Director of Finance

Aspen Group, Inc. (AGI) is looking for an experienced Director of Finance tojoin our amazing team!

AGI is an education technology holding company that leverages its infrastructure and expertise to allow its two universities, Aspen University and United States University, to deliver on the vision of making college accessible and affordable.

This is an opportunity for a strong detail-oriented Director of Finance who is looking for personal and professional growth in a dynamic organization that values competence, professionalism and problem-solving curiosity. Administratively reporting to the AGI Chief Accounting Officer (CAO), with explicit accountability to the University President and direct access to the relevant boards and committees, this role will be the financial representative of the university. Duties include supporting budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and management reporting in a publicly traded higher education environment. Strong ability to analyze enrollment-driven revenue streams, monitor operating performance, and deliver actionable insights to finance leadership. Partnering with accounting and operational teams to ensure accurate financial reporting, improve forecasting accuracy, and support data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the annual budgeting and monthly forecasting processes for a publicly traded higher education organization with enrollment-driven revenue streams.
• Support monthly financial reporting processes, including preparation of variance analyses and reconciliation of actuals vs. budget/forecast.
• Assist in building annual operating budgets and long-range planning models under guidance
• Produce recurring KPI reports tracking enrollment, revenue per student, retention, and operating performance metrics.
• Collect and validate financial data across departments to ensure consistency and accuracy of reporting inputs.
• Improve reporting efficiency by standardizing Excel templates and automating recurring reporting deliverables.
• Prepare monthly financial reporting packages, including variance analysis of revenue, expenses, and EBITDA performance for review by senior management.
• Assist in development and maintenance of enrollment and tuition revenue models, incorporating student start trends, retention assumptions, and pricing changes.
• Analyze key financial and operational metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities impacting business performance.
• Partner with accounting and academic teams to ensure accuracy and consistency of financial data and assumptions used in forecasts.
• Support quarterly financial close and external reporting processes by providing variance explanations and supporting schedules for Quarterly and Annual Reports filings.
• Assist with quarterly earnings release
• Build and maintain Excel-based/Budget (budgeting tool) financial models to support scenario analysis, forecasting updates, and ad hoc executive requests.
• Assist in preparation of management reporting decks used in executive leadership meetings and board-level discussions.
• Prepare and present financial analysis for accreditors and regulators.
• Support ad hoc financial analysis requests for leadership, including enrollment scenarios and expense trend analysis.
• Identify and support process improvements that enhance reporting efficiency, data accuracy, and forecast reliability.
• Perform other duties, as needed.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance.
• Graduate education preferred (MBA or CPA)
• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in accounting or finance.
• Higher Education industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience managing operational functions, financial aid and student accounts team experience a plus.
• Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Strong experience working in financial planning and analysis software.
• Experience in publicly traded financial reporting environment.
• Experience in audits, controls, accreditation, institution-level reporting, and governance a plus.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, especially Advanced Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Query, Modeling), PowerPoint (Executive Reporting Decks)
• Some travel required.

Successful Characteristics and Competencies

• Highly motivated manager who is detail oriented, meticulous and possesses a high level of business insight and technical skills.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to influence and impact business results across teams.
• Ability to translate data into clear financial insights for decision-makers.
• Collaborative and able to build consensus across cross-functional teams while challenging assumptions in a relevant way.
• Ability to work well with others and promote a positive working environment.
• Highly organized and proactive with strong attention to detail.
• Hands-on approach to getting the work done with strong problem-solving skills.
• Great interpersonal skills.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) with ability to communicate effectively with all levels of stakeholders.

Schedule

Hybrid schedule with some in-office days each week (office located near PHX Sky Harbor area).

Salary Range

$150,000 - $175,000/year

Work Environment

• This is a hybrid position that requires working from home using a university-provided laptop. The role involves regular use of email, video conferencing, and other online tools to communicate and complete tasks. A quiet workspace and a reliable internet connection are essential. Employees are responsible for abiding by all FERPA privacy laws within their remote work environment.
• When at the office, the essential functions of the job are usually performed in an environmentally controlled facility where the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• While performing the job duties, the employee is regularly required to sit; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee may sometimes be required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.
• The work environment and physical demands described are representative of those required of an employee to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations.

At Aspen Group, we embrace diversity, we support it, we celebrate it and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees and our community. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Aspen Group is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer.