Director of Budget and Finance

Department: Facilities & Campus Operations

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Financial Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

George Mason University Facilities ensures a quality physical environment supporting the mission of the university. We will be the technical and business experts of choice with the total trust and confidence of our students, faculty and staff.

About the Position:

Ready to advance your career at Virginia's largest public research institution? Then we have the perfect opportunity for you. Work at George Mason University's beautiful Fairfax campus with 677 acres of wooded land, and become part of the GMU patriot team. You'll be a State employee of Virginia and make noticeable contributions to the educational facilities at George Mason.

We've got the work. Now, we need an additional team member to contribute to our busy environment. We want someone who is reliable, and takes pride in their work. The Assistant Vice President, Budget and Finance will trust and rely on you to get the job done.

George Mason's Facilities & Campus Operations department is committed to providing a safe, functional, and clean community experience at the university. So, what's in it for you?

Great benefits for you...

• Lots of leave, including paid annual leave, paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid two-week winter break (please note - the break employees often receive during the holiday season is not regularly guaranteed and is subject to annual approval);
  
• Free tuition, up to 12 credit hours during the academic year and professional development;
• Commuter Choice Transit Benefit;
• Virginia Retirement System Hybrid Plan; and
• Patriot Perks discounts to restaurants, events, and more!

For you and your family...

• Health/dental/vision benefits; and
• Tuition dependent benefit (restrictions apply).

We think it's a great opportunity and can't wait to speak to you.

Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Assistant Vice President, the Director, Budget & Finance will be responsible for the hands-on daily management and performance of budget development and management, budget analysis and reporting, and supervision of budget staff. Total operating budget in excess of 55m and the Capital Outlay program exceeding 80 million annually.

Budget Development and Management (including supervising staff)

• Manage the annual operating budget process for Facilities & Campus Operations, including developing detailed budgets for multiple cost centers, showing revenue, expense, and contribution to Central budget targets each fiscal year;
• Prepare and submit budget justifications to the AVP; assist with allocating resources among programs to align with Facilities & Campus Operations strategic goals;
• Analyze and consolidate budget requests;
• Recommend modification, approval, or disapproval of budget submissions based on established policies and practices;
• Track separate revenue sources for Freedom Center and recharge sources for Facilities & Campus Operations;
• Respond to new initiatives and facilitate disbursement and management of funds appropriately;
• Support the development of the annual budget, leveraging all funds and improving alignment of resource allocation with strategic goals;
• Conduct regular budget reviews and prepare adjustments in line with the Facilities & Campus Operations financial targets;
• Support wage budget development in correlation with workload needs and division priorities;
• Lead the day-to-day budget administration of Facilities & Campus Operations in compliance with university policies and procedures;
• Review and approve new hiring actions (ePAF submissions) and labor effort changes in Banner/Self-Service;
• Assist in developing and streamlining the process for updating permanent position rosters to update position budgets, labor effort changes, and labor projections based on current and future labor changes;
• Provide division-wide oversight and approval of expense reports in Mason Finance Gateway;
• Review and approve budget transfers, journals, and GMU Foundation vouchers;
• Provide financial oversight of the Marketplace Touchnet stores across the division;
• Manage the daily operations of the budget team;
• Provide guidance and support to staff members to ensure high performance and professional development;
• Conduct performance evaluations and implement improvement plans as needed;
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment; and
• Develop training materials and provide guidance to units on finance-related systems and processes;

Controls and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies, and procedures governing financial operations. Adhere to State and University policies and procedures;
• Conduct periodic audits or reviews to ascertain that appropriated and non-appropriated funds allocated have been expended as specified;
• Develop and maintain an appropriate system of internal controls for the organization's fiscal policy;
• Monitor all expenditures in accordance with federal/state fiscal rules and the university's fiscal policy. Ensure compliance in anticipation of internal or external audits; and
• Monitor and update authorized signature authorities for the organization.

