Director of Financial Services

Job Title: Director of Financial Services


Hiring Salary: $77,247 - $96,561


Campus Location: Walters State Community College - Morristown Campus ( Employees are assigned to a "home" location but may occasionally or regularly be required to work at other WSCC locations.)


Job Purpose: Provides strategic leadership and oversight of the institution's financial operations, including accounting, financial reporting, budget administration, accounts payable, and related fiscal services. Ensures compliance with institutional policies, Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) requirements, state and federal laws and regulations, and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Directs financial planning, budget development, internal controls, audit coordination, and financial systems administration to safeguard institutional resources and support operational effectiveness. Supervises financial services personnel and serves as a key advisor to executive leadership by providing financial analysis, forecasting, and recommendations that support informed decision-making and the achievement of the institution's strategic and financial objectives.


Essential Job Duties:

• Directs the development and administration of the Institution's annual operating budget in consultation with the Assistant Vice President by collaborating with the budget committee and institutional leadership; coordinating the budget development process; monitoring departmental budgets; analyzing revenues and expenditures; preparing financial forecasts, projections, and budget revisions; completing required budget analyses and variance explanations; ensuring budget accuracy and balance; compiling and distributing budget reports; providing guidance and recommendations to the Assistant Vice President and budget managers; and delivering budget training and support to ensure sound fiscal stewardship and informed financial decision-making.
• Directs and oversees the Institution's accounting and accounts payable operations by reviewing and approving daily, month-end, and fiscal year-end accounting transactions and journal entries; overseeing check requests without purchase orders, wire transfers, ACH payments, and banking activities; establishing and maintaining effective internal controls; and ensuring compliance with institutional, TBR, and applicable financial and procurement policies and procedures.
• Directs the Institution's financial reporting functions by coordinating fiscal year-end closing activities; overseeing the preparation of financial statements, notes, and supporting schedules in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); reviewing financial information for accuracy and completeness; coordinating external audit requests and responses; and ensuring compliance with applicable accounting standards, reporting requirements, and regulatory mandates.
• Provides leadership and supervision to financial services personnel, including accounts payable, financial accounting, and grant accounting staff, by establishing performance expectations and departmental goals; assigning and monitoring work activities; evaluating employee performance; providing coaching, training, and professional development opportunities; and promoting efficient, accurate, and compliant financial operations.
• Provides oversight of institutional grant accounting and budgeting activities by ensuring compliance with sponsor, state, federal, and institutional requirements; supporting the timely preparation and submission of required financial reports; monitoring grant expenditures and financial activity; and collaborating with grant accounting personnel and program managers in the development, administration, and monitoring of grant proposal budgets.
• Serves as the Institution's procurement card and prepaid debit card program administrator by reviewing and approving card applications; establishing and maintaining program controls; providing training and guidance to cardholders and approvers; monitoring card activity and transactions for compliance; maintaining program records; and ensuring adherence to institutional and TBR policies and procedures.
• Coordinates the collection, analysis, and reporting of institutional financial data used to prepare the annual appropriation request for submission to the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC); compiles financial information for institutional reporting; and prepares required reports for executive leadership, management, and external agencies.
• Directs the administration of financial systems and reporting tools by serving as the functional liaison with the Institution's Information Technologies department; coordinating system upgrades, implementations, testing, and process improvements; resolving system issues; developing and enhancing financial reporting capabilities; and ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and security of financial data.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field
• 7-11 years' experience in accounting, budgeting, financial management, or related fiscal operations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field
• 3-5 years in a supervisory or management role over accounting, finance, or business office functions
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Experience in higher education finance or a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institution
• Experience with ERP financial systems
• Experience with governmental accounting standards (GASB) and federal grant compliance requirements

Behavioral Core Competencies:

• Empowers and motivates the team to maximize effectiveness.
• Listens effectively, encourages, and is receptive to new ideas; invites response/dissent; verifies he/she has a clear understanding of what others are saying.
• Breaks down barriers and develops influential relationships across teams/functions/layers; challenges others to identify new ways to view existing situations.
• Empowers employees to adjust procedures to improve service quality and find creative solutions to problems. Recognizes and rewards achievement.
• Spends time with employees to learn about their capabilities, needs, and priorities. Manages team conflict appropriately, providing feedback and coaching to develop team members.
• Inspires improvement to advance the College's mission while preserving institutional principles and character; recognizes and rewards people whose actions support organizational change efforts.
• Considers the impact and efficiency of decisions prior to deciding on a specific course of action in deference to WSCC's benefactors and supporters.

Leadership & Supervisory: Provides strategic leadership and direct supervision of exempt employees and, where applicable, nonexempt staff.


Environment & Working Conditions: Duties are performed in a typical office environment that is clean, well-lit, quiet, and temperature-controlled.


Physical Demands (including requirements for travel or working nights/weekends/holidays):

• Requires ongoing verbal communication via telephone and in person.
• Sits for long periods of time staring at a computer screen and using a mouse and keyboard.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of this job.


REQ# 504520


Posting Closes: Open until filled.