About the company
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an Assistant Director, Financial Services based in the United States.
Overview
Take on a strategic financial leadership role within a mission-driven higher education environment, where your expertise will help strengthen financial performance and institutional sustainability. As Assistant Director, Financial Services, you will oversee external billing, accounts receivable, collections, and revenue cycle operations, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and compliance. You will lead a team of financial professionals while implementing strategies to accelerate collections, reduce outstanding receivables, and improve cash flow. By leveraging financial analytics, automation, and enterprise resource planning systems, you will drive continuous improvement and deliver actionable insights to senior leadership. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with internal departments, external sponsors, government agencies, and business partners to resolve complex financial challenges.
Accountabilities
- Lead Financial Services and Revenue Cycle Operations
- Direct daily operations across external billing, sponsored billing, accounts receivable, collections, and related financial services
- Oversee the full receivables lifecycle, from invoice preparation and payment processing to account reconciliation, collections, and resolution of outstanding balances
- Develop and implement strategies to improve collection rates, reduce aged receivables, accelerate payment recovery, strengthen cash flow, and minimize financial risk
- Ensure invoices are accurate, timely, supported by appropriate documentation, and compliant with contractual requirements, sponsor guidelines, institutional policies, and applicable regulations
- Oversee cash application and account reconciliation processes to ensure payments are recorded accurately and consistently
- Drive Financial Performance and Reporting
- Analyze financial and operational data to identify trends, assess risks, monitor performance, and uncover opportunities for improvement
- Develop executive dashboards, performance indicators, forecasts, and reports that provide actionable insights into collections, receivables aging, and revenue cycle effectiveness
- Present financial and operational findings to leadership and recommend strategies that improve efficiency, strengthen cash flow, and support long-term financial sustainability
- Monitor operational expenditures, receivables performance, and collection outcomes to ensure accountability and alignment with institutional objectives
- Optimize Processes, Systems, and Internal Controls
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on automation, workflow redesign, process standardization, and enhanced customer service
- Oversee the effective use and ongoing optimization of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, particularly Workday, to support billing, collections, reporting, and financial operations
- Establish, document, and monitor internal controls to ensure financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and consistent adherence to institutional procedures
- Identify opportunities to improve reporting capabilities, reduce manual processes, and increase operational effectiveness across the revenue cycle
- Build Relationships and Support Stakeholders
- Serve as a trusted financial partner to internal departments, external sponsors, government agencies, businesses, and other stakeholders
- Collaborate across departments to resolve complex billing issues, address payment delays, manage invoice corrections, and ensure timely communication regarding contractual and compliance requirements
- Promote a customer-focused approach while maintaining strong financial controls, collection standards, and responsible stewardship of institutional resources
- Lead and Develop a High-Performing Team
- Supervise, coach, and mentor financial services staff, including overseeing recruitment recommendations, onboarding, training, performance reviews, and daily operations
- Establish clear performance expectations and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, professional development, and continuous improvement
- Support succession planning, employee engagement, motivation, and retention while encouraging staff to identify innovative solutions
- Complete at least 19 hours of professional development annually, plus an additional 16 hours of leadership development required for people leaders
- Perform other duties as assigned to support departmental and institutional priorities
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Accounting, Business, or a related field from an accredited institution
- At least 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in accounts receivable, billing, collections, revenue cycle management, or financial operations
- A minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience, including team leadership, performance management, and staff development
- A master's degree in a related discipline is preferred
- Experience in higher education finance, external billing, sponsored billing, and collections is highly desirable
- Strong knowledge of revenue cycle management, accounts receivable operations, third-party and contract billing, collection and recovery strategies, cash application, and account reconciliation
- Understanding of internal controls, financial reporting, institutional policies, and applicable state and federal regulations
- Experience using ERP platforms such as Workday, Banner, Colleague, Oracle, SAP, or similar