Operational Excellence and Transformation Associate

Reporting to the Operations Manager, this position will support financial management and transformation initiatives across the Administration & Marketing and Communications divisions. Responsibilities Supports the quarterly forecasting and budget check‑in cycle across the Administration & Marketing and Communication divisions. Builds variance analyses, scenario models, and financial summaries in support of division‑level budget reviews and COO‑facing financial reporting. Maps current‑state workflows, captures stakeholder input, and drafts process improvement findings across transformation initiatives. Produces executive‑ready deliverables – decks, memos, one‑pagers, and dashboards – that translate analysis into decisions at the VP and COO level, with ownership of formatting and quality control. Prepares materials for executive and divisional leadership meetings; tracks action items and follows up across the transformation portfolio to ensure implementation discipline. Owns project risk logs, milestone trackers, and workstream status boards across the transformation portfolio; proactively surfaces and escalates blockers. Conducts peer institution benchmarking and external research to inform recommendations and support divisional leader requests. Deploys AI tools and agentic workflows (Claude, CoPilot, ChatGPT) to accelerate research, drafting, and process documentation, modeling AI‑enabled operations across the divisions. Expectations & Values Exhibit behavior that supports the mission, vision, and values of the university. Promote an environment that supports diversity and inclusivity. Communicate and employ interpersonal actions that model high standards of professional, responsible, accountable, and ethical conduct. Demonstrate a commitment to outstanding stakeholder service. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in business or related field, or equivalent experience; master’s degree is preferred. Minimum 2 years of related job experience; internship or prior work in consulting or business operations is preferred. Experience working in positions that involve collaboration across multiple departments. Knowledge of higher‑education and related issues and pressures preferred. Fluency in M365; hands‑on experience with AI tools / agentic workflows required; Workday Financials and Adaptive Financial Planning experience preferred. Demonstrated analytical skills and experience using data for decision support; creating complex analytical reports; working with large‑scale budgets, including operational and capital budgeting. Attention to detail and deadline sensitivity. Ability to handle confidential information with appropriate confidence and sensitivity. Demonstrated experience and success in sensitive communication. Exemplary communication skills (both written and oral) evidenced by background in preparing comprehensive reports and executive summaries incorporating business trends, industry trends, customer satisfaction, and other key metrics. Salary Staff Regular Salary range $71,100.00 - $88,900.00. Salary commensurate with education and experience. Please note that this position may not be eligible for visa sponsorship now or in the future. EEO Statement Loyola Marymount University is an equal employment opportunity employer and prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin (including language and language use restrictions), ancestry, disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, legally protected medical condition (cancer‑related or genetic characteristics), denial of Family and Medical Care Leave, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical condition), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age 40 or over, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other bases protected by federal (including but not limited to Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), state or local law. The University does not discriminate on these bases, or any other basis protected by law, in the administration of any of its education or admissions policies, scholarship or loan programs, athletics, and other school‑administered policies and programs, or in its employment policies and practices. All University policies, practices, and procedures are administered in a manner consistent with LMU's Jesuit identity and character. To report questions or concerns about sex‑based discrimination, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io. To learn more about Federal & State Employment Notices, please refer to federal and state employment notices. #J-18808-Ljbffr Loyola Marymount University