Pierce College

Director of Budget for Learning and Student Success

SALARY

$87,307.00 - $108,020.00 Annually

LOCATION

Lakewood, WA

JOB TYPE

Full Time

JOB NUMBER

A2601

DIVISION

Learning & Student Success

OPENING DATE

03/23/2026

CLOSING DATE

4/6/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Position Summary

This position is eligible for up to five (5) days of telework per week. Please refer to the Terms of Employment section for additional details. The incumbent must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable commuting distance of the campus to meet workplace reporting requirements at the time of hire. 

The salary range for this position is $87,307.00 - $108,020.00 annually. The salary will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications and related experience. Typically, new hires start no higher than $90,945.00/year, based on Pierce College's Administrative/Exempt Compensation Plan.

The mission of Pierce College is to create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners to thrive in an evolving world. The Pierce College District is committed to being an anti-racist institution; to truly be anti-racist, we work deliberately to eliminate barriers that have prevented the most promising and capable students from entering and thriving in college. Recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the Top 10 community colleges in the nation (2021), Pierce College is an innovative, mission-driven, data-informed, and equity-minded community college dedicated to helping all students achieve their academic and professional goals, with a focus on racial and social equity and justice.

 Are you ready to use your budget management skills in a mission-driven environment committed to helping student achieve their educational and career goals? This is an opportunity to apply your exceptional financial management skills to support the educational success of a diverse community of learners. A career in budget management at Pierce College means that you will join a talented team at one of the nation's leading community colleges that will both challenge you and provide support through ongoing opportunities for mentoring and professional development.

Reporting to the Vice Presidents for Learning and Student Success, the Director of Budget for Learning and Student Success is responsible for both the day-to-day management and comprehensive oversight of the instruction and student services budgets within the Learning and Student Success (LSS) divisions. This position works closely with the deans, department chairs, and other staff to oversee and facilitate financial matters within the instructional divisions, assist in equitable resource allocation aligned with our strategic planning, and coordinate extensively with the staff in the district offices of Finance and Human Resources. 

The Director assures coordination across LSS units and engages in daily operations related to financial processes, equitable budget planning, equipment, and furnishings, and faculty contract compliance connected to financial matters. The Director provides high-level, equity-informed resource allocation and budgeting support to the Vice Presidents by monitoring all budgets within the unit and coordinating budget planning; creating and monitoring confidential documentation pertaining to the management of faculty compensation and other financial matters; preparing reports and performing analysis to assist in management decision-making within the divisions of Learning and Student Success. 

About the District

Pierce College is a high-performing, mission-driven, data-informed, student-focused district committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. For 55 years, Pierce College has developed a national reputation for academic excellence and support services to ensure student success. The district is proud of the many awards and recognitions it has received. Pierce College is an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction and was the 2017 recipient of their prestigious Leah Meyer Austin Award, given for measurable improvements in student outcomes.

Named as a Top 5 Finalist and a Rising Star for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom was recognized for exceptional achievements in student learning, certificate and degree completion while in community college and after transferring to a four-year institution, employment and earnings rates after graduation, and access for and success of minority and low-income students. Pierce College District was named as a Top 10 finalist for the 2021 Aspen Prize and a Top 25 for 2023. Pierce is also one of 30 original AACC Guided Pathways colleges and one of first five College Spark Washington pathways colleges. We have bold goals to have all students on a career pathway to increase completion rates for all students and to close achievement gaps by 2027.

Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom

Located on a beautiful 140-acre site adjacent to a 340-acre community, recreational park, and Waughop Lake. Want a feel for our District, take a peek with aerial campus views! 

Pierce College at Puyallup

Located on an expansive site with 125-acres of wooded land including modern facilities and beautiful hideaways.

Pierce College at JBLM

Located at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord military sites, serving many of our military and active duty families serving our country. 

Our colleges enjoy a strong presence in the communities in which they serve and participate in numerous partnerships with business, community, government, and educational organizations.

