Program Director I, Academic Finance

Program Director of Academic Finance

The Program Director of Academic Finance is a senior operational leader who reports to the Associate Vice President for Finance to coordinate, implement, and manage enterprise academic finance initiatives across Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health. This role translates financial strategy into operational execution—supporting multi‑year financial planning, enterprise budgeting, academic program financial modeling, and reporting infrastructure across multiple campuses and academic missions (education, research, faculty affairs, and graduate medical education). The Program Director serves as the operational integrator across finance, analytics, and academic leadership—ensuring consistent financial practices, clear decision support, and disciplined execution of academic finance priorities aligned with enterprise strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of five years of financial experience in a large organizational setting, or
• Master’s degree plus three years of relevant financial experience in a large organizational setting
• Experience in an academic medical center or healthcare system environment (preferred)
• Bachelor's degree with three years of progressive and applicable experience in the area to be served.

Essential Functions

• Lead Financial Planning & Forecasting: develop and maintain annual budgets, rolling forecasts, pro‑formas, and multi‑year financial plans; support scenario modeling for revenue, expenses, staffing, and capital investments, and monitor performance against plan.
• Coordinate Budget Development & Monitoring: oversee budget preparation across multiple departments or programs, ensuring consistent practices and timelines and tracking variances with actionable reporting.
• Provide Comprehensive Financial Management and Reporting: deliver timely, accurate reports and analyses to Vice Deans and academic leadership that monitor performance, identify variances, and support strategic decision‑making.
• Design Financial Dashboards to Monitor Academic Metrics and KPIs and transform data into actionable insights for strategic, data‑driven operational decisions.
• Provide Financial Analysis & Decision Support: conduct financial modeling, cost‑benefit analysis, and ROI evaluations; translate data into clear recommendations and support business cases for new initiatives.
• Monitor Academic Endowments and Chair/Faculty Financial Commitments: identify, monitor, and report utilization to ensure compliance, stewardship, and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Ensure Financial Controls & Compliance: support implementation of financial policies, procedures, and internal controls; ensure adherence to regulatory and organizational requirements.
• Manage Cross‑Functional Finance Projects and System Enhancements: lead finance‑related initiatives such as system implementations, process improvements, or restructuring; partner with stakeholders to assess needs, optimize processes, and enhance financial systems and reporting tools.
• Build Stakeholder Partnerships & Communication: serve as a trusted advisor to the AVP and other academic leaders on financial matters; present insights clearly and facilitate financial transparency and education across teams.

Skills and Qualifications

• Excellent financial management and budgeting skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong knowledge of data analysis and financial reporting
• Ability to navigate a highly matrixed environment
• Ability to achieve results with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Demonstrated problem‑solving and analytic skills

Physical Requirements

This position requires periods of sitting, standing, walking, bending, and reaching. It is essential that the candidate can speak, hear, and see and has the dexterity to use fingers and hands.

Benefits

• Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
• Premium pay such as shift, on‑call, and more based on the role
• Incentive pay for select positions
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, short‑ and long‑term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

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