Director, Academic Administration & Planning

Webster University•Saint Louis, MO

23h

About The Position

The Director, Academic Administration & Planning provides operational, financial, planning, analytical, and administrative leadership for Academic Affairs and reports directly to the Provost. The position coordinates the infrastructure, analysis, resource planning, and administrative processes needed to support the Provost, academic leadership, schools, colleges, and other Academic Affairs units across the University. The Director translates academic and institutional priorities into coordinated operational and financial plans, strengthens resource stewardship, and provides analysis and recommendations to support executive decision-making. The role serves as a key administrative partner to the Provost and works across Academic Affairs to strengthen operational effectiveness, financial discipline, planning, accountability, and continuity. The Director partners with Human Resources, as appropriate, on matters affecting Academic Affairs. The position leads Academic Affairs budget development, administration, monitoring, forecasting, analysis, and financial reporting in partnership with the Provost, Finance, Deans, and academic leadership. It also leads administrative and resource planning, develops workflows and operating practices, supports business continuity planning, coordinates implementation of Academic Affairs priorities, and prepares operational and financial reports and decision-support materials. The Director provides operational, administrative, planning, financial, and analytical support to the Provost and represents Academic Affairs on committees and institutional initiatives as assigned. The role requires operational leadership, financial acumen, strategic and resource planning, data-informed decision-making, project and process management, cross-functional collaboration, organizational effectiveness, and the ability to translate complex information into actionable recommendations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration, business administration, finance, public administration, organizational leadership, or a related field.
7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, finance, operations, planning, or a related area, including management or significant functional leadership responsibility.
Demonstrated experience with budget management, financial planning, forecasting, financial analysis, and resource allocation.
Demonstrated experience supporting senior or executive leadership and translating strategic priorities into operational and administrative plans.
Demonstrated experience leading complex projects, process improvements, and cross-functional initiatives.
Demonstrated experience assessing operational processes, identifying gaps and risks, and developing sustainable solutions.
Experience with data analysis, reporting, dashboards, forecasting, and executive decision support.
Demonstrated ability to develop recommendations based on financial, operational, and organizational analysis.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with academic and administrative leadership and work across organizational boundaries.
Strong project management, organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving capabilities.

Nice To Haves

Supervisory experience preferred.
Experience within a multi-campus, global, online, or similarly complex higher-education environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and coordinate development, administration, monitoring, forecasting, and analysis of the Academic Affairs budget in partnership with the Provost, Finance, Deans, and academic leadership.
Develop budget forecasts, financial analyses, and resource-allocation scenarios to support academic priorities, financial sustainability, and executive decision-making.
Monitor expenditures, commitments, budget variances, resource utilization, and emerging financial risks; escalate significant concerns to the Provost and appropriate institutional partners.
Coordinate annual budget planning and recurring financial reporting for Academic Affairs.
Develop and maintain financial documentation, controls, reconciliation practices, and reporting mechanisms.
Advise the Provost on budget performance, resource utilization, financial risks, and opportunities for improved efficiency and resource alignment.
Serve as a primary Academic Affairs liaison with Finance on budget, financial planning, and resource matters.
Lead and coordinate administrative and resource planning across Academic Affairs in alignment with academic and institutional priorities.
Assess resource utilization, operational capacity, administrative practices, and opportunities to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
Develop and recommend resource-planning and allocation scenarios for schools, colleges, and Academic Affairs units.
Develop and maintain standardized administrative workflows, procedures, documentation, controls, and operating practices.
Maintain business continuity documentation and support continuity planning for critical Academic Affairs administrative functions.
Identify and escalate operational risks, gaps, duplication, resource constraints, and opportunities for process improvement.
Partner with academic and administrative leaders to strengthen coordination and effective use of institutional resources.
Coordinate planning and implementation activities supporting Academic Affairs priorities and initiatives.
Translate academic priorities into implementation plans, timelines, milestones, resource requirements, and accountability mechanisms.
Coordinate activities across schools, colleges, and Academic Affairs units when centralized administrative support or cross-functional coordination is required.
Monitor implementation progress, identify barriers and dependencies, and provide status reporting and recommendations to the Provost.
Lead or support continuous improvement of Academic Affairs administrative practices and operating processes.
Support implementation of organizational, administrative, and process changes approved by the Provost.
Develop operational and financial reports, dashboards, forecasts, analyses, and executive decision-support materials for the Provost and academic leadership.
Analyze budget, resource, operational, and other relevant Academic Affairs data to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and potential interventions.
Establish recurring reporting and decision-support mechanisms that strengthen transparency and accountability.
Partner with Finance, Institutional Research, Information Technology, and other institutional data owners to promote accuracy, consistency, and appropriate use of information.
Translate complex operational and financial information into clear findings, recommendations, and decision points for academic leadership.
Support data-informed assessment of resource allocation, administrative effectiveness, and institutional priorities.
Provide operational, administrative, planning, financial, and analytical support to the Provost.
Prepare analyses, presentations, recommendations, scenarios, and executive decision-support materials.
Coordinate assigned operational and administrative initiatives on behalf of the Office of the Provost.
Build effective working relationships with Deans, academic leaders, Finance, Institutional Research, Human Resources, Information Technology, and other institutional partners.
Represent Academic Affairs on operational committees, planning groups, and institutional initiatives as assigned.
Provide recommendations to the Provost regarding administrative effectiveness, resource utilization, operational risks, and opportunities for improvement.