Vice President, Strategy & Finance
Location: DC Metro Area
Type: Full-Time
Industry: Non-Profit
Job Summary
Our growing client, a non-profit organization in the education industry, is seeking a Vice President, Strategy & Finance. This is an excellent role for a self-motived and entrepreneurial individual. Reporting directly to the CEO, the VP, Strategy & Finance will serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and will be responsible for leading all finance and strategy functions across the portfolio including M&A, investments, and overall financial management. The ideal candidate has broad business, financial, and analytical experience in startup entrepreneurial environments. He/She will work with a broad range of stakeholders to identify, evaluate and recommend expansion opportunities that support growth and diversification. Experience in higher education and education technology a plus.
The VP, Strategy & Finance has overarching responsibility for developing the strategic plan, investment thesis, operating budget, financial forecasting, and operational planning and analysis. This individual maintains and establishes excellent working relationships with both the organization, its portfolio companies, and the board of directors. The leader in this position must have a reputation for honesty and integrity, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit for building and growing businesses through collaboration, financial business acumen and accountability.
This is a key executive position responsible for all finance and strategy functions for the organization’s portfolio of businesses, focused on education and technology products and services for higher education.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following areas:
- Lead organization’s strategy, investment evaluation and financial planning, budgeting and forecast processes.
- Serve as a strategic financial advisor in providing high quality analysis and advice to the CEO, board members and stakeholders.
- Responsible for driving go to market improvements that result in greater top line growth, profitability and efficiency.
- Lead analysis planning and project planning specific to new opportunities, including the allocation of resources for business case and financial modeling.
- Lead the evaluation and review of portfolio opportunities and partnerships, assessing potential impact and opportunity, and ensuring a sound return on investment.
- Enhance and strengthen a robust and transparent budget process to foster collaboration and accountability between the organization and its stakeholders.
- Establish and oversee critical governance capabilities across finance and in conjunction with other departments to ensure continuous improvement and maturity.
- Oversee the ongoing development and monitoring of internal controls and steering long term financial and operational strategies.
- Partner with finance and business teams to drive operational and strategic performance.
- Intimately understand business performance and work cross functionally to drive decisions on strategic investments and capacity management while effectively managing risk and overhead.
- Serve as a change agent and collaborative leader to marshal resources and investment with the proper balance of technology landscaping and with a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to drive performance.
- Institutes an innovative approach in all areas of financial management and reporting to ensure decision making is driven by strategic data and analysis; maintain a strong and forward-looking financial position that considers areas of investment.
- Assist CEO in the evaluation, due diligence and recommendations of ongoing commercialization capabilities, opportunities, and investments.
- Other job-related duties as assigned by the CEO.
Role Requirements
- Master’s degree in finance or business or related field and/or other professional certifications in finance, accounting and business is preferred.
- Certified Public Accountant highly desired.
- 15+ years of leadership experience
- Strong financial background is a must – in either higher education, education technology or IT environment.
- Experience in M&A, orchestrating deal structures and stewarding business and team integrations.
- A demonstrated ability to interact with all levels of an organization, and with a diverse group of senior administrators, and with members of the board.
- Excellent oral and communication skills, attention to detail, and strong presentation (C-level and board level) skills required.
- Ability to translate budgetary and financial complexity into clear presentations and to convey and present multi-faceted financial information and concepts in easy to understand and transparent way.
- Technical acumen in strategic financial planning and financial risk management.
- A transformational, entrepreneurial hands-on leadership style that is consultative and confident; sound judgment and diplomacy skills are crucial. Start-up experience is a plus.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- A business-oriented mindset; progressive leadership in higher education and IT management.
- A strong leader, with the ability to work with multiple partners and stakeholders to build relationships, while managing the prioritization of competing requests in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment.
- Quantifiable success in building strong relationships and influencing both internally (cross functionally) and externally.
- Strong understanding of the portfolio management process, and the ability to translate market and customer demand into opportunities.
- Highly analytical with background in marketing and finance preferred.
- Demand planning experience with superior skills in planning, evaluating, tracking, and managing a funnel of opportunities.
- Proven track record in managing financial and business teams; clear accountability for operational and success measurement goals.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Travel Requirements
- Some travel may be required, up to 30% of the time.
This role offers a competitive salary and full and robust benefits package.