Essential Functions

The Director of Budget for Learning and Student Success will be responsible for the following, but not limited to:

Budget Management and Analysis

• Provide day-to-day oversight and management of district instructional budgets including high level overview, reconciliation, and planning. 
• Provide periodic monitoring of instructional division budgets and related ancillary accounts; Distance Learning operating and fee accounts; Library/Media accounts; instructional allocation from Worker Retraining; and grants and special allocations as funded. 
• Reconcile instructional adjunct salary budgets with departments, allocate funds to match expenditures, monitor and calculate retirement buyout costs, instructional equipment, etc. for approval by Vice Presidents for Learning and Student Success. 
• Review correct payment of adjunct salaries, coordinating and communicating relevant information with Payroll. 
• Provide high-level oversight of Student Success department budgets, including periodic monitoring and coordination.
• Provide analysis and insight to VPs of Learning and Student Success on financial and budgetary matters related to the operation of Learning and Student Success. 
• Using an equity lens, coordinate and participate in budget update/planning meetings with Finance department personnel, Vice Presidents of Learning and Student Success, and Instructional Deans to collaboratively assess budget status, planning, goal setting, etc. in order to assure budget requests and allocations advance the Pierce College mission. 
• Prepare documents to facilitate analysis by team members, and assist in the implementation of approved recommendations as a result of the analysis. 
• Establish district deadlines for submitting revisions to instructional budgets and review and approve as appropriate.
• Review and approve Fort Steilacoom administrative budgets, Outcomes/Assessment budget, Media and classroom technology budgets, and any active grants under the direct responsibility of this position.
• Input end-of-year revisions in the budget module for all instructional accounts.
• Inform Vice Presidents about the status of various budgets as needed.
• Submit all agreed-upon budget transfer recommendations to the Finance office for their approval and action.
• Serve as a liaison between Instruction, Human Resources, Payroll, and the Office of Business/Finance regarding LSS budgetary matters. 
• Represent and act on behalf of the Vice-Presidents for Learning and Student Success at college meetings upon request and direction. 
• Assume department/program budget responsibilities to the extent possible when vacancies occur. 
• Advise deans and other school, college, and unit leadership on impact of budget commitments and communicate changes or issues as they emerge. 
• Calculate annual turnover savings and other faculty salary adjustments and prepare reports as needed by the Finance office in alignment with contract and payroll deadlines. 
• Design consistent processes for budget planning and expenditures that ensure equitable, efficient and effective use of resources, including employee time, across LSS units. 
• Review processes on a regular basis.

Payroll and Contracts

• Establish and distribute quarterly, district timelines for processing part-time/moonlight faculty quarterly contracts and special assignments within ctcLink (PeopleSoft).
• Create, maintain, and apply methods to review and verify contract information within ctcLink for accuracy from divisions, including Distance Learning, Library/Media, and Workforce Development.
• Maintain, facilitate, manage, and oversee the creation and approval process for payments.
• Provide corrective action and support for class builders and other stakeholders.
• Make necessary changes and adjustments to contracts, payments, or budget allocations throughout the quarter.
• Order and distribute reports related to this process.
• Track part-time faculty salary expenditures in all instructional budgets and review periodically with departments and divisions to confirm budget status.
• Review, verify, and input miscellaneous Special Assignments, providing technical guidance and support to ensure accuracy in the work of others, including making direct corrections or coordinating internal/external support; work with departments to determine appropriate pay for work assignments and consult with Human Resources on any concerns.
• Assist in reconciling district payroll records prior to state reporting. 
• Collaborate with the District Benefits Consultant to streamline budget reports and processes; provide workload information related to benefits eligibility for all employees with schedules conflicting with the benefits report; and collaborate with the coordinator on eligibility status before the cutoff.
• Assist Division Deans with reviewing faculty workloads; interpreting workload issues; preparing approved Exception Agreements as necessary and forward for signatures and filing. 
• Review all requests submitted for Multi-Term Contracts for compliance with the Negotiated Agreement; forward approved requests to Human Resources for contract preparation. 
• Interpret and apply state and federal regulations, RCWs and WACs, collective bargaining agreements, and college policies and procedures as applicable to payroll, benefits, the budget, etc. 
• Maintain an updated list of current released times, stipends, and costs to be submitted annually to the Vice President for Human Resources and distributed at year-end to the Executive Team for review. 
• Calculate and report release time and stipends and all data for ongoing compensation review.

