Manager, Budget & Financial Planning

External Applicants

Please ensure all required documents are ready to upload before beginning your application, including your resume, cover letter, and any additional materials specified in the job description.

Cover Letter And Supporting Documents

• Navigate to the "My Experience" application page.
• Locate the "Resume/CV" document upload section at the bottom of the page.
• Use the "Select Files" button to upload your cover letter, resume, and any other required supporting documents. You can select multiple files.
  
  

Important Note: The "My Experience" page is the only opportunity to attach your cover letter, resume, and supporting documents. You will not be able to modify your application or add attachments after submission.

Current Employees

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A cover letter is required for all positions; optional for facilities, campus services, and hospitality roles unless otherwise specified.

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Director, the Manager of Budgeting & Financial Planning (“BFP”) is responsible for full-scope management of the operating budget and planning process at WFU. This includes preparing the annual operating budget, current year forecasts, and multi-year planning, developing financial reports and data trend/variance analytics, providing training and support to campus partners, maintaining data integrity, ensuring alignment with GAAP financial reporting, and monitoring compliance with policies and procedures. This position will lead a team of analysts who support budget and planning processes.

This position is not eligible for sponsorship of non-immigrant or immigrant visa status through Wake Forest University. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.

Job Description

Essential Functions:

• Manages the annual operating budget, forecasting, and multi-year planning in close collaboration with the Director, Budget and Campus Financial Services, the Controller’s Office, and Senior Business Administrators.
• Collaborates closely with the Controller’s office to ensure 1:1 alignment of Workday Finance and Adaptive Planning system structures, interim and year-end closings, review and approval of journal entries, compliance with GAAP, and monthly budget versus actual analysis.
• Develops financial reports, data trend/variance analysis, and manages the monthly budget versus actuals review and analysis process and deliverables to the Director and AVP of Budget and Financial Planning.
• Manages development and implementation of the annual budget calendar and financial planning assumptions, including oversight of the timeline, data submission and related deadlines, and Adaptive Planning system processes, controls, and training.
• Manages budgets (sources and uses) for the General University and Central Pool, fringe benefits, investment income, and certain administrative units.
• Maintains and monitors the integrity of Adaptive Planning system data including reconciliation of budget data across divisions, funds, cost centers, and accounts.
• Manages budget availability for Workday Finance and Workday HCM activity including the approval of transactions, tracking and monitoring of expenses and revenues, and collaboration with campus partners to resolve budget related activity.
• Serves as subject matter expert for Workday Adaptive Planning and partners with the Lead Business Systems Analyst in support of testing of Adaptive Planning upgrades/releases and any Workday Finance and/or HCM upgrades/releases that impact Adaptive Planning and/or budget processes, financial planning, and reporting.
• Manages the reporting of budget and financial planning information to internal and external constituents.
• Manages research and analysis, including peer benchmarking and analysis, KPIs, and historical and industry trends.
• Develops, communicates, and trains campus partners on processes and procedures in compliance with budget and governance policies.
• Manages day-to-day operations of the budget office.
• Manages, trains, and develops staff.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.
  
  

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, or related discipline, with at least five to ten years of related and progressively more responsible financial work, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. In-depth experience in long-range and or strategic planning is required.
• Exercises exceptional discretion in handling confidential information.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community; proven communication skills, both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge of fund accounting principles and GAAP, budget preparation, and fiscal controls required.
• Must be a self-starter with unquestionable integrity and a strong sense of professional ethics.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under pressure and is highly adaptable to rapidly changing priorities; excellent time management skills; ability to organize personal workflow.
• Ability to work independently; evidence of good judgment and high-level problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community; proven communication skills, both orally and in writing.
• High level of proficiency in Excel (templates development, pivot tables, macros) and the ability to utilize these skills to meet ad hoc data needs in support of leadership requests for analyses, forecasts, or ongoing reports.
• Ability to effectively represent analysis results and/or projections in PowerPoint, Google, and Excel graphs.
• Ability to acquire knowledge of new systems in a short time period.
  
  

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Master's in Accounting and/or CPA preferred.
• Experience in Higher Education accounting and knowledge of U.S. accounting principles (GAAP) preferred.
• Workday Finance and/or Workday Adaptive experience preferred.
• Knowledge of and technical proficiency with accounting systems and related applications.
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling.
  
  

Accountabilities

• Responsible for providing leadership to a team of analysts.
• Provides direct supervision to Budget & Financial Analysts.
  
  

Additional Job Description

Physical Requirements:

Work primarily involves sitting/standing, communicating with others to exchange information, operating a computer, and assessing the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned.

Environmental Conditions

Subject to inside environmental conditions. Not typically exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Disclaimer

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by the employee’s supervisor.

In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final candidates being considered for employment.

Time Type Requirement

Full TimeNote To Applicant

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.

In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates to apply without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and military or veteran status.

Accommodations for Applicants

If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact AskHR@wfu.edu or (336) 758-4700.