AVP, Financial Planning & Analysis

American Public Education•Fort Lauderdale, FL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Assistant Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis American Public Education, Inc. We are seeking an experienced and strategic Assistant Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis to lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance initiatives across the institution. This role will oversee the FP&A function and provide decision support to executive leadership by delivering clear financial insights, performance analytics, sensitivity analysis and operational recommendations. Experience supporting higher education or academic institutions is strongly preferred. This role will be based out of our downtown Fort Lauderdale, FL office location with the option to work remotely several days per week.

Requirements

Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
Financial modeling expertise
Executive communication skills
Ability to influence stakeholders and drive change
Data-driven approach to performance and planning
Leadership in a collaborative and mission-driven environment
Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing FP&A teams
Proven experience managing and mentoring financial analysts
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
Experience working with Business Intelligence (BI), analytics, or dashboarding tools
Demonstrated success driving planning, forecasting, and performance improvement
Strong storytelling and executive presentation skills

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in higher education, academic organizations, or related fields, preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the preparation of the annual operating budget, aligning financial plans with institutional strategy.
Lead monthly forecasting, financial modeling, and variance analysis.
Analyze business and financial trends to identify risks, opportunities, and performance gaps.
Prepare and model scenario/sensitivity financial analysis.
Provide external financial guidance recommendations.
Develop and present executive-level financial reports and board-level decks.
Report, track, and continuously improve key performance indicators (KPIs).
Partner with academic and administrative leaders to support decision making.
Oversee FP&A processes, frameworks, and analytical methodologies.
Implement best practices across planning, financial data analytics, and reporting.
Manage financial analysis supporting long-term, strategic initiative planning.
Lead, coach, and develop FP&A and financial analyst team members.