Assistant Director, Operations Strategy Implementation

Department: Office Of The Budget

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Finance Operations and Strategy in the Office of Finance, the Assistant Director, Operations Strategy Implementation serves as a key contributor supporting the execution of major administrative and financial initiatives supporting the University's strategic plan. The role translates strategic priorities into coordinated implementation across operational units, working closely with Finance leadership and other administrative partners to support initiative delivery, coordinate implementation activities , and help ensure initiatives achieve their intended operational improvements and financial outcomes.

This role is embedded within the operational and financial lane of the University's strategic initiative structure and works closely with the Assistant Vice President for Strategy Implementation in the President's Office to ensure alignment with the institution's enterprise initiative portfolio. In this capacity, the Assistant Director functions as an embedded execution partner supporting the advancement of operational initiatives that span multiple administrative units and ensuring implementation momentum.

Essential Functions:

• Supports implementation of operational transformation initiatives that improve efficiency, financial sustainability, and service delivery across administrative functions.
• Translates strategic priorities into executable initiative plans, including scope, timelines, milestones, ownership structures, and cross-functional dependencies, ensuring initiatives advance from approval through execution and delivery.
• Supports development of financial models and multi-year implementation plans in partnership with Finance Planning and Analytics, aligning operational initiatives with the University's Strategic Initiatives budget and long-term fiscal goals.
• Contributes to the development of data-driven business cases for major administrative initiatives, including cost-benefit analyses, ROI projections, and risk assessment to support executive decision-making.
• Supports assessment of financial feasibility of operational and organizational changes, identifying constraints and mitigation strategies to ensure initiatives are financially viable.
• Drives cross-functional coordination across administrative units, aligning stakeholders from Finance, Student Affairs, Facilities, Enrollment, HR, and other operational areas involved in initiative delivery.
• Supports coordination of initiative governance structures, including working groups, implementation teams, and leadership updates that support effective decision-making and accountability.
• Supports initiative momentum by resolving operational barriers and escalating issues that could impact outcomes, timelines, or financial performance.
• Supports performance tracking and executive reporting, including dashboards, status updates, and outcome documentation that provide leadership with visibility into the financial health and progress of the University's enterprise initiative portfolio.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of five years of experience in strategy execution, transformation initiatives, consulting, or complex project management.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree.
• Experience in higher education administration.
• Prior consulting or organizational transformation experience.
• Experience with enterprise project management tools or portfolio tracking platforms.
• Project management or change management certification.