Strategic Budget & Forecast Manager (Hybrid)

The City University of New York; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 106,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

The City University of New York's Office of Budget and Finance seeks a Finance Budget Manager to lead budgeting and financial planning across colleges. You will develop multi-year plans, prepare reports for senior leadership, and ensure accuracy and timeliness of allocations, payroll, and revenues.

This role collaborates with HR, campus budget offices, and system teams; requires Workday and Peoplesoft experience, advanced Excel, and strong communication. A hybrid schedule is available.

Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, government, or another complex public-sector environment.
• Experience with Workday and PeopleSoft applications.
• Knowledge of CUNY, New York City and New York State budgetary procedures and practices.
• Experience with budgeting, financial planning and analysis, payroll projection, staffing analysis, revenue and expenditure monitoring, and variance analysis.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including advanced Excel.
• Ability to reconcile financial and payroll information across source systems and internal tracking tools.
• Interpret and analyze financial, staffing, payroll, and statistical data; derive meaningful conclusions and present information clearly and in an organized manner.
• Manage multiple recurring deadlines, handle sensitive information responsibly, and produce accurate management-ready deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Manage the development, implementation, and ongoing review of the University's annual and multi-year financial plans, as well as prepare and review quarterly financial reports, forecasts, variance analyses, and budget updates for senior leadership, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and available resources.
• Maintain and analyze college resource and expenditure files; coordinate allocation-related updates, support documentation, and financial reporting requirements.
• Manage biweekly payroll projections and quarterly personnel services forecasts; review payroll activity, identify variances, and coordinate corrective actions. Maintain payroll interface and budget monitoring tools; analyze data integrity issues and communicate missing or incomplete information to campuses.
• Monitor personnel budgets, staffing levels, attrition, position counts, and workforce trends for the colleges, as well as tuition collections, fee revenue, enrollment activity, and collection rate trends; analyze variances from budget assumptions and provide recommendations to management. Monitor expenditure, payroll, revenue, and cash activity across University, State and City systems; identify trends, risks, and potential budget impacts.
• Prepare recurring analyses and management reports related to staffing, enrollment, revenue, expenses, cash flow, collection rates, tuition and fees, and other key financial indicators.
• Develop and maintain tuition, fee, and enrollment-based revenue forecasting models; assess the financial impact of enrollment trends, policy changes, and economic factors on projected revenues. Collaborate with college budget offices, enrollment management, and institutional research staff to evaluate revenue trends, validate forecasting assumptions, and support long-range financial planning.
• Review business processes and recommend improvements to strengthen efficiency, accuracy, documentation, and internal controls.
• Conduct complex ad hoc analyses related to budgeting, staffing, payroll, revenue, and strategic initiatives to support executive decision-making.
• Serve as the primary liaison to college budget leadership, providing guidance and support on budget planning, financial reporting, staffing, and fiscal management matters.
• Partner and maintain regular communication and collaboration with college budget directors, vice presidents for administration, and college budget staff to address financial issues, forecast variances, monitor progress on recurring deliverables, reporting requirements, and budget initiatives; support quarterly planning and reporting activities; participate in Workday project meetings, complete related ad hoc assignments, and may supervise subordinates.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Budgeting

Financial analysis

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Workday

PeopleSoft

Microsoft 365

Excel (Advanced)

Job description

The City University of New York's Office of Budget and Finance seeks a Finance Budget Manager to lead budgeting and financial planning across colleges. You will develop multi-year plans, prepare reports for senior leadership, and ensure accuracy and timeliness of allocations, payroll, and revenues.

This role collaborates with HR, campus budget offices, and system teams; requires Workday and Peoplesoft experience, advanced Excel, and strong communication. A hybrid schedule is available.