Senior Director of Finance

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

11d•$135,000 - $155,004

About The Position

UW Continuum College has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Director of Finance to join their team. The Senior Director of Finance serves as the financial leader for UW Continuum College, driving long-term financial strategy while ensuring sound fiscal stewardship. This role combines forward-looking planning and resource optimization with oversight of financial integrity, compliance, and reporting. The Senior Director partners with the vice provost and senior leadership to shape investment decisions, program viability, and college-wide financial priorities, while maintaining alignment with University of Washington policies and the evolving Incentive‑Based Budget (IBB) model.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and six years of experience in the following:
Ability to present financial information clearly to non-financial audiences.
Demonstrated leadership experience managing teams and end-to-end financial operations.
Demonstrated experience with the responsibilities outlined above.
Equivalent education and experience may substitute for required qualifications.

Responsibilities

College Financial Governance: Establish and maintain the college-wide financial governance framework, including internal controls, fiscal policies, delegations, and cost recovery methodologies.
Design and oversee the College’s budget structures and cost‑recovery approaches, ensuring consistency, transparency, and policy alignment.
Set and enforce standards for financial compliance and audit readiness across all Continuum units.
Multi-Year Strategy & Portfolio Economics: Lead rolling 5‑year financial planning and predictive modeling to inform strategic growth, program viability, and resource allocation.
Set Continuum-level financial targets and guardrails (e.g., administrative budgets, reserves, margin thresholds) and monitor adherence.
Build and maintain scenario analyses for margin optimization and overhead cost transparency.
Resource Allocation Authority: Authorize allocations and commitments within approved parameters.
Approve budgets and cost‑recovery structures; guide pricing, contribution margin targets, and investment requests.
Provide clear recommendations to senior leadership on major investments and program portfolio decisions (starts, expansion, sunset).
Financial Planning, Analysis & Budget Development: Direct FP&A, annual budget development, and execution.
Analyze trends and performance metrics to optimize resource allocation, cost structure, and revenue growth.
Ensure forecasts are accurate, transparent, and actionable for leaders.
Financial Communication & Literacy: Establish and lead a college-wide financial literacy program for managers and leaders.
Translate complex financial strategies into accessible insights for executive and academic leaders.
Deliver high-impact presentations to leadership and governance bodies.
Finance Systems, Data & Transparency: Own the finance data model and KPI framework for the College.
Sponsor improvements to BI and reporting systems that provide real‑time, role‑relevant dashboards.
Ensure reporting delivers timely, transparent views of unit‑ and college‑level performance and aligns with IBB requirements.
Leadership & Organizational Capability: Lead a multi‑disciplinary finance team (including manager‑level reports).
Drive change management across systems, tools, and processes; develop talent and succession plans.
Foster collaboration with central finance, campus partners, and external stakeholders, as appropriate.