Finance Manager - Real Estate Development

Western Governors University•Salt Lake City, UT

7d•$109,900 - $170,400•Onsite

About The Position

The Finance Manager - Real Estate Development is WGU's finance lead for large-scale real estate development, including the new headquarters campus. This senior individual contributor owns the forward-looking financial view of the program: capital planning, project financial models, cash-flow forecasting, funding analysis, financial risk assessment, and executive decision support. The role partners across Development, Project Controls, Accounting, Treasury, Procurement, Legal, and external advisors to support disciplined capital allocation throughout the project lifecycle. This role works on-site at WGU's Salt Lake City, Utah headquarters. Relocation assistance is available to candidates who live more than 50 miles from Salt Lake City.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Real Estate, Business Administration, or a related analytical field, or equivalent relevant experience under WGU policy.
Eight or more years of progressive experience in corporate finance, FP&A, project finance, development finance, real estate finance, investment analysis, or a related discipline, including experience supporting complex capital projects.
Advanced financial modeling, cash-flow forecasting, scenario analysis, and capital-planning capability, with expert-level Excel proficiency.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional decisions and communicate concise financial insights and recommendations to senior executives.
Working knowledge of development economics, construction cost and schedule dependencies, financing structures, and financial governance.

Nice To Haves

Experience with large-scale commercial, mixed-use, hospitality, institutional, or corporate headquarters development.
Experience with debt or tax-exempt bond financing, public incentives, grants, or other complex funding sources.
MBA or relevant credential such as CFA, CPA, or CCIM.
Experience with enterprise planning, reporting, business intelligence, or project-controls systems.

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the integrated project financial model and long-range capital plan, aligning cost, scope, schedule, operating, and financing assumptions.
Lead project budgeting and rolling cash-flow forecasts; identify the amount and timing of funding and liquidity requirements.
Evaluate major investments, scope choices, delivery alternatives, and schedule changes using scenario, sensitivity, return, and life-cycle cost analyses, as appropriate.
Assess capital structure and funding alternatives, including cash, debt or tax-exempt bonds, incentives, and grants; support due diligence and financing execution with Treasury, Legal, and external advisors.
Translate actual costs, commitments, forecasts, contingency use, and key assumptions into clear executive reporting, variance explanations, risks, and recommendations.
Establish and maintain project finance governance, modeling standards, approval controls, and reporting requirements; monitor compliance with authorized budgets and decisions.
Quantify financial risks related to cost escalation, interest rates, schedule, scope, market conditions, and operations; recommend and monitor mitigation actions.
Provide functional leadership for project finance workstreams and present analysis and recommendations to project leadership, executive governance bodies, and the Board, as needed.