Assistant VP, Financial Planning & Analysis

Job Title

Assistant VP, Financial Planning & Analysis

Location

UWG Recruiting Location – Regular, Full-Time. Campus: 1601 Maple Street, Carrollton, GA 30118. Faculty and staff expected to be physically present on campus as needed.

About Us

Since 1906, the University of West Georgia (UWG) has been home to those who seek a transformative college experience. UWG is a leading residential, doctoral comprehensive university that offers a broad undergraduate and graduate curriculum based on a liberal arts foundation. Nestled among the pines on a picturesque 645 acres is the University of West Georgia—a hidden gem approximately 40 miles west of Atlanta. Serving approximately 16,000+ students, and offering more than 100 programs, UWG is committed to advancing innovative academic programs and a student-centered business model. Perennially ranked by U.S. News & World Report, the Princeton Review, and Colleges of Distinction as a top national university, West Georgia offers 86 fields of study, including business, computing, nursing, education, STEM, communication and digital media, social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. UWG generates a regional economic impact of more than $650 million annually and provides a safe, quality, and affordable university experience that connects students to post‑graduate career and leadership opportunities. UWG has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for its institutional commitment to community engagement through teaching, research and creative activities, and public service. West Georgia is one of only 119 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the elective classification in 2020 and is among only 359 institutions nationally. Dedicated to creating a first-choice university for students, alumni, employees, and communities, UWG seeks employees who will advance and support the University’s mission of fulfilling the talent needs of western Georgia and the Atlanta metropolitan area, while contributing to the social, cultural, and economic development of the region and state.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Vice President for Business and Finance, the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Budgeting and Financial Planning & Analysis is responsible for leading the overall financial planning and ongoing budget management processes university-wide. This role manages three finance verticals, including Budgeting Headquarters, Auxiliaries Finance, and Administrative & Institutional Support. The AVP leads the annual and long-range budget planning framework, including processes, tools, and insights, to support executive leadership decision making, including the annual budget hearing process in which the strategic plan is presented to the Chancellor and the leadership team for the University System of Georgia. The AVP develops and maintains streamlined, cost efficient, value-added budget management processes to ensure the university can timely and effectively monitor, forecast and prioritize in-year budgets to meet USG and stakeholder commitments, and delivers required budget reporting to stakeholders, including USG/BOR/UWG. Functions of this role include adherence to USG/BOR/University internal controls and financial reporting policies and procedures applicable to budgeting.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Budget Leadership & Planning: Lead the annual and long‑range budget planning framework, including processes, tools, and analytical insights, to support executive leadership decision making. Serve as a trusted partner to campus leaders to prioritize spend in support of the mission of the University. Budget Hearing & Annual Budget Development: Lead the annual budget hearing process to collect, analyze, and explain financial and student performance trends and recommended future plans for executive and system‑level review. Lead the annual budget development process to ensure submissions to the University System of Georgia are delivered timely, comprehensively, and accurately.
• In‑Year Budget Monitoring & Reporting: Ensure there is an effective budget policy and process framework to efficiently manage budgets across the University, including forecasting in‑year risks and opportunities versus plan and supporting reallocations as needed. Provide timely and accurate budget reporting and variance analysis for internal and external stakeholders. Budget Systems Strategy, Data Governance & Reporting: Serve as the University’s functional lead for Workday Adaptive Planning, ensuring the platform effectively supports annual budget development, quarterly budget/actuals reporting, forecasting, scenario analysis, and executive dashboards. Oversee the design and evolution of budget models, reporting hierarchies, and planning templates to align with institutional needs and USG reporting requirements. Establish governance practices for budgeting and planning data (definitions, standards, and validation), partnering with campus stakeholders to promote consistent reporting and reduce reconciliation effort.
• Financial Analysis & Business Insights: Continuously assess and elevate business insights on revenue and expenses to provide outstanding decision support to the leadership team and broader campus partners. Ensure budget teams are supported in business systems and tools that are effective in delivering needed insights.
• People, Performance & Organizational Leadership: Run performance management processes to ensure objectives are set and reviewed, and develop recommendations for business continuity, including succession planning for key roles. Support associates in capability development.

Required Qualifications

• Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree.
• Required Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant business discipline (e.g., Finance, Accounting, Management) from a regionally accredited institution. Five to ten years of experience in a similar role or equivalent experience in FP&A and budgeting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred Educational Qualifications: Master’s Degree.
• Preferred Experience: MBA, MPA, or CPA. Experience in Higher Education and, specifically, the University System of Georgia; experience supporting Academic Affairs.

Proposed Salary

$145,000–$160,000 annually, paid on a monthly basis.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

ABILITIES : Ability to provide thought leadership on the evolution of financial planning and analysis responsibilities and interactions university-wide, including enhanced revenue planning, productivity tracking, business performance tracking, and auxiliary reporting.

KNOWLEDGE : Demonstrated ability to ensure adherence to USG/BOR/University internal controls and financial reporting policies and procedures applicable to budgeting.

SKILLS : Ability to establish and maintain enterprise-level controls to effectively plan, monitor, and forecast in‑year and multi‑year budgets.

Office Environment: Work normally performed in a typical interior work environment.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning and the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2. For reference:

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. For reference:

Conditions of Employment

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of West Georgia as determined by the University of West Georgia in its sole discretion; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials, reference checks; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. Applicants may be subject to a pre‑employment drug test. Offers are made expressly subject to the applicable federal and state laws, statutes, rules, and regulations of this institution and to the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG), which are available for your inspection upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of West Georgia is an equal employment, equal access, and equal educational opportunity, and affirmative action institution. It is the policy of the University of West Georgia to recruit, hire, train, promote and educate persons without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status as required by applicable state and federal laws (including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Sections 503, and 504, ADEA, ADA, E.O. 11246, and Rev. Proc. 75‑50).

Other Information

The mission of the University of West Georgia is to enable students, faculty, and staff to realize their full potential through academic engagement, supportive services, professional development, and a caring, student‑centered community. The institutional mission and daily operation of the University of West Georgia are guided by our values that support our vision to be the best place to work, learn, and succeed: ACHIEVEMENT, CARING, COLLABORATION, INCLUSIVENESS, INNOVATION, INTEGRITY, SUSTAINABILITY, and WISDOM.