Director of Finance

University of St Thomas•Minneapolis, MN

1d•$78,000 - $117,000

About The Position

The University of St. Thomas invites qualified candidates to apply for a Director of Finance position within Opus College of Business. The University of St. Thomas embraces belonging and equal opportunity for all. Our convictions of dignity, diversity and personal attention call us to embody and champion an inclusive environment. The University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEO). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, or other protected characteristic. This commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity is consistent with our mission: Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. A successful candidate will possess a commitment to the ideals of this mission. The Director of Finance at Opus College of Business is responsible for providing advanced, forward-looking strategic financial leadership, disciplined stewardship, and decision-ready insight across a complex, diversified academic enterprise that includes undergraduate, graduate and executive education revenue streams in a changing business landscape. Reporting directly to the Dean, this role is responsible for financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, performance analysis, and the design and oversight of effective financial controls that support academic excellence, enrollment growth, philanthropic impact, and long-term sustainability. The Director acts as a trusted advisor to the Dean and senior leadership team. While academic leaders determine program strategy, modality and academic direction, this role provides rigorous financial modeling, scenario analysis, and risk evaluation to ensure leadership fully understands financial trade-offs, sustainability implications, and long-term impact. The role partners closely with academic leaders, enrollment, marketing, facilities, and central university offices—including Finance, Controller, Legal, University Advancement, and the Provost’s Office—to align financial planning, donor stewardship, and operational decisions with institutional priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related discipline
Proven financial leader with 8 - 10 years of progressively responsible experience in finance, operations, or business management
Demonstrated ability to partner closely with senior leadership, providing sound judgment, discretion, and decision-ready financial insight
Strong command of financial planning and analysis, including budgeting, forecasting, scenario modeling, and managerial accounting.
Experience overseeing complex, tuition-driven or multi-revenue environments with sensitivity to enrollment dynamics, cost behavior, and restricted funding
Ability to translate complex financial information into clear, actionable insights for non-financial leaders
Strong understanding of financial controls, internal governance, and compliance frameworks

Nice To Haves

MBA or equivalent advanced degree
Experience in higher education or mission-driven organizations

Responsibilities

Lead the development of the College’s annual operating budget, multi-year financial plan, and rolling forecasts in alignment with the College’s strategic priorities and university guidelines.
Develop and maintain multi-year financial models incorporating enrollment scenarios, tuition pricing assumptions, scholarship allocation patterns, marketing investment levels, program growth scenarios, cost structures, and resource needs.
Provide forward-looking analysis that anticipates risks, evaluates trade-offs, and informs strategic and resource allocation decisions.
Analyze enrollment elasticity, employer demand trends, and competitive market dynamics to inform financial projections and risk assessments for graduate and executive education projects.
Serve as the primary financial advisor to the Dean and senior leadership team, offering clear, decision-ready recommendations and partnering with academic and administrative leaders to translate strategic priorities into financially viable plans.
Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timeliness and providing regular analysis of revenue, expenses, margins, and cost behavior to support data-informed leadership decisions
Design and maintain dashboards and performance reports tracking College-wide, departmental, and program-level financial performance.
Monitor variances, trends, and key financial drivers, recommending corrective actions or strategic adjustments as needed, clearly linking insights to leadership discussions and decision points.
In addition to historical reporting, provide forward-looking financial projections, sensitivity analyses, and early risk indicators to support proactive leadership decisions.
Lead financial analyses of academic programs, centers, institutes, initiatives, and delivery models to provide insights around financial sustainability, scalability, strategic alignment, and investment prioritization both on a periodic review cycle and in response to new or emerging opportunities.
Evaluate cost structures related to faculty workloads, staffing models, classroom utilization, instructional technology, and program delivery to provide insights around efficiency and appropriate resource allocation.
Conduct financial analyses of executive education contracts, corporate partnerships, live client projects, and experiential learning models to project contribution margins, cost variability, and long-term viability under varying demand conditions.
Analyze the financial implications of College facilities, space utilization, and major assets (e.g., instructional technology, computing resources), in partnership with facilities and IT colleagues. Provide oversight to ensure appropriate tracking, stewardship, and lifecycle planning of College assets.
Establish, monitor, and continuously strengthen the College’s financial control environment to ensure accuracy, compliance, and sound stewardship of resources.
Provide oversight of financial operations through effective delegation to the Accountant II, ensuring timely reconciliations, documentation, and adherence to university policies.
Review and approve non-routine, high-risk, or strategic financial transactions and commitments.
Ensure proper stewardship and reporting of unrestricted and restricted funds, including endowments, gifts, grants, and externally funded programs.
Serve as the College’s primary financial liaison with central university offices (Finance, Controller, Legal, Human Resources, University Advancement, Provost) on matters of policy, controls, compliance, and risk management.
Proactively identify control gaps, compliance risks, or process inefficiencies and lead improvements, including coordination with internal and external audit activities and follow-through on any required remediation.
Partner with the Dean, advancement leaders, and program sponsors to support fundraising strategy through financial analysis and planning.
Provide strategic financial input into gift and grant proposal development, including budget design, cost assumptions, sustainability analysis, and risk identification.
Help structure donor-funded initiatives to ensure alignment with donor intent, institutional policies, and long-term financial viability.
Conduct feasibility analyses and scenario planning for new gifts, endowed funds, and restricted resources.
Support ongoing stewardship by monitoring financial performance and sustainability of donor-funded initiatives.
Supervise and mentor the Accountant II, ensuring high standards of accuracy, service, accountability, and professional development.
Communicate financial information clearly and effectively to academic leaders, faculty, staff, and non-financial stakeholders.
Foster a culture of financial transparency, shared understanding, and continuous improvement.
Build financial literacy among program directors, department leaders and other employees with budgetary oversight responsibilities to strengthen decentralized decision-making.