Director, Financial Planning & Analysis (Hybrid, Reston, VA OR Malvern, PA)

About Ellucian

Ellucian is a global market leader in education technology. We power innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,900 customers across 50 countries and serving over 20 million students. Ellucian's AI-powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for all students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, from student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners, and user community of more than 45,000 provide best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

Values Rooted in Purpose

We embrace the power to lead, the courage to innovate, and the determination to grow. At our core, we believe in humanizing our approach, recognizing that our people are our greatest strength. With a shared vision of transformation, we endeavor to shape a brighter future for higher education.

About the Opportunity

Ellucian, the leading provider of software and services designed for higher education, is seeking an accomplished Director of Financial Planning & Analysis. Reporting to the Vice President of Finance, this role is pivotal in managing forecasts, budgets, and financial metrics, while providing insights to enhance performance across the organization. The ideal candidate will balance strategic foresight with tactical execution, possess strong leadership capabilities, and bring experience supporting a Professional Services organization as a plus. In this role, the Director, FP&A will collaborate with a team of analysts, will have extensive interaction with all levels of the organization and will be responsible for delivering value-added business analysis that leads to insightful & accurate decision making. The position will work with the Services & Success organizations to forecast and report on revenue, steer the business to target margin attainment, improve visibility and capacity planning, drive consistency in metrics reporting, balance business transformation with day-to-day operations and serve as a business partner to drive strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate should be a motivated self-starter who is able to prioritize tasks and communicate effectively to meet executive management expectations.

What will you do:

• Financial Planning & Analysis
• Lead the company's financial planning processes, including forecasts, annual budgets, and long-term strategic plans.
• Manage the full P&L, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and financial performance targets.
• Analyze key financial metrics such as EBITDA, Net Income, and KPIs, and deliver actionable insights to senior leadership.
• Evaluate investment cases and capital allocation decisions to support strategic growth initiatives.
• Facilitate all required monthly and quarterly reporting deliverables
• Scrutinize planning assumptions and develop alternatives
• Credibly challenge under-performing areas of the business and recommend improvements
• Track investments and develop metrics that measure outcomes & return
• Lead the preparation and consolidation of monthly & quarterly business review packages

• Strategic & Tactical Execution
• Partner with executive leadership to align financial strategies with business goals.
• Develop and maintain financial models to support strategic decision-making.
• Provide clear and concise financial reporting and presentations to stakeholders, including the executive team and board.
• Identify risks and opportunities, and proactively recommend solutions to improve business outcomes.
• Leadership & Team Development
• Lead and inspire a high-performing FP&A team, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and innovation.
• Mentor and develop team members, building capabilities for future leadership roles.
• Promote collaboration across finance and operational teams to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Stakeholder & BU Partnership
• Provide financial analysis and support to our COO Organization, including services delivery, customer success, and support operations.
• Collaborate with business leaders to drive performance improvements in services-related revenue and cost management.

What you will bring:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, with demonstrated expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management.
• Proven ability to analyze and interpret financial data, with a strong command of EBITDA, Net Income, KPIs, and investment analysis.
• Executive presence and excellent communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leaders and boards.
• Strategic thinker who can also execute tactically and adapt to changing priorities.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including mentoring and developing high-performing teams.
• Proficiency in financial tools and systems such as Hyperion, Adaptive Insights, or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting Professional Services, Customer Success, or Support organizations is a plus.
• Exhibit flexibility and willingness to take on new responsibilities and assignments
• Communicate a sense of urgency and a commitment to delivering on time with

What makes #Ellucianlife

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision
• Flexible time off
• Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account (LSA) that allows you to contribute towards your health, financial or learning interests
• 401k w/ match & BrightPlan - to help you save for the future
• Parental Leave
• 5 charitable days to support the community that supports us
• Telemedicine
• Wellness
  • Headspace Care (mental health)
  • Wellbeats (virtual fitness classes)
• RethinkCare & Wellthy- caregiver supporq
• Diversity and inclusion programs which provide access to internal employee resource groups
• Employee referral bonuses to encourage the addition of great new people to the team
• We Foster a learning culture with:
  • Education Assistance Program
  • Professional development opportunities

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