Associate Director of Budget & Strategic Operations

University of Washington Medical Center•Bothell, WA

1d•$102,192 - $116,400•Onsite

About The Position

The School of STEM has an outstanding opportunity for Associate Director of Budget & Strategic Operations position to join their team. Reporting to the Dean of STEM, the Associate Director of Budget & Strategic Operations serves as a senior school-facing leader responsible for strategic decision support, resource planning, and operations, working in close partnership with UWB’s shared administrative services and other administrative units. This position leads school-level multiyear financial planning and modeling in support of the Dean’s priorities and provides strategic analysis to develop recommendations for the Dean and the school comprised of 4 departments with approximately $23M budget, 90 full-time faculty and 40 full-time staff, collaborating with UWB’s Financial and Administrative shared services to ensure alignment with institutional policies, processes, procedures, and requirements. This role focuses on planning, coordination, and decision support in partnership with others for shared administrative services.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field, and five years of progressively responsible experience in financial operations, financial planning, or financial administration.
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and practices sufficient to analyze, interpret, identify errors, and prepare financial information, records, and reports.
Experience supporting complex organizational decision-making, including resource planning and prioritization
Demonstrated ability to synthesize data and analysis into clear recommendations for senior leadership
Experience coordinating work across multiple administrative functions (e.g., finance, HR, research administration, or operations)
Strong understanding of organizational processes, controls, and compliance expectations within a complex institution.

Nice To Haves

Excellent communication, judgment, and ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities
Advanced degree in finance, accounting, or a related field
Experience in higher education or a similarly complex, matrixed organization
Experience working within a shared services or distributed administrative model
Familiarity with university budgeting concepts and resource allocation practices, especially Responsibility Center Management (RCM)
Experience supporting accreditation, program review, or other compliance-related academic processes
Experience partnering with academic leadership, faculty, and administrative units
Familiarity with enterprise systems (e.g., Workday or similar platforms)

Responsibilities

Lead school-level resource planning in support of the Dean’s priorities, including scenario modeling, tradeoff analysis, and multi-year planning. This includes approximately $23M in annual funding, plus grants, gifts, endowments, and provisos.
Provide decision support to school leadership by synthesizing financial and operational information into clear recommendations and options.
Advise the Dean and leadership team on the operational and resource implications of strategic initiatives, emerging issues, and competing priorities.
Support the Dean in facilitating strategic planning and implementation, ensuring alignment with the university’s strategic plan and initiatives, and lead in the assessment and measurement of school initiatives.
Monitor key indicators, trends, and planning assumptions to identify risks and opportunities for leadership consideration.
Support internal allocation planning and monthly reporting, including startup, indirect cost recovery, faculty buyouts, and other school-level resource decisions.
Prepare analyses, briefings, and planning materials to support leadership discussions and school decision-making.
Serve as the primary point of coordination between the school and UWB’s shared administrative services and other UWB administrative units to support effective and timely delivery of administrative services.
Coordinate school operational priorities, timelines, and service needs to ensure alignment with university processes, requirements, and implementation schedules.
Facilitate resolution of complex or escalated issues in partnership with Division of Academic Affairs Director of Finance and Operations, UWB’s shared administrative services, and in coordination with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Shared Administrative Services, as appropriate.
Coordinate and gather information for state or federal funding reports (e.g., Provisos), serving as the lead writer for the school
Partner with faculty, program leadership, and administrative teams to ensure accreditation-related requirements are effectively coordinated and supported.
Support documentation and tracking of internal approvals, resource decisions, and administrative follow-through; ensuring expenses stay within budget allocations.
Identify opportunities to improve coordination, consistency, and service delivery across school and administrative functions.
Provide guidance and coordination support to student organizations and school-affiliated groups to help them navigate university processes related to purchasing and travel.
Support gift stewardship in partnership with the Dean and the Office of Advancement, including coordination of fund use, alignment with donor intent, and communication regarding gift implementation priorities.
Coordinate with UWB shared administrative services and Advancement on gift-related processes, including fund setup, allocations, and reporting, ensuring alignment with university requirements.
Partner with faculty, program leadership, Sponsored Research, and UWB shared administrative services to support post-award grant management, including issue resolution, coordination of requirements, and alignment with award terms.
Support fiscal work related to community and industry projects in partnership with the Dean and other school leadership, including processing industry-sponsored capstone contracts/invoices and STEM Instrumentation Facility invoicing.
Serve as an engaged member of the STEM Leadership Team
Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture
Provide mentorship and guidance to aligned staff, as appropriate
Serve as a key liaison to UWB shared administrative services, Division of Academic Affairs, Office of Advancement, and Sponsored Research, working in partnership with them to implement university processes, requirements, and implementation schedules
Serve as an engaged member of the STEM leadership team, supporting alignment between academic priorities and administrative operations.
Partner with Dean, associate deans, chairs, associate chairs, and staff leaders to understand needs and translate them into coordinated support through UWB’s shared administrative services and other UWB administrative units.
Partner with the Dean to develop and maintain school-level fiscal policies and procedures, supporting school-level decisions and complementing campus-level policies.
Partner with the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs’ office to provide insights, context and reporting into the school’s financial health, long term planning, resource planning and progress on Academic Affairs wide initiatives.
Work in close partnership with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Shared Administrative Services to support alignment between school priorities and UWB administrative services.
Support the Dean in communications with the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and/or the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Administration, as appropriate, on school-level planning, resource alignment, and issue escalation.
Communicate institutional guidance, process changes, and service expectations in collaboration with UWB shared administrative services and relevant administrative partners.
Support adoption of standard processes and practices that improve consistency, transparency, and operational effectiveness.
Represent school operational needs in discussions with administrative partners and ensure issues are elevated appropriately.
Contribute to a collaborative, service-oriented, and solutions-focused culture within the school and across administrative partnerships.