Associate Provost Strategic Planning & Academic Budget Planning

Job Summary
The Associate Provost for Strategic Planning and Academic Budget Planning serves as the senior operational leader for the academic budget planning division within OASPA and the primary deputy to the Vice Provost for academic budget planning. This position is accountable for the performance, consistency, quality, and strategic direction of academic budget planning across all assigned academic portfolios.

The Associate Provost sets division-wide planning standards, supervises Assistant Provosts, reviews portfolio-level recommendations, resolves cross-portfolio issues, and ensures that academic budget planning is integrated with assessment, accreditation, grants, faculty planning, enrollment-informed analysis, program review, and strategic resource allocation.

This role may also manage the most complex academic portfolios directly, as assigned, and acts on behalf of the Vice Provost in institutional planning discussions when delegated. The Associate Provost ensures that school-level budget plans reflect institutional strategy, financial discipline, academic priorities, and long-term sustainability.

Job Responsibilities
Division Leadership and Strategic Direction

· Set the strategic direction, standards, timelines, and expectations for academic budget planning across the division.

· Translate Vice Provost priorities into operating direction for Assistant Provosts and portfolio teams.

· Ensure consistency, analytical rigor, and strategic alignment across academic budget planning portfolios.

· Monitor cross-portfolio financial trends, risks, structural issues, and resource opportunities.

· Resolve escalated portfolio issues and determine which matters require Vice Provost review.

· Serve as the primary academic budget planning liaison to the Associate Provosts for Academic Assessment and Accreditation and Grants and Sponsored Research.

Assistant Provost Supervision and Development

· Supervise, mentor, and evaluate Assistant Provosts responsible for assigned school and college portfolios.

· Review significant portfolio recommendations, budget decisions, and financial analyses before escalation or presentation to senior leadership.

· Build Assistant Provost capacity for independent judgment, Dean-level advising, and increasingly complex portfolio leadership.

· Lead cross-portfolio training and knowledge development to ensure consistency, continuity, and institutional fluency across the team.

Direct Portfolio Management

· Manage budget planning for assigned complex portfolios, including annual budget development, multi-year financial projections, position planning, salary planning, and strategic resource analysis.

· Serve as the primary financial planning partner to assigned Deans for complex or high-risk portfolios.

· Conduct program-level financial analyses, P&L/ROI assessments, pro forma modeling, and scenario analyses.

· Identify risks, structural deficits, staffing concerns, enrollment exposure, and resource opportunities requiring Vice Provost or Provost-level attention.

Integrated Planning

· Ensure budget plans incorporate relevant assessment findings, accreditation requirements, grant activity, faculty capacity, restricted fund availability, and strategic priorities.

· Set standards for how assessment, accreditation, and grants-related information should inform financial planning.

· Oversee financial dimensions of accreditation, grant-funded commitments, cost-share planning, and program review across portfolios.

· Ensure academic budget planning supports institutional accountability, financial sustainability, and academic quality.

Competencies, Education, Experience
Required Qualifications

· Master’s degree required; doctoral degree strongly preferred.

· Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in academic budget planning, institutional finance, academic administration, or related higher education work.

· At least 5 years of experience in a senior leadership, supervisory, or portfolio management role.

· Demonstrated expertise in academic budget planning, multi-year modeling, faculty workforce planning, salary planning, resource allocation, and program financial analysis.

· Experience advising Provosts, Vice Provosts, Deans, or senior academic leaders.

· Demonstrated ability to lead professional staff, exercise independent judgment, and manage complex financial decisions.

· Strong executive communication, analytical, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills.

Preferred Qualifications

· Doctoral degree in a relevant field.

· Experience in a Provost’s Office, Academic Affairs, or central university planning environment.

· Experience with Banner, Argos, Weave, FLAC, and academic financial reporting systems.

· Experience integrating budget planning with assessment, accreditation, grants, and program review.