Application Open:
Full-Time
Job Purpose:
The Director of Budgeting and Financial Planning is responsible for leading the financial planning, budgeting, analysis, and forecasting activities at MBZUAI. This critical leadership role ensures financial alignment with the institution’s strategic goals, operational efficiency, and resource optimization. The Director provides strategic guidance while maintaining robust financial controls and compliance with institutional policies. This role requires visionary leadership with strong analytical, financial, and strategic planning skills, leveraging advanced financial modeling and AI tools to optimize financial performance and support data-driven decision-making.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership:
- Lead the development and implementation of financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting strategies for the institution.
- Align financial strategies with the institution’s strategic goals, particularly for special projects, commercialization, global engagement and research initiatives.
- Drive the optimization of enterprise resource planning software systems and the integration of AI tools to enhance budgeting and financial analysis.
- Oversee long-range financial planning, including cash flow projections and resource allocation.
- Collaborate with senior leadership team to develop financial policies and practices that support sustainable growth.
Budget Governance:
- Provide oversight of all institutional budgets, consolidating inputs from academic, research, administrative, and project-based units.
- Lead the strategic allocation of funds across divisions to ensure financial alignment with MBZUAI’s priorities.
- Oversee institutional budget performance, ensuring continuous monitoring of utilization, early identification of variances, and strategic implementation of corrective actions.
- Lead the preparation and delivery of executive-level financial reports, providing critical insights into performance trends, resource allocation, and institutional financial health.
- Foster cross-functional collaboration with academic, research, financial, and administrative leaders to enhance budget processes and embed data-driven planning across the organization.
Financial Strategy and Analysis:
- Direct the preparation of comprehensive financial reports, variance analyses, and performance metrics for senior management.
- Direct the analysis of financial data to identify risks and opportunities in special projects and research activities.
- Lead financial modeling and the preparation of scenario analyses to support strategic decision-making.
- Oversee the financial reporting processes, ensuring compliance with internal and external regulations.
- Guide the financial strategy to enhance the commercialization of research outputs and special projects.
Operational and Institutional Strategy:
- Direct the execution of operational plans within the Budgeting and Financial Planning Division, ensuring strategic resource deployment and achievement of institutional objectives.
- Lead the oversight of financial performance and budget discipline, ensuring timely intervention and implementation of corrective actions as needed.
- Ensure strategic alignment between divisional initiatives and university-wide goals, while upholding full compliance with institutional policies and governance frameworks.
- Champion continuous improvement efforts, leveraging technology, automation, and advanced analytics to optimize financial processes and planning capabilities.
Team and Stakeholder Management:
- Lead and mentor Budget & Financial Planning team, fostering a high-performance culture.
- Conduct performance evaluations, succession planning, and professional development activities for direct reports.
- Build and sustain strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including executive leadership, academic and administrative units, and regulatory bodies.
- Ensure strong cross-divisional collaboration and communication, positioning financial planning as a trusted strategic partner across the university.
Compliance and Risk Management:
- Provide oversight of compliance with financial regulations, reporting standards, and internal policies across all budgeting and planning activities.
- Identify and mitigate financial risks related to budgeting, planning, and commercial initiatives.
- Act as the primary liaison for internal and external audits related to financial planning and budgeting.
Other Duties:
- Undertake additional strategic assignments and responsibilities as delegated by the reporting executive, in line with the Director’s leadership scope and institutional priorities
Academic Qualifications:
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or similar discipline.
- A Master’s degree is preferred, e.g. MBA.
Professional Experience:
Essential
- Minimum of 12 years of experience in financial planning and analysis, including leadership roles.
- Proven experience in higher education finance, commercialization, and research project budgeting.
- Demonstrable expertise in enterprise resource planning software systems implementation, AI-driven financial analysis, and advanced financial modeling.
- Excellent leadership, analytical, and communication skills
- Proficiency in financial software applications, including advanced Microsoft Excel and Oracle Financial Management Systems.
- Experience in managing diverse financial functions within a fast-paced, higher education or research environment.
- Evidence of the ability to plan, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
- Experience successfully building, managing, and motivating teams, and empowering individual employees.
Preferred
- CFA and/or CPA preferred.
- Understanding of Middle Eastern working practices and culture.
