annual leaveaccrual.
The position falls under the Senior Directorclassification within VCU's Financial Services job family. For additionaldetails, please visit VCU Human Resources' Job Family and Salary Ranges, https://insidehr.vcu.edu/guidelines/compensation/job-families-and-salary-ranges/.
VCU is transitioning to anew application system beginning October 1, 2025. If you apply before thatdate, you may be asked to resubmit your application in the new system after thesystem is live. Clear instructions will be provided at the time. We appreciateyour understanding during this transition and look forward to reviewing yourapplication.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Director of Finance and Budget
The Director of Finance and Strategic Budgetingwill provide strategic financial planning and leadership, and oversight for thefiscal operations of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), includingthe strategic management of the operating budget, sponsored programs,endowments, and auxiliary services. This role requires a dynamic andforward-thinking leader who can guide complex financial operations whilefostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and service excellence.The Director will serve as a key advisor to the Dean and Associate Deans,offering strategic counsel on initiatives and programmatic priorities to ensureoptimal alignment of financial resources with the College's mission andlong-term goals.
In addition to advising leadership, the Directorensures compliance with university, federal, and state laws, regulations, andpolicies. Reporting to the Dean, this position supervises a team of financialanalysts and specialists.
The Director will also provide day-to-dayoperational leadership for a team of finance professionals. Theseresponsibilities include but are not limited to implementing policies, ensuringlegal and regulatory compliance, managing staff, coordinating with sponsoredprograms, and contributing to long-term planning and strategic execution offinancial and administrative initiatives.
This role will be responsible for:
Strategic Leadership • Lead financial planning and operational strategy at the institutional level, ensuring the alignment of financial resources with organizational goals and priorities. • Build and maintain effective working relationships across academic departments, administrative units, and university leadership to support collaboration and shared decision-making. • Lead institutional change efforts by clearly communicating transitions, engaging stakeholders, and driving continuous improvement, while demonstrating emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with empathy and professionalism.
Strategic Collaboration and Communication • Work collaboratively across multiple academic departments to understand priorities, resource needs, and funding opportunities. • Serve as the primary liaison with the University Budget Office, facilitating communication on updates to the RCM (Responsibility Center Management) budget model and assessing their impact on the College. • Maintain and strengthen relationships with key university partners essential to the College's success. • Serve on university committees and task forces as appropriate to represent the College and contribute to institutional initiatives.
Data-Driven Decision-Making and ResourceAllocation • Utilize data and financial analysis to inform strategic decisions and guide the equitable allocation of resources across departments and programs.
Financial Oversight and Operations • Provide oversight of procurement activities, ensuring consistency, compliance, and a positive, service-oriented approach in all transactions. • Support the CHS grants administration team, in partnership with the Associate Dean for Research, particularly in managing salary savings and distributing indirect cost recoveries to departments, centers, and institutes.
Leadership • Provide strong, values-driven leadership that supports staff and faculty development, while advancing an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility throughout the College of Humanities and Sciences.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree required, with a minimum of five to seven (5-7) years of progressively responsible experience in financial management and administration. • Significant experience in financial leadership roles within large-scale, complex organizations, including nonprofit and government sectors. • Proven experience in developing and managing strategic plans, multi-year financial models, annual operating budgets, and complex fiscal operations. • Strong background in financial systems, financial modeling, and advanced data analysis. • Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, develop innovative solutions, and implement creative administrative and financial strategies. • Proven leadership experience in financial management, with a demonstrated ability to set strategic direction, manage teams, and deliver results in a complex organizational environment. • Demonstrated ability to supervise, motivate, and develop professional staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work culture. • Capacity to build trust by actively listening, understanding others' needs, and adapting communication to foster a collaborative and supportive team environment. • Skilled at building cross-functional relationships and driving results aligned with organizational goals, timelines, and budgets. • Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a member of VCU. • Knowledge and understanding of managing sponsored programs and university foundation accounts, with insight into compliance and reporting requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field. • Extensive experience in financial management and administration within a university or similarly complex organizational setting. • Proven ability to oversee the financial operations of a wide range of academic programs, particularly those characteristic of a liberal arts college or school. • Experience managing sponsored programs and university foundation accounts, with a strong understanding of compliance and reporting requirements.
Job Requirements
Light Lifting ( FLSA Executive & Senior Leadership
Job FTE 1
Exemption Status Exempt
Restricted Position No
E-Class UF - University Employee FT
Job Category Executive and Senior Leadership
ORP Eligible Yes
Salary Range $140,000 to $160,000
Compensation Type Salaried
Target Hire Date 11/25/2025
Contact Information for Candidates
Danielle Hairston dnhairston@vcu.edu
Documents Needed to Apply Cover letter, resume/curriculum vitae, list of three professional references and their contact information.
Benefits of working at VCU
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU's robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU's benefits here.
Job Code 18414
Recruitment Pool All Applicants
Posting Number req7995
Unit College of Humanit and Sciences MBU
Department Office of the Dean, College of Humanities and Sciences
Department Website Link https://chs.vcu.edu/
Location VCU
Address 828 West Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23284 USA
Duties & Responsibilities
Summary:
The VCU College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS)invites applications for the Director of Finance and Strategic Budgeting. TheCollege of Humanities and Sciences is where excellence and access meet and,like the university as a whole, is committed to fostering a welcoming andrespectful environment for individuals from all backgrounds and lifeexperience. We value a wide range of perspectives and are dedicated to creatinga workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contributefully.
