Senior Director of Finance

As a member of the senior leadership team, the Senior Director of Finance will be responsible for the overall financial health, planning and management of the organization by providing financial projections, managing all accounting-related services, budgets, and financial reports, and directing staff. Reporting to the Managing Director, the Senior Director of Finance will work with leadership cross-functionally on creating annual financial plans, aligning financial plans with strategic objectives, establishing reliable projections, defining, measuring, and communicating key benchmarks, supporting financial review meetings, and being involved in discussions of other ad hoc projects. This role is responsible for the accounting and financial systems and processes of a new university-wide catalog, registration, and payment system (CRP), which serves as the e-commerce, CRM, and administrative system to support VPAL’s online learning delivery platforms. Job-Specific Responsibilities: • Responsible for effective staff management, including hiring and orientation, training and development, workflow and performance management, and the promotion of an inclusive and innovative work environment. • Oversee VPAL budget and accounting functions as a responsible financial steward of VPAL’s and Harvard’s resources. • Manage, develop, and improve key financial processes, including forecasting, budget planning, accounting, performance reporting, and long-range planning, both for VPAL as an organization and in support of Harvard’s online learning portfolio, which include courses sold through a variety of platforms and channels. • Serve as the lead subject matter expert, supporting the design of the finance and accounting systems and processes enabling VPAL’s B2C and B2B business models. • Aligning with and informing the strategic priorities of VPAL and working closely with the Managing Director and Vice Provost to inform resource allocation decisions. • Working closely with Managing Director, and heads of VPALs marketing and content teams, to drive financial success of digital content by informing pricing and other product decisions. • Analyze trends and translate financial impact to strategy and execution plan as needed. • Develop financial models and relevant metrics, prepare ad hoc financial and statistical analysis, and lead multi- year financial planning. • Lead, develop, and coach small finance team, overseeing the GL, A/R and A/P, budget, and procurement functions. • Manage and drive key financial and business operations metrics as part of VPALs strategic planning process. • Provide high level analysis of organizational financial drivers and with fluency in presenting data in digestible formats for schools and other stakeholders.  • Create models to contemplate scenarios around related business and financial drivers and to evaluate new product potential. • Support ad hoc projects and help define systems improvements to support growth. • Develop and lead continuous improvement initiatives for key financial systems and processes. Basic Qualifications a candidate must meet to be considered for this role: • MBA, Master’s degree or equivalent work experience required • Minimum of 10 years’ relevant work experience • Supervisory experience Additional Qualifications and Skills: • Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills • Advanced knowledge of budget management, financial analysis and financial modeling; working knowledge of accounting principles • Demonstrated experience with financial systems and data query tools • Experience in financial management positions with analytical responsibilities • People management experience with an ability to mentor • Proficiency in building and analyzing fina