Assistant Vice President – Financial Planning, Analysis and Business Transformation

Hampton University•Hampton, VA

About The Position

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) - Financial Planning, Analysis & Business Transformation serves as a strategic leader responsible for driving financial excellence, operational efficiency, and institutional modernization. This role blends high-level financial modeling, budgeting, and performance analytics with process engineering and change management. The AVP will lead cross-functional initiatives to streamline business operations, modernize systems by leveraging enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation tools, eliminate workflow bottlenecks, and establish data-driven, AI-augmented decision-making frameworks across the organization. This role also serves as the primary finance and business operations contact person for the annual University operating budget in collaboration with the Assistant Comptroller. The position provides budget analytics and reporting support across all University departments. In addition, the position holds primary responsibility for financial oversight and reporting for Advancement donations and for signature University events requiring event-level financial management, including the Jazz Festival, Homecoming, the Ministers Conference, and others.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or other accredited business-related fields from an accredited institution
A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in accounting, higher education finance or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Strong working knowledge of accounting best practices for higher education institutions
Advanced proficiency in financial analysis technology and computer applications including Banner ERP, Microsoft Excel, and other relevant business intelligence tools

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of university budget processes and state/federal compliance requirements for higher education
Experience with audit processes in higher education
Proficiency with advanced business intelligence tools
Experience with donor/advancement CRM systems (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Ellucian Advance, or equivalent)
Working knowledge of fund accounting principles, including restricted versus unrestricted fund classification and donor intent compliance
Technical Mastery: proficiency in financial modeling, data analytics, AI and visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
Process Methodologies: Working knowledge of process improvement frameworks (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Agile).
Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate complex data into actionable strategic recommendations.

Responsibilities

Lead long-range financial planning leveraging AI-driven predictive analytics to evaluate strategic initiatives, risk factors, and market trends.
Develop advanced data analytic tools to generate short and long-term financial projections regarding operating revenues and expenses.
Establish, track, and analyze key financial and operational metrics (KPIs) to monitor performance against strategic goals.
Monitor and report on the financial performance of University departmental budgets, providing regular updates to senior management and stakeholders.
Oversee complex variance analyses, identifying trends, risks, and cost-containment strategies for leadership review.
Prepare and deliver clear, data-rich presentations and financial insights for executive leadership and board committees.
Manage the financial reporting for grants, donors, Advancement, and signature University events, including the Jazz Festival, Homecoming, the Ministers Conference, and others.
Perform ad hoc reporting and related tasks as assigned by either Deputy CFO or as requested by co-workers and management.
Assist in the development and management of the annual University operating budget to ensure financial resources are allocated efficiently across all University departments and align with strategic goals.
Support the annual budget development calendar across all University departments, including coordinating department submission timelines, collecting and compiling departmental data, and preparing budget materials for senior leadership review.
Create and maintain sophisticated financial reports for the Deputy CFO for Business Operations and senior leadership, including monthly variance reports, recurring leadership reporting packages, and Power BI dashboards.
Audit, map, and optimize core workflows by integrating Robotic Process Automation (RPA), generative AI, and machine learning to eliminate process redundancies and minimize operational friction.
Evaluate, pilot, and deploy emerging enterprise AI utilities, automated accounting/fp&a software, and smart analytics solutions across finance and operational departments.
Partner with IT and business units to evaluate, implement, and leverage Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools, reporting dashboards, and automated financial controls.
Establish guidelines and governance protocols for secure, ethical, and reliable AI/automation usage within financial workflows, safeguarding institutional data integrity.
Champion a culture of innovation by training, mentoring, and guiding financial and operational teams on incorporating modern digital tools and AI prompt/automation workflows into daily practice.
Lead cross-functional transformation portfolios from ideation through post-implementation review, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within scope.
Collaborate with executive peers, department heads, and operational teams to align financial and tech-enabled capabilities with broader institutional objectives.
Lead organization-wide change initiatives, ensuring clear communication, stakeholder buy-in, and training for new financial workflows and systems.
Oversee strategic project portfolios from ideation through post-implementation review, ensuring initiatives are delivered on time and within scope.
Manage the processing of financial transactions with Advancement that interfaces with Banner and Razor Edge.
Review and reconcile the transactions from Advancement against the payment received through cashier, ACH, and credit cards.
Ensure compliance with donor gift restrictions and endowment spending policy in coordination with Advancement, General Counsel, and endowment investment advisors.
Support audit readiness and SACSCOC accreditation documentation for donors, gift, and endowment-related financial processes.
Collaborate with the Deputy CFO for Business Operations on the endowment unitization schedule to automate in Finance Edge and update quarterly.