The George Washington University’s Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) is responsible for the planning and stewardship of GW’s financial resources. Its core activities include strategic financial planning, aligning the University’s annual budget with institutional priorities, and managing a robust financial modeling and forecasting function.
OPB is seeking an experienced, strategic leader to serve as Associate Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis (AVP). This is a high-visibility executive role with enterprise-wide scope at a critical moment for the institution. The AVP will help shape the long-range financial direction of a complex, $1.5 billion organization, collaborating with academic and administrative leaders to build a fiscally sustainable future.
This role is ideal for a seasoned finance professional who combines deep technical expertise in financial planning and modeling with the communication acumen required to translate complex data into clear, actionable guidance for senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
Reporting to the Vice President, Finance & Assistant Treasurer, the AVP is an essential member of the University’s financial leadership team. The role oversees all aspects of the University’s budget function, including long-range financial planning, operating and capital budget development, forecasting, and financial analysis. The AVP leads a dedicated team and partners closely with GW's ten schools and colleges, administrative units, and the Provost’s Office to support strategic initiatives.
In addition to managing this critical functional area, the AVP serves as a key advisor to the VP, Finance on all financial planning matters, playing a central role in driving financial accountability and transparency across the institution.
Key Relationships The AVP works in close partnership with:
- Vice President, Finance & Assistant Treasurer (direct supervisor)
- Provost’s Office
- Deans and financial leaders of the 10 schools and colleges
- Administrative unit leaders and financial leaders across the University
- Vice Presidents and Cabinet-level leaders
Areas of Responsibility:
Annual Budget and Planning Process
- Lead a team of three to manage consolidated financial planning across the University
- Develop short- and long-term operating and capital plans within the context of the University’s strategic plan
- Set broad budget parameters and communicate annual budget guidelines and planning calendar to stakeholders across the institution
- Collaborate with school and administrative unit leaders, senior faculty, and the Provost’s Office to build the budget “bottoms up”
- Lead the implementation and ongoing management of an enterprise financial planning system
- Oversee the University’s budget model and serve as data custodian, responsible for the integrity of data within the budget system
- Maintain quarterly rolling forecasts and lead multi-year planning processes
- Design and maintain five-year models for capital expenditures and cash flows
- Develop analytics to identify key drivers of operating performance and translate findings into clear narrative for leadership
- Manage process to provide senior management with early identification of financial threats and opportunities
- Analyze ad hoc business proposals and special projects presented by faculty and administrative leadership
Financial Reporting and Executive Communications
- Prepare and periodically update long-range financial projections for each major business activity of the University
- Lead preparation of presentations, memos, and analytics for senior management and the Board of Trustees covering budgets, quarterly forecasts, and variance analysis
- Develop executive-level communications that translate complex financial data into actionable insights, using graphical analysis and concise narrative to highlight significant trends and drive accountability
Planning Assumptions and Institutional Support
- Oversee development of the University’s key planning assumptions, including fringe benefit rates and other cost drivers
- Represent OPB on advisory committees as requested
- Represent the VP, Finance in dealings with schools and administrators on budget, financial planning and related administrative matters
- Maintain a program of staff development within OPB
- Maintain complete confidentiality of all information associated with the position
- Adhere to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguard University assets
This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as deemed necessary.