Description

The Director of Financial Strategic Services (FSS) provides strategic leadership and direction for a university-wide function that supports financial decision-making through clear communication, contextual analysis, and proactive guidance. This position ensures that FSS evolves in alignment with institutional priorities, leading the development of tools, standardized processes, and messaging that help academic, administrative and student affairs units understand and tell the story of their financial data.

The Director consults with university leaders to guide financial strategy, policy translation, and stewardship practices, ensuring that changes to FSS services are intentional, coordinated, and strategically directed. The Director provides trusted decision support to academic and administrative leaders, strengthens the university’s capacity to invest in student success, research growth, and community impact, and builds long-term financial resilience that supports OSU’s ambitious vision for the future.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, the Director defines the vision and role of FSS, ensuring responsiveness to institutional needs and technological evolution. The Director works closely with leaders in Budget and Finance, the Division of Research and Innovation, and others to provide transparent, timely, and actionable insights that inform executive decision-making and support OSU’s mission as a land grant, R1 research university.

The Director of Financial Strategic Services has broad authority to oversee FSS, including staffing, service frameworks, and operational standards. The role requires balancing institutional financial strategies with unit-level needs, providing high-quality decision support to senior leadership, and ensuring alignment with OSU’s financial policies, budget framework, and research goals. This role directly supports university leaders in making strategic decisions that shape Oregon State University’s ability to achieve long-term financial sustainability, allocate resources effectively, and advance its teaching, research, and outreach missions.

Strategic Leadership & Direction – 40%

• Lead the strategic evolution of FSS, ensuring alignment with OSU’s financial goals and institutional priorities.
• Define and communicate the vision, scope, and role for FSS across the university.
• Provide leadership and support to Associate Directors in their efforts to guide Financial Strategic Partners and Financial Services Managers.
• Direct efforts to build frameworks that support unit-level financial strategy and clarity.
• Support Associate Directors in helping units understand staffing levels across colleges and their financial implications.
• Promote consistency and transparency in how FSS roles and responsibilities are understood and communicated.
• Lead efforts to standardize FSS approaches to budgeting and financial review, including cadence, frequency, and format of engagement with unit and college leaders.
• Guide the adoption of standard tools, data practices, and review processes to improve consistency and impact.
• Ensure FSS remains responsive to institutional needs by adapting to changes in data platforms, tools, and modernized software systems.

Financial Planning and Analysis – 30%

• Oversee the development and provision of unit-level: financial forecasts, budget models, and scenario analyses to inform institutional planning.
• Provide data-driven recommendations on allocation and optimization of resources.
• Support the Deputy CFO, Chief Budget Officer, and Controller with integrated financial analysis to ensure alignment between budgeting, accounting, and reporting.
• Partner with the Office of Budget and Resource Planning to lead the Quarterly Projection and other processes in support of Board of Trustees reporting.
• Collaborate with the Division of Research & Innovation as needed on pre- and post-award support.
• Deliver presentations and reports that translate complex financial data into clear and actionable insights.

Financial Communication, Policy Translation, & Consultation – 20%

• Oversee the translation of fiscal policy and financial data into accessible, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• Ensure consistent and effective communication between units and the Office of Budget and Resource Planning, especially in support of Board of Trustees reporting.
• Champion financial literacy and transparency across the university.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to unit leaders, offering guidance on financial risks, opportunities, and planning.
• Anticipate emerging financial issues and direct the development of responsive strategies and communications.
• Ensure that fund management and compliance practices are well-supported and clearly understood.

Organizational Stewardship & Onboarding – 10%

• Direct efforts to onboard new managers and unit leaders with tailored financial orientation and support.
• Lead initiatives that improve unit navigation of business processes and financial systems.
• Promote a culture of stewardship, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or related field
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible financial management, planning, or analysis experience, with at least three in a leadership role supervising teams and leading cross-functional projects
• Experience developing and leading financial planning and analysis functions in a large, complex organization
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated skill in budget modeling, financial reporting, and forecasting
• Ability to prepare and present clear, concise financial/budgetary reports that are appropriate to the audience

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree in finance, business administration, or related field.
• Experience working in higher education, public sector, or large non-profit financial management.
• Knowledge of public university budgeting processes.
• Familiarity with modern financial planning and analysis tools, systems, and practices.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.