Executive Director, Finance Shared Services

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

1d•$168,000 - $225,000

About The Position

Finance, Planning, and Budgeting (FPB) encompasses the major central financial, planning, analytical, and budgeting functions for the University of Washington, including: Finance & Budget Strategy Institutional Analytics & Decision Support Policy, Planning & State Operations University Business Services The Executive Director, Finance Shared Services, serves as the senior executive responsible for planning, directing, and controlling the University’s enterprise finance shared services function. The role provides strategic leadership for a multisite operation that delivers consistent, compliant, and customer focused financial services to academic, administrative, and campus units across the institution. The Executive Director of Finance Shared Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the University of Washington's consolidated finance hub model (Husky Hubs). This position directs the transformation and ongoing management of the centralized finance hubs serving the university's schools, colleges, and administrative units, ensuring consistent service delivery, Workday Finance system optimization, and adherence to university policies and compliance requirements. The Executive Director serves as the primary liaison between FPB administration and distributed finance operations, driving standardization while respecting unit specific needs. Building on this foundation, the Executive Director sets the long range strategy and operating model for Finance Shared Services; oversees multiple budgetary units; and ensures service quality, operational efficiency, and strong stewardship of institutional resources. The role leads the standardization of financial processes, governance structures, performance metrics, internal controls, and ERP enabled operations to advance institutional alignment and improve financial service delivery at scale. As a key partner to FPB leadership, UWIT, and unit level administrators, the Executive Director drives enterprise transformation, optimizes system usage and data driven decision making, and ensures operational excellence across a complex, decentralized environment. Decisions made in this role carry significant cross unit impact and shape the financial service experience for the University community.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field, and ten (10) years of progressive leadership experience in finance administration, to include five or more years of senior leadership and people management experience in complex, matrixed organizations, including demonstrated talent development, coaching, and succession planning
Experience leading enterprise-wide organizational transformation, including operational centralization and implementation of shared services models
Experience with enterprise financial systems, preferably Workday Finance, including configuration concepts, operational best practices, and system optimization
Knowledge of higher education finance, including fund accounting structures, regulatory obligations, internal controls, and compliance frameworks
Ability to lead through influence within decentralized or distributed organizational structures, aligning diverse stakeholders around shared goals
Exceptional communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to navigate sensitive political dynamics, articulate complex financial concepts, and build consensus across executive, academic, and administrative leaders
Strategic and analytical thinking skills with the ability to balance enterprise standardization with unit-specific operational needs, using data to drive decisions and performance improvements
Proficiency in audit response, compliance oversight, and control remediation, ensuring organizational accountability and institutional risk mitigation
Ability to lead and manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously in a fast-moving, service-driven environment

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related field (MBA, MPA, MAcc)
Direct experience with Workday Finance implementation or post-implementation stabilization
Familiarity with the University of Washington organizational structure and governance
Experience with NACUBO principles and state agency accounting requirements (SAAM)
Background in policy interpretation and development
Track record of successful change management in academic institutions

Responsibilities

Enterprise Leadership, Strategy & Governance Define the enterprise strategy and long‑range operating model for Finance Shared Services, aligning the consolidated Husky Hubs with institutional priorities Lead enterprise governance by establishing service standards, SLAs, KPIs, and performance frameworks that drive transparency, accountability, and cross‑campus alignment
Organizational Design, Operations & Service Delivery Oversee day‑to‑day operations of the consolidated finance hub model, ensuring timely, accurate, compliant, and customer‑focused service delivery across the enterprise Design and optimize organizational structures, staffing models, and standardized processes to support efficient workloads, capacity planning, and continuous operational improvement
Technology, Systems Optimization & Data Enablement Provide executive oversight of Workday Finance utilization, ensuring consistent configuration, strong data integrity, and adoption of system best practices across all hubs Champion automation, digital workflows, and data-driven analytics to enhance service performance, operational reliability, and institutional decision‑making
Financial Stewardship, Compliance & People Leadership Oversee financial planning, budgeting, and resource allocation for multiple units while maintaining strong internal controls, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance Lead and develop a large, distributed workforce, fostering a culture of inclusion, accountability, service excellence, and continuous improvement