Analysis and Reporting

• Implement tools and metrics to measure Facilities and Regional Campuses' financial performance against plans/targets;
• Assist the AVP in developing quarterly and multi-year forecasts of revenue, expenses, and fund balances across all funds;
• Monitor and reconcile budgets;
• Conduct detailed analyses of variances from budgets at year-end or ad hoc throughout the fiscal year. Identify budget risks and opportunities for savings;
• Report on annual recharges and provide projections and rate recommendations for future fiscal years. Develop new charge requests and present to the Recharge Committee;
• Perform advanced-level analyses of organization or fund assigned to include work units and costs of service;
• Compile facts relative to the details of the organization, work units, and costs of service and convert such information into budgetary terms;
• Compile comparative and historical data to be used in analyzing budgets of organizational entities or funds;
• Provide the AVP with monthly budget status updates;
• In collaboration with the Energy & Utilities team, provide utility projections to appropriate parties;
• Develop reports and dashboards to support analysis, data trends, and decision-making;
• Support all units with budget-to-actual analysis and fund balance reviews; and
• Support financial performance review and ROI analysis of Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center and other self-generated revenue-based units in F&CO.

Capital Finance Oversight Through the Capital Finance Manager

• Responsible for financial oversight of the University's Capital Program, annual outlay in excess of 80m;
• Oversees management of all Bureau of Capital Outlay Management and Department of Planning and Budget Capital Outlay forms related to financial matters on authorized capital projects;
• Liaises with the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget, Department of Accounts, State Treasury, Bureau of Capital Outlay Management and other state agencies to provide funds for all authorized projects;
• Ensure timely and accurate updating and maintaining all aspects of the eBuilder "Cost" section for assigned project; and
• Oversee review of fund balance or open encumbrances on completed projects and initiate process to return funds, inactivate leading 9 fund codes, and close open POs.

Other related duties as assigned by the the AVP and VP.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Significant experience in budget development, management, and adjustment processes, preferably within a higher education or public sector environment;
• Experience in supervising budget staff and managing daily operations of a budget team;
• Proven track record of conducting detailed financial analyses, developing forecasts, and preparing budget reports;
• Demonstrated knowledge of budget development, management, and adjustment processes;
• Knowledge of strategies for allocating resources among programs to align with strategic goals;
• Demonstrated knowledge of internal controls, policies, and procedures governing financial operations, including federal/state fiscal rules and university fiscal policy;
• Demonstrated knowledge of audit processes and requirements to ensure funds are expended as specified;
• Advanced proficiency in conducting detailed analyses of variances from budgets, identifying risks, and opportunities for savings;
• Advanced proficiency in developing quarterly and multi-year forecasts of revenue, expenses, and fund balances;
• Advanced skill in preparing and presenting budget status updates, projections, and rate recommendations;
• Competence in compiling comparative and historical data for budget analysis and developing reports and dashboards to support decision-making;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to provide guidance and support to departments and staff;
• Skill in working collaboratively with various teams, including HR and Energy & Utilities, to streamline processes and provide projections;
• Skill in forensic accounting to detect and prevent financial discrepancies and fraud;
• Ability to resolve finance-related transactions and issues effectively;
• Capability to oversee financial operations and ensure compliance with policies and procedures;
• Ability to manage and guide budget staff, including conducting performance evaluations and fostering a collaborative work environment;
• Ability to monitor expenditures and ensure compliance with fiscal rules and policies;
• Ability to lead the budget team and provide guidance and support to ensure high performance and professional development;
• Exceptional attention to detail to ensure accuracy in financial reporting and compliance;
• Strong problem-solving skills to address and resolve complex financial issues; and
• Ability to be a self-starter and independently research and resolve issues as they arise.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in related field;
• Significant experience in budget development, management, and adjustment processes, within a higher education;
• Understanding of public higher education and state agency budget development, management, and adjustment processes;
• Familiarity with public higher education internal controls, policies, and procedures governing financial operations, including federal/state fiscal rules;
• Awareness of audit processes and requirements specific to higher education, public entities, state and federal institution, or similarly governed agencies;
• Advanced skill in MicroStrategy; and
• Advanced skill in forensic accounting.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Director of Budget and Finance at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: June 4, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by: June 18, 2025

Open Until Filled: Yes