VCU combines learning, research, creativity,service, and discovery. Ranked by U.S. News as one of the 30 "most innovative"public universities in the country, VCU is a premier, urban, public researchuniversity home to multiple nationally ranked programs. Here your success issupported, and your career can thrive.
VCU is proud to support and prioritize thehiring of veterans. As part of this commitment, your years of military servicecan be credited toward our leave plan, potentially increasing your annual leaveaccrual.
The position falls under the Senior Directorclassification within VCU's Financial Services job family. For additionaldetails, please visit VCU Human Resources' Job Family and Salary Ranges, https://insidehr.vcu.edu/guidelines/compensation/job-families-and-salary-ranges/.
VCU is transitioning to anew application system beginning October 1, 2025. If you apply before thatdate, you may be asked to resubmit your application in the new system after thesystem is live. Clear instructions will be provided at the time. We appreciateyour understanding during this transition and look forward to reviewing yourapplication.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Director of Finance and Budget
The Director of Finance and Strategic Budgetingwill provide strategic financial planning and leadership, and oversight for thefiscal operations of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), includingthe strategic management of the operating budget, sponsored programs,endowments, and auxiliary services. This role requires a dynamic andforward-thinking leader who can guide complex financial operations whilefostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and service excellence.The Director will serve as a key advisor to the Dean and Associate Deans,offering strategic counsel on initiatives and programmatic priorities to ensureoptimal alignment of financial resources with the College's mission andlong-term goals.
In addition to advising leadership, the Directorensures compliance with university, federal, and state laws, regulations, andpolicies. Reporting to the Dean, this position supervises a team of financialanalysts and specialists.
The Director will also provide day-to-dayoperational leadership for a team of finance professionals. Theseresponsibilities include but are not limited to implementing policies, ensuringlegal and regulatory compliance, managing staff, coordinating with sponsoredprograms, and contributing to long-term planning and strategic execution offinancial and administrative initiatives.
This role will be responsible for:
Strategic Leadership • Lead financial planning and operational strategy at the institutional level, ensuring the alignment of financial resources with organizational goals and priorities. • Build and maintain effective working relationships across academic departments, administrative units, and university leadership to support collaboration and shared decision-making. • Lead institutional change efforts by clearly communicating transitions, engaging stakeholders, and driving continuous improvement, while demonstrating emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with empathy and professionalism.
Strategic Collaboration and Communication • Work collaboratively across multiple academic departments to understand priorities, resource needs, and funding opportunities. • Serve as the primary liaison with the University Budget Office, facilitating communication on updates to the RCM (Responsibility Center Management) budget model and assessing their impact on the College. • Maintain and strengthen relationships with key university partners essential to the College's success. • Serve on university committees and task forces as appropriate to represent the College and contribute to institutional initiatives.
Data-Driven Decision-Making and ResourceAllocation • Utilize data and financial analysis to inform strategic decisions and guide the equitable allocation of resources across departments and programs.
Financial Oversight and Operations • Provide oversight of procurement activities, ensuring consistency, compliance, and a positive, service-oriented approach in all transactions. • Support the CHS grants administration team, in partnership with the Associate Dean for Research, particularly in managing salary savings and distributing indirect cost recoveries to departments, centers, and institutes.
Leadership • Provide strong, values-driven leadership that supports staff and faculty development, while advancing an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility throughout the College of Humanities and Sciences.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree required, with a minimum of five to seven (5-7) years of progressively responsible experience in financial management and administration. • Significant experience in financial leadership roles within large-scale, complex organizations, including nonprofit and government sectors. • Proven experience in developing and managing strategic plans, multi-year financial models, annual operating budgets, and complex fiscal operations. • Strong background in financial systems, financial modeling, and advanced data analysis. • Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, develop innovative solutions, and implement creative administrative and financial strategies. • Proven leadership experience in financial management, with a demonstrated ability to set strategic direction, manage teams, and deliver results in a complex organizational environment. • Demonstrated ability to supervise, motivate, and develop professional staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work culture. • Capacity to build trust by actively listening, understanding others' needs, and adapting communication to foster a collaborative and supportive team environment. • Skilled at building cross-functional relationships and driving results aligned with organizational goals, timelines, and budgets. • Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a member of VCU. • Knowledge and understanding of managing sponsored programs and university foundation accounts, with insight into compliance and reporting requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field. • Extensive experience in financial management and administration within a university or similarly complex organizational setting. • Proven ability to oversee the financial operations of a wide range of academic programs, particularly those characteristic of a liberal arts college or school. • Experience managing sponsored programs and university foundation accounts, with a strong understanding of compliance and reporting requirements.
Job Requirements
Light Lifting ( FLSA Executive & Senior Leadership
Job FTE 1
Exemption Status Exempt
Restricted Position No
E-Class UF - University Employee FT
Job Category Executive and Senior Leadership
ORP Eligible Yes
Salary Range $140,000 to $160,000
Compensation Type Salaried
Target Hire Date 11/25/2025
Contact Information for Candidates
Danielle Hairston dnhairston@vcu.edu
Documents Needed to Apply Cover letter, resume/curriculum vitae, list of three professional references and their contact information.