Senior Director Enterprise Decision Support - Executive VC Administrative Offices

Washington University in St. Louis • Brookings, SD

5d • $175,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Washington University in St. Louis—one of the nation’s premier research universities and home to the nationally recognized Washington University School of Medicine—seeks a strategic, collaborative, and analytically exceptional Senior Director of Enterprise Decision Support (EDS). This senior leader will shape the university’s enterprise-wide decision-support function, providing neutral, high-quality analytical insight that guides resource allocation, strategic planning, and investment decisions across both the Danforth Campus and WashU Medicine. The Senior Director partners closely with academic, clinical, research, and administrative leaders—advancing institutional priorities through rigorous analyses, business case development, and effective storytelling grounded in data. This role offers the opportunity to influence high-impact decisions for a globally ranked university and top-tier academic medical center, working at the intersection of strategy, finance, data, and institutional leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• 8 years of experience in enterprise decision support, FP&A, consulting, healthcare finance, or higher education administration.
• Experience working with senior academic, clinical, and administrative leaders.
• Experience supervising professional staff.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (MBA, MHA, MPP, MPH, or similar).
• Experience in an R1 university or academic medical center.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of decision-ready business cases and analyses supporting university-wide and School of Medicine priorities.
• Establish and uphold analytical standards, ensuring consistency in assumptions, methodologies, and scenario modeling across all EDS work products.
• Oversee a portfolio of complex, cross-institutional analyses that inform senior decision-making at the highest levels (CFO, CAO, Provost, Deans, executive councils, and the Board of Trustees).
• Serve as a trusted institutional advisor known for clarity, neutrality, and intellectual rigor.
• Initiate new analyses that anticipate institutional needs, including benchmarking, capacity modeling, financial and operational forecasting, and long range planning.
• Translate analytical findings into clear, compelling recommendations that enable leaders to compare options, evaluate trade-offs, and make confident strategic decisions.
• Partner with leaders in academic departments, clinical operations, research administration, and central units to shape decision frameworks and refine strategic questions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of professional analysts, promoting excellence in quantitative analysis, data storytelling, and stakeholder engagement.
• Create a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth within the Enterprise Decision Support function.
• Ensure work products meet the highest standards of accuracy, timeliness, and relevance.
• Build strong, trust-based relationships across WashU and WashU Medicine, functioning as a connective partner between units with diverse missions and needs.
• Prepare and refine materials for enterprise governance bodies including executive councils, Cabinet, and the Board of Trustees.
• Promote transparency and alignment through thoughtful communication, collaborative problem-solving, and shared analytical frameworks.

Benefits

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
• Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
• WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
• Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
• We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
• WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees