Director of Strategic Analysis, PennGSE

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Director of Strategic Analysis, PennGSE

Job Profile Title

Director C, Business and Finance

Job Description Summary

The Penn Graduate School of Education is committed to cultivating a workplace that values equity, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. We seek talented individuals who will help lead our efforts to create a more inclusive workplace in a community with a substantive institutional commitment to equity and justice. Diversity is prized at Penn as a central component of our mission and helps create an educational and working environment that best supports the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.
PennGSE, has an immediate opening for an exceptional individual to assume the role of Director of of Strategic Analysis.
This position reports directly to the Vice Dean of Administration and is a strategic member of the business office team. The Director is responsible for the planning and execution of the fiscal and accounting operations, forecasting, budgeting, strategic planning, and multi-department projects for the Executive Format Degree Programs of the School. The Director will also take on other special projects for the Vice Dean as needs arise concerning budgeting/planning and school level data analysis. The Director works collaboratively with individual program directors, faculty, and staff as well as the Vice Dean, and Dean on financial matters over the course of the year.
The Director will support the Vice Dean and program staff to complete budgeting, forecasting, monthly reporting and various ad hoc financial analyses as needed to run the financial operations of GSE’s executive format programs. Responsible for the financial operations and administration of approximately $20M annual operating budget including: creating budgetary templates, workflow standards, greater internal controls, enhanced service and support for the programs. This requires managing large amounts of data in several disparate systems and ensuring that data from these systems reconcile. The Director may also serve as School liaison to University committees or working groups. This position will need to understand Penn and GSE policies and develop best practices to optimize performance of the financial operations. Communication and technical skill as it pertains to data analysis and financial planning are key to the role’s success.

Job Description

The position is responsible for a variety of functions, including:

• Responsible for analyzing planning and reporting financial results for the Exec Format Degree Programs. Leads teams in reporting initiatives including building budget templates, integrating the Dean’s Strategic Vision into the budgets, executive summaries, division/schoolwide P&Ls, and forecasts. Responsible for annual budget, forecasts, long range planning, and strategic analysis for purpose of contributing to the financial health of the business units.
• Work with direct reports and other managers to streamline work flows for payroll, procurement, and travel needs of the Executive Format Programs..
• Develop and maintain expertise in the use of all University financial systems including all aspects of Ben Financial and the use of querying and reporting tools including Business Objects, Qlikview, Slate and others to efficiently analyze, report, visualize, and communicate University, GSE,  and business unit data. Be an active team member in the implementation of any new technology systems to ensure they support the operational and reporting needs of the School and Business Office.
• Work with teammates in the GSE Business Office on ad hoc Financial reporting/budgeting/other assignments – examples include but are not necessarily limited to monitor account spending to avoid unfavorable budget variances; assist programs with data analytics using Qlikview; report on non-credit, online program finances to Provost Office; create donor reports for endowment/gift spend; university-required foreign source income and Department of Education filings; submit international reporting to Office of EVP; monitor Business Office GSE Website for improvement opportunities in information dissemination.
• Foster a spirit of teamwork and collaboration among team members to meet the organization's expectations for productivity, quality, continuous improvement, and goal accomplishment.
• Other duties as assigned.
   

A Master’s degree and 5-7 years of experience is required or equivalent combination of education and experience. Degree in accounting or business preferred.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Graduate School of Education

Pay Range

$74,476.00 - $110,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile. 

Affirmative Action Statement 
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay