Assistant Provost Academic Budget Planning

St. John; New York (NY); On-site; USD 146,000 - 178,000; Full time

Job summary

St. John's University invites applications for the Assistant Provost Academic Budget Planning.

This role leads integrated budget planning for a portfolio of colleges and academic units, partnering with Deans to set strategic direction within division standards and to advance portfolio actions to the Associate Provost. The position exercises budget authority across operating budgets, compensation planning, endowments, and program financial analysis, while supervising the Director of Academic

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent work experience in higher education administration or finance.
• Experience advising Deans or senior academic leaders.
• Demonstrated budget authority and sound financial planning decisions.
• Supervisory or mentorship experience with analytical staff.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operating budget development for assigned schools and units.
• Serve as the primary financial advisor to Deans on budget performance and investments.
• Supervise the Director of Academic Budget Planning and ensure quality analyses.
• Coordinate multi-year financial projections and resource allocations for programs.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Relationship-building

Strategic thinking

Education

Master's degree in higher education administration, finance, business, public administration, public policy, or related field

Job description

Assistant Provost Academic Budget Planning

St. John's University

Salary: $161,700.00 Annually

Job Type: Full-Time Administrator

Job Number: 202600075

Location: Queens Campus, NY

St. John's, established in 1870, has two New York City campuses;international locations in Rome, Italy; Limerick, Ireland; andParis, France; and study abroad locations around the world. ThePrinceton Review and other top rankings consistently recognize theUniversity's outstanding academics, diverse student body, dynamicinternship, and volunteer opportunities, focus on student life, anddiverse study abroad offerings. St. John's University offers morethan 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in its six collegesand schools, with a growing number of programs offered online. TheUniversity is accredited by the Middle States Commission on HigherEducation and 12 other major academic and professionalassociations.

A dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart ofour mission. As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St. John's iscommitted to institutionalizing practices of inclusive excellenceto ensure that we welcome and celebrate the intrinsic worth of allmembers of ourcommunity. We will become an even strongeruniversity as we enhance equity at every level of ourinstitution.Our graduates will excel in the competencies and valuesneeded for leadership and service in a rapidly evolvingworld.

Job Summary

The Assistant Provost for Academic Planning is accountable for theintegrated budget planning and financial management of an assignedportfolio of colleges, schools, and academic units. The AssistantProvost owns the financial planning relationship with assignedDeans, sets the strategic direction for the portfolio within division standards, and recommends significant portfolio actions tothe Associate Provost.

This position exercises budget authority within approved parametersand leads school-level planning related to operating budgets, faculty and staff planning, compensation, restricted funds,endowments, capital implications, program financial analysis,assessment integration, accreditation considerations, and pre-awardgrants planning.

The Assistant Provost supervises and develops the Director ofAcademic Budget Planning, who provides analytical, modeling,reporting, and documentation support for the portfolio. TheAssistant Provost remains ultimately accountable for portfoliorecommendations, Dean-level advising, and escalation of materialissues.

Job Responsibilities

Operating Budget, Faculty Planning, and Portfolio Management

• Lead annual operating budget development for assigned schools andunits, including revenue and expenditure planning, faculty andstaff assumptions, compensation costs, program activity, strategicinvestments, and institutional budget parameters.
• Monitor budget performance through budget-to-actual review,variance analysis, root-cause assessment, and corrective actionplanning.
• Develop multi-year financial projections incorporating staffing,compensation, program activity, enrollment trends, restricted funduse, and strategic investment scenarios.
• Review and approve budget transfers, reallocations, and positionchanges within assigned portfolio parameters.
• Evaluate new, replacement, or restructured faculty and staffposition requests for affordability, timing, financial impact,instructional need, and alignment with school and institutionalpriorities.
• Coordinate salary and compensation planning, including merit,equity, market, promotional, overload, adjunct, summer, leave,sabbatical, course buyout, reassigned time, and grant release-timecosts.
• Conduct salary savings and resource availability analyses andtranslate findings into reallocation recommendations.
• Ensure faculty workload, adjunct staffing, compensation plans,academic personnel costs, and operating budgets are fiscally soundand aligned with institutional policies.

Endowments, Restricted Funds, Capital Planning, and Strategic Resource Use

• Manage endowment, designated, and restricted fund planning forassigned schools in coordination with appropriate Universityoffices.
• Maintain fund status reports, statements of change, spend-downplans, and analyses of available balances.
• Advise Deans on strategic use of endowment distributions,designated funds, restricted funds, and start-up funds whileensuring compliance with donor intent and institutionalpolicy.
• Integrate capital planning implications into school operatingbudgets and multi-year financial plans.
• Identify opportunities to use restricted, designated, oravailable funds strategically to support academic priorities andoffset operating budget pressure where allowable.

Program, Initiative, and Academic Investment Analysis

• Serve as the primary financial advisor to assigned Deans, leadingportfolio discussions and providing data-informed recommendationson budget performance, fund balances, staffing plans, programinvestments, operating risks, academic demand, and strategicresource decisions.
• Conduct program-level financial analyses, including revenue,expense, ROI, P&L, credit hour production, staffing costs,space, technology, overhead, and other operating costs.
• Evaluate proposed academic initiatives through pro formamodeling, scenario analysis, and sustainability review.
• Incorporate academic demand, enrollment trends, retention,completion, market indicators, assessment findings, accreditationrequirements, mission considerations, and strategic priorities intofinancial recommendations.
• Identify programs or initiatives that are financially strong,marginal, or unsustainable and advise Deans on investment,restructuring, partnership, phase-out consideration, or otheraction.
• Analyze cross-subsidization patterns, operational efficiencies,shared service opportunities, and potential duplication ofresources.
• Track approved initiatives and implemented efficiencies againstoriginal projections and identify risks or correctiveactions.

Assessment Process Oversight and Academic Planning Integration

• Serve as the school-level operational partner to the AssociateProvost for Academic Assessment and Accreditation for assignedschools.
• Support implementation of institutional assessment standards,timelines, and documentation expectations at the portfoliolevel.
• Advise Program Directors and academic leaders on assessment planquality, including learning outcomes, measures, targets, collectiontimelines, findings, and action plans.
• Represent the assigned portfolio on the University AssessmentCommittee or related assessment and accreditation workinggroups.
• Identify and communicate assessment concerns, accreditationrisks, or documentation gaps to the Dean and appropriate OASPAleadership.
• Participate in annual strategic reviews that connect assessmentfindings, academic quality indicators, program review results, andbudget planning decisions.
• Ensure assessment and accreditation findings are incorporatedinto academic planning and resource discussions whereappropriate.

Pre-Award Grants Planning and Budget Integration

• Serve as the school-level operational partner to the AssociateProvost for Grants and Sponsored Research for assignedschools.
• Support pre-award grant planning by reviewing budgetsustainability, cost-share commitments, faculty workloadimplications, and post-award financial obligations.
• Ensure grant-funded positions, course buyouts, faculty releasetime, cost-share commitments, and related budget impacts areaccurately reflected in school operating plans.
• Notify the Associate Provost for Grants and Sponsored Research offinancial constraints, sustainability concerns, or institutionalcommitments that may affect proposal feasibility.
• Coordinate with portfolio teams, Deans, faculty, and relevantadministrative offices to ensure grant activity is integrated intoacademic and financial planning.
• Support planning for the transition from proposal approval toaward implementation, in coordination with Business Affairs andother responsible offices.

Director Supervision and Cross-Training

• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the assigned Director of AcademicBudget Planning.
• Review Director work products and ensure analyses, reports,dashboards, and planning materials meet division standards.
• Provide coaching to strengthen the Director's analytical,technical, communication, and strategic advisory skills.
• Participate in OASPA's cross-training strategy to develop workingknowledge of portfolios beyond assigned schools.
• Support onboarding and development of Directors and incomingAssistant Provosts.

Competencies, Education, Experience

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in higher education administration, finance,business, public administration, public policy, or related field orequivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience inacademic budget planning, institutional finance, higher educationadministration, resource planning, or related work.
• Demonstrated expertise in operating budget development,multi-year financial modeling, salary planning, positionauthorization, variance analysis, and resource allocation.
• Experience advising Deans or senior academic leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise budget authority and make soundfinancial planning decisions.
• Supervisory or mentorship experience with analytical professionalstaff.
• Excellent analytical, communication, relationship-building, andstrategic thinking skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or advanced coursework in a relevant field.
• Experience in a Provost's Office, Academic Affairs, academicbudget office, or central university planning environment.
• Experience with FLAC, endowment and restricted fundadministration, capital planning, assessment systems, accreditationprocesses, and pre-award grants planning.

*Important Note- St. John's is NOT an E-VerifyEmployer

St. John's offers a competitive compensation program which iscommensurate with your qualifications, experience, and contingentupon the departmental budget. St. John's University considersfactors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities ofthe position, candidate's work experience, education/training, keyskills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizationalconsiderations when extending an offer.

We also offer an extremely comprehensive benefits program to meetthe diverse needs of our workforce. Along with exceptional benefitssuch as medical, dental, life insurance, long term disabilityinsurance, tuition remission, generous 403(b) employercontribution, employee assistance program, and liberal paid timeoff policies, faculty and staff can also enjoy St. John'sperforming arts, libraries, bookstores, dining facilities, campusrecreation and sporting events

Any offer of employment is subject to receipt by St. John'sUniversity of satisfactory references, verification of employmentand education.

St. John's University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Allqualified applicants will receive consideration without regard torace, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with adisability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristicprotected by law.