University Budget Director - University of Puget Sound in Issaquah, Washington

Location

Issaquah, Washington

Job Type

Full-time

Company

Another Source

## At a glance

Another Source is partnering with the University of Puget Sound to recruit a University Budget Director, a career-defining opportunity for a finance professional ready to move from budget management into institutional financial leadership. This role serves as the University's lead budget and financial planning expert and oversees long-range financial modeling, annual budget development, forecasting, and strategic analysis across a $94.6M operating budget. You will work closely with senior leadership, Cabinet members, and Board committees and have the chance to modernize budgeting and forecasting processes at a financially strong, mission-driven university.

### About the role

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Finance, the University Budget Director is a highly visible position that acts as a key financial partner to executive leadership. The role supports institutional decision-making across a $94.6 million operating budget and an approximately $500 million endowment portfolio. While it does not directly manage endowment assets, the position develops financial models and assumptions that inform endowment draw strategies and long-term financial sustainability planning. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to overlap with a long-tenured financial leader who has served the institution for more than 26 years to ensure thoughtful onboarding and institutional knowledge transfer.

### What you'll be doing

You will lead maintenance and enhancement of the University's long-range financial planning model and develop multi-year forecasts and scenario analyses that support institutional strategy and financial sustainability. Evaluating the financial implications of enrollment trends, compensation changes, endowment performance, and other priorities will be part of your day-to-day. You will coordinate the University's annual budget development process, partner with budget managers across campus, maintain budget data within People. Soft, and manage Budget Variance Reporting (BVR) with meaningful analysis of financial performance.

Endowment-related modeling and payout projections will be part of your work, supporting planning related to endowment draw strategies and collaborating with Finance leadership to analyze investment-related impacts on long-range planning. You will prepare executive summaries and planning materials for senior leadership, Finance & Facilities Committee meetings, and Board presentations, and conduct special financial studies and strategic analyses as needed.

You will also support implementation of a new budgeting and forecasting platform, identify opportunities to improve reporting, automation, and financial planning processes, and deliver budget-related training and support to campus partners as needed. Hybrid work opportunities are available following onboarding and training.

### Who we're looking for

We require a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a related field; CPA preferred. A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in financial planning, budgeting, accounting, or related functions is required, preferably within a private, not-for-profit higher education environment. Demonstrated expertise in multi-year financial modeling within a tuition- and enrollment-driven operating model, including scenario and sensitivity analysis, is expected. Working knowledge of endowment accounting, draw policies, and investment unitization (or the ability to quickly develop this expertise) is required.

Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills are essential, along with proven ability to collaborate effectively with academic, administrative, and governance stakeholders. You should have excellent written and verbal communication skills and experience presenting complex financial information to senior leadership and boards. Advanced proficiency with Excel and related tools for financial modeling is required. Experience working with enterprise systems (ERP, budgeting, or student information systems) and relational databases is expected, as is familiarity with business intelligence and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau) and core economic and financial concepts relevant to higher education.

### Preferred background

A CPA license is preferred. Experience in a higher education or similarly complex non-profit organization is also preferred.

University of Puget Sound offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Salary Range: $115,000 - $130,000 annually, depending on experience. Relocation Assistance Available.

### Commitment to community

The University values the richness of commonalities and differences in its community and aims to foster respect, appreciation, and opportunity for all. Another Source, working on a retained basis with the University, is committed to building inclusive candidate pools and encourages applicants to apply even if they do not meet every listed qualification.