Director of Academic Budget

University of Texas at Austin

6d•$130,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a member of Academic and Administration Planning, the Director of Academic Budget prepares financial budgets and forecasts for various Executive Vice President and Provost (EVPP) programs and initiatives including Tuition Reduction Benefits (TRB), Non-Resident Tuition Exemption (NRTE), and Graduate Fellowship allocations. Supports the annual Dean-Provost Academic Core (DPAC) meetings, the annual operating budget, and financial/statistical reporting for the Provost Office. Oversees the work of the Academic Budget Associate. Strong project management, problem-solving, adaptability, time management, and communication skills are necessary to perform the functions of this role. Additionally, experience with budget forecasting, variance analysis and financial modeling.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and eight years of experience with accounting or finance and complex administrative functions.
Progressive experience with planning, forecasting, modeling, and financial analyses.
Demonstrated outstanding analytical skills that allow for the interpretation of budgetary, financial, and related organizational performance or management information.
Strong skills in quantitative financial and budget analyses.
Experience using business intelligence tools and advanced knowledge of Excel.
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new software/tools.
Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to effectively work with various constituents including unit staff and senior leadership.
Experience working with confidential information using tact and discretion.
Demonstrated ability to manage projects from inception to completion.
Ability to work independently with little supervision and as a member of a team in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in accounting, finance, or business.
Experience working with university academic budgets, accounting, and/or finance.
Strong knowledge of UT-Austin academic business functions.
Demonstrated knowledge of UT business systems and tools (DEFINE, Workday, COGNOS, PowerBI, etc.)
Knowledge of HR/payroll transactions, costing allocations, process workflows, academic appointments, and similar human resources functions.
Experience managing and mentoring staff to achieve excellent results.
Demonstrated strong interest in continuous improvement and service excellence.

Responsibilities

Participate in the development of budget planning guidelines and tools to support academic budgeting.
Complete and review budget templates and other documents used to submit budget requests as well as creating and maintaining processes to meet recurring submission deadlines.
Participate in the development of financial reviews; collaborate with central offices to update and support the accuracy of simulations.
Support the annual DPAC meeting including collecting and analyzing data, preparing reports, and coordinating the receipt and distribution of materials. Manage the DPAC meeting cycle, and calendar. Manage spreadsheets and prepare post meeting notes and decision memos, and monitor action items and commitments made, ensuring accuracy and completeness throughout.
Oversees tracking of commitments in support of college, school and unit (CSU) academic activities, including dual career, retention packages, and start-up funds. Ensures accurate, centralized tracking of multi-year commitments to support institutional planning and budget forecasting.
Organize requests for decision by understanding the faculty life cycle and following up conversations with actions items and decisions. Track decisions with actionable steps and communication to the relevant parties.
Manages the financial relationship between CSUs and the Provost's Office, including annual program reviews and day-to-day commitment decisions.
Monitor academic strategic reserves and account balances, analyze variances, review reconciliation reports, and provide regular, ad hoc, and year-to-date projections and reporting for decision making, applying strong problem-solving and analytical skills to identify and resolve discrepancies.
Collaborate with staff and make recommendations to leadership on opportunities to improve financial performance and optimize use of reserves.
Prepare presentations and memos for senior leadership summarizing results of analyses. Prepare financial budgets and forecasts regarding graduate student support, based on historical and current usage rates, on a semesterly basis. Prepare and communicate annual TRB allocations for each college.
Prepare academic graduate student salary reports by college for the Provost Office to analyze appropriate compensation for graduate students across the University.
Develop and maintain expert knowledge of academic business operations and recommend process improvements, requiring adaptability to evolving policies and problem-solving skills to identify and implement improvements.
Contribute to and/or manage various special projects supporting business operations in the EVPP portfolio, applying strong project management and time management skills to plan, execute, and deliver on schedule.
Oversee processing for various funding programs (e.g., Semester Credit Hour (SCH), STARS, NRTE, TRB and Graduate Fellowships).
Maintain routine communications with CSUs (colleges, schools, and units), including Option III and Degree program contacts; coordinate with CSUs and reporting units providing guidance and responding to inquiries as needed.
Support the annual salary adjustment process for the EVPP academic portfolio.