Executive Director, Financial and Capital Planning (0214U) 42387 About Berkeley
At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.
The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.
We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles , our Principles of Community , and our Strategic Plan .
At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit grow.berkeley.edu .
Departmental Overview
The Office of the Vice Chancellor of Finance provides effective financial, analytical, and administrative management to our campus partners. Our office includes the Controller's Office, Financial Planning & Analysis, University Business Partnerships & Services, Office of Strategic Initiatives, and the Immediate Office. Together these teams oversee university financial services and controls, lead an integrated approach to planning and development, and provide accurate and timely information and analyses to inform campus decision-making in service of UC Berkeley's mission of teaching, research, and public service.
The Executive Director of Financial & Capital Planning plays a central role in helping the campus manage its financial and capital resources. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Financial Planning & Analysis, this position is critical in managing campus finances and the capital budget. There are three high-level managers reporting to this position, with six staff reporting up through them. Together, they are responsible for: (1) providing short- and long-term financial analysis and forecasts for the campus's operating budget; (2) managing the financial information and business intelligence systems that support effective financial planning and decision-making; (3) evaluating the financial viability of planned capital projects and developing, in partnership with the Office of Capital Strategies, the campus's multi-year capital projects financial plan; (4) developing strategies and conducting analysis related to the use of debt for financing capital projects and meeting operational needs; (5) providing advice and executing transactions related to the campus's held cash and portfolio of investments; and (6) planing for and negotiating the campus's facilities and administration (F&A) rate with the federal government, through which the campus secures over $140M in indirect cost recovery (ICR) annually to cover overhead costs on research grants.
In fulfilling these responsibilities, the Executive Director works with a broad range of high-level campus and system stakeholders, including the Finance Committee (Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost, CFO, Vice Chancellor for Administration), the Capital Projects Committee, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Capital Strategies, the Controller, the Council of Deans, the Academic Senate, and the UC Office of the President.
Responsibilities
Capital Financial Planning:
Work with deans, Divisional Finance Leaders (DFLs), program directors, etc. to prepare financial pro formas for proposed capital projects to evaluate their viability.
Work with Capital Strategies to develop the campus's multi-year financial plan for capital projects.
Conduct analyses, prepare presentations and make recommendations to support the Capital Projects Finance Committee in evaluating planned capital projects.
Conduct analyses, prepare presentations and make recommendations to support the Finance Committee in making strategic decisions and funding allocations for capital projects.
Manage the transfer of funds from central sources (i.e., central ledger, capital bank, deferred maintenance funds) for capital projects (construction, renovation, deferred maintenance, seismic).
Debt Management:
Identify and develop strategies for using debt to finance capital projects.
Work with the Office of the President to issue debt instruments (e.g., bonds, commercial paper) for new capital projects and to refinance, as needed, debt for existing projects.
Manage the campus's debt model and debt capacity analysis.
Monitor and manage matters related to the university's existing debt portfolio, including bond draws, private-use reporting, debt service reporting, funding draw certifications, etc.
Treasury:
Analyze and report on market balances and unrealized gains in the campus's investment pools, including the Short-Term Investment Pool (STIP), Total Return Investment Pool (TRIP), and funds functioning as endowments (FFEs) to ensure adequate liquidity on campus.
Assist leadership in making strategic decisions about the campus's cash and investment portfolio, including balancing among STIP, TRIP and FFEs and the use of arbitrage.
Work with the Office of the President to execute decisions related to the campus's cash and investments (e.g., payout decisions, the realization of gains, creation of FFEs, transfers among investment instruments).
Manage the university's portfolio of internal loans, including the establishment of loan terms and amortization schedules, securing annual payments, submitting fund transfer forms to Capital Accounting.
Campus Financial Model:
Update the campus financial model with actuals on a monthly basis and re-forecast year-end and multi-year performance.
Work with campus units (e.g., University Development & Alumni Relations, People & Culture) to identify financial trends and patterns (e.g., fundraising, salaries & benefits) in order to improve the accuracy of the model.
At year-end: (1) work with the Controller to reconcile the campus model view (used by campus leadership for management purposes) to the financial statements in order to finalize actual performance for the closed fiscal year, and (2) work with the Budget & Financial Operations team to make adjustments to the roll-up of divisional budgets in order to finalize the campus-wide budget for the new fiscal year.
Work with the Business Intelligence & Information Systems team to build and maintain executive dashboards that visualize campus financial performance and model projections.
Conduct financial modeling for special projects or initiatives.
Business Intelligence and Information Systems:
Manage the administration of the university's financial planning and reporting information systems (Cal Planning and Cal Answers) including planning and management of complex data loads; testing for data integrity; and development, testing and implementation of system enhancements or upgrades.
Collaborate with Berkeley leadership and the campus community to identify reporting and decision support needs and build and maintain business intelligence tools, dashboards and reports that inform strategic decisions, drive action and streamline operations.
Leverage higher education, professional and technical expertise to influence the future path and design of reporting, planning, and budgeting tools at Berkeley, working closely in the process with Finance and IT leadership to help ensure a cohesive strategy that best serves the campus.
Costing Policy & Analysis:
Manage the preparation, submission, and negotiation of Berkeley's finance & administration (F&A) rate proposal with the federal government every 4-6 years, including all project management, cost analysis, campus-wide communication and technical expertise in federal rules that govern F&A cost rate development.
On an annual basis, analyze trends and refresh the data sets required for an F&A proposal to determine if certain campus factors are impacting Berkeley's F&A rate and/or research enterprise.
Plan and coordinate the campus space survey in collaboration with key campus stakeholders.
Conduct ad-hoc cost studies and create statistical allocation models to ensure that direct and indirect costs are equitably allocated.
Analyze and respond to proposed federal regulation changes that may impact campus indirect cost recovery rates.
Consult with campus staff and departments, organized research units, and service centers regarding costing issues and federal regulations.
Required Qualifications
Expert knowledge of and/or demonstrated experience in financial policies and practices, especially relating to capital financial planning, debt management and modeling, treasury management, and/or financial information systems.
Proven expertise in financial modeling for a large public organization, or a comparably sized / complex, matrixed organization.
Expert knowledge of operating and capital accounting. Expert knowledge of GASB-compliant financial statements strongly preferred, or deep knowledge of FASB-compliant statements and the ability to learn and adapt to GASB standards.
Expert knowledge of capital markets and debt issuance/refinancing principles
Must have the ability to communicate complex findings and recommendations in a clear and concise manner, both verbally and in writing, to audiences with varying levels of financial knowledge and to campus executives.
Position requires strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively across the organization at all levels.
Demonstrated ability to lead and work collaboratively and to establish, maintain, and foster cooperative working relationships with peers and partners across the organization.
Demonstrated ability to effectively advise organizational leaders on sensitive financial matters. Expected to be a campus expert and able to provide timely and accurate advice regarding the campus's financial needs and capabilities.
Requires knowledge of financial policies, practices, and systems, budgeting, and reporting techniques, human resource planning, accounting, and bookkeeping.
Demonstrated experience and strong skills in managing, coaching, leading, and/or mentoring professional staff.
Possesses a client services orientation, has strong listening, critical thinking, strategic planning, and analytical skills.
Proven ability to multi-task and effectively balance and manage competing priorities.
Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MPA/MPP, finance, accounting) preferred and/or equivalent experience/training.
Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit:
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html