General Accounting and Budget Manager

Job Description

The General Accounting and Budget Manager oversees the preparation, administration, and monitoring of the University's annual operating budget. The role also supports strategic financial planning and long-range forecasting and provides analytical guidance to senior leadership as well as academic and administrative departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation, administration, and monitoring of the annual operating budget
• Partner with academic and administrative departments to develop budgets, forecasts, and multi-year financial projections
• Monitor budget-to-actual results, analyze variances, and recommend corrective actions
• Support strategic financial planning initiatives and long-range modeling
• Develop timely and accurate management reports and dashboards for senior leadership
• Analyze financial trends, enrollment impacts, and cost drivers to support decision-making
• Prepare ad hoc financial analyses and scenario modeling as requested
• Collaborate closely with Controller, General Accounting, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Student Accounts, and Financial Aid
• Provide assistance as needed
• Support the preparation and review financial statements, schedules, and variance analyses for internal and external stakeholders
• Serve as a financial resource to department leaders, providing guidance on budgeting and fiscal stewardship
• Manage and optimize financial systems
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve data quality, and enhance reporting efficiency
• Support system upgrades, implementations, and process automation initiatives
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, funding requirements, contractual requirements, and regulatory standards
• Aid in developing, documenting, and improving financial policies and procedures

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance required
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible accounting experience, including supervisory responsibility, preferably in higher education or a nonprofit environment
• Master's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field is highly desirable

Qualifications

• Strong analytical, organizational, and people skills
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word is required. Strong experience using artificial intelligence tools, particularly Microsoft Copilot, is desirable
• Experience with nonprofit or higher education financial systems preferred; knowledge of Banner Finance is a plus