Senior Director, Strategic Finance

Senior Director, Strategic Finance College Board - Finance Location: This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). All CB employees are required to occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes. Type: This is a full-time position About the Team The Strategic Finance team is a highly collaborative team, working with senior leaders across the organization to drive key decisions that strengthen the outcomes of our programs and services. As the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) arm of the Finance division, we leverage a strong understanding of College Board's economics, a broad range of financial models, and deep relationships with program leaders to manage and analyze a billion-dollar budget. Our work ensures that the College Board's resources are strategically and sustainably allocated in support of our mission to clear a path for all students to own their future. About the Opportunity In this role, you are at the heart of the College Board's FP&A work, managing a team that leads financial planning, expense management, and forecasting across many divisions. You ensure we understand where we stand financially at all times and help leadership make smart, confident decisions. You'll work closely with finance business partners, HR, Accounting, and senior leaders to turn complex financial data into consolidated corporate financials with clear, actionable insights. This is a high-impact, internal-facing role where strong leadership, sharp communication, and sound judgment will raise the bar for how we plan, invest, and operate. Because of your work, the College Board will be more financially focused, aligned, and ready to deliver on its mission. In this role, you will: FP&A / Budget Leadership (35%) Serve as the subject matter expert on expense management, ensuring accurate tracking, reporting, and forecasting of expenses Analyze expense trends across divisions and fiscal years, and identify opportunities for efficiency improvements and reinvestments that support our mission Collaborate with finance business partners to develop and manage budgets, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and sharp tracking of returns on key investments Forecast personnel expenses in partnership with HR and department leads, incorporating staffing plans and compensation changes Implement a consistent, transparent process for corporate allocation of shared expenses across departments Provide financial modeling and scenario analysis to support strategic decision-making Team Management (35%) Lead and manage a team of select finance business partners that are expense experts for their portfolios Set vision and priorities for the team; track and manage progress to goals; and provide coaching, thought partnership, and performance feedback to ensure team members deliver excellent work, remain engaged, and contribute meaningfully to our mission Cultivate an inclusive and high achieving culture that enables all team members to live out College Board's Operating Principles Bring proven leadership experience and consistently embody College Board's Manager Expectations in your work Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the strategic finance team Consolidated Reporting (15%) Consolidate detailed financial data across divisions into comprehensive organization financials Prepare and present monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports that explain variances and highlight actionable trends and insights for senior management Prepare YTD and FY P&L analyses and summaries for presentations to the Board Systems Development (15%): Design, test, implement, and maintain financial tools and software to enhance reporting accuracy and efficiency, often in collaboration with the Finance divisions' Operational Excellence team Provide oversight and ownership of budget structure and reporting setup in Adaptive Drive continuous improvement in financial processes and systems, leveraging technology and best practices About You To qualify for this role you must have: A Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics or related technical field preferred 12+ years of relevant and progressive experience in FP&A roles, with a focus on expense management plus finance business partner experience; extensive experience in financial modeling and quantitative analyses A strong understanding of corporate finance Experience with financial planning systems preferred, especially Workday and Adaptive Planning The ability to succinctly summarize complex financial analysis, present key findings to senior management, and influence decisions Project management skills and the ability to prioritize and independently manage multiple time-sensitive projects A solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement, with a willingness to iterate and adapt; the ability and willingness to both teach others and learn from colleagues Advanced MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word skills. Proficiency in other Microsoft Suite Tools or a willingness to learn. Exceptional attention to detail A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work Evidence of skills and mindsets required to live out College Board's Operating Principles The ability to travel 4-6 times a year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business Authorization to work in the United States All roles at College Board require: A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work Authorization to work in the United States for any employer Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies , with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and a comfort learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively. Clear and concise communication skills , written and verbal A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success. About Our Process Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days. While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks. What We Offer At College Board, we offer more than just a paycheck-we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive. We're a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation, grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market. A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation: The hiring range for this role is $120,000-$190,000/year. We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live. Below, we've offered an estimated range for a variety of metro areas throughout the United States: New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC and Los Angeles: $155,000-$190,000 Austin, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver: $138,000-$172,000 Atlanta, Miami, Iowa City and most other locations throughout the Southeast and Midwest: $120,000-$160,000 Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board. We aim to make our best offer upfront-rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data. You'll have open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what it's like to work at College Board throughout your hiring process. Check out our careers page for more.