Analysis and Planning 

• Collaborate with the Vice Presidents for Learning and Student Success and Workforce, Economic, and Professional Development to guide the budget development process for instruction and student services.
• Provide and verify all instructional information for projected base expenditures, including faculty salaries, sabbaticals, tenure stipends, vacant faculty positions, and instructional bow waves.
• Attend all budget presentations and deliberations, acting in an advisory capacity on instructional-related budget issues.
• Assist departments and divisions with budget development and data collection.
• Coordinate with Workforce Development to maximize the use of funds in conjunction with operating dollars.
• Assist the Finance Office as needed with the transfer of funds for approved instructional requests.
• Distribute results of budget deliberations to all instructional budget managers and assistants.
• Analyze expenditures, equity outcomes, and other relevant data to determine patterns, connections, etc. that will assist the Vice Presidents in strategic planning and budget allocation. 
• Apply equity and strategic thinking in administering the college or unit's budget in support of LSS goals. 
• Understand the differences among unit budgets and determine if spending is appropriate within each budget. 
• Project the impact of changes or new assumptions affecting the LSS or unit's budget. 
• Propose savings opportunities through operational changes.

Training

• Train all LSS budget personnel in new budget processes to ensure accuracy and consistency. 
• Provide training for new Administrative Assistants across the divisions, including the library, e-Learning, and other areas as needed, in budget management, contract preparation, and faculty workload reporting.
• Conduct regular meetings to ensure consistent and efficient budget practices and economy of scale. 
• Act as a liaison from Learning and Student Success regarding all relevant elements of the college's enterprise system CTC Link conversion, including the development of new policies and procedures as appropriate to ensure effective and efficient operation. 
• Train personnel on budget related systems as assigned. 
• Plan and lead in annual retreats for instructional Administrative Assistants to review existing procedures; discuss ongoing issues; review changes to the Negotiated Agreement, etc. 

State Reports

• Prepare and provide state report information to the Vice President for Administrative Services, including the Turnover Savings/Increment Report, Average Annual Part-Time Faculty Salary Survey, Annualized Part-Time Faculty Salary Report, Full-Time Faculty Salary Survey, and Faculty Release Time Reports.

Qualifications

Education Required

• Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

Education Equivalency

• In lieu of an associate’s degree, three (3) years of experience in accounting, financial analysis, or finance related work. This experience must be in addition to the minimum experience required for the position.

Experience Required

• Experience in accounting, financial analysis, or finance related work. 
• Experience working collaboratively. 

Special Requirements 

• The successful candidate must consent to and pass a criminal background check after a conditional offer of employment. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability to perform in this position.

Required Competencies

• Demonstrated experience providing leadership and training others in best practices.
• Knowledge of equitable resource allocation. 
• Ability to manage time and competing priorities to ensure assignments are completed in a timely and effective manner. 
• Ability to think critically, creatively, and reflectively; will question, search for answers and meaning; evaluate ideas and information and develop ideas that lead to action. 
• Ability to ensure compliance with assigned budget expenditure limits, and maximize value to the College in resource expenditure decisions. 
• Ability to find, evaluate and use information to engage in lifelong learning. 
• Knowledge of principles and values associated with open-mindedness, inclusion, multicultural perspectives and multiple ways of knowing, thinking and being. 
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently to provide quality service to students and the public to satisfy student service expectations. 
• Ability to identify and implement methods to improve processes that positively impact resource allocation.

Application Process

To be considered for this position, applicants must:

• Meet the required qualifications as outlined in this announcement.
• Complete the online application profile and apply for the specific job opening at: https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/hr.
• Cover Letter: Upload (attach) a cover letter that addresses how you meet the required qualifications as outlined in this announcement. 
• Résumé: Upload (attach) detailed résumé of all educational and professional experience.
• Transcripts: Transcripts are not required in order to apply for this position; however, if you are selected for an interview, you will be asked to bring copies of unofficial transcripts showing completion of the required level of education and/or coursework. International transcript must include a foreign transcript evaluation. For a list of approved credential evaluation services, visit: https://www.naces.org/members.
• Please note: Certain positions require specific levels of educational attainment such as a post-secondary degree, licensures or certifications. In order to evaluate applicant materials to determine if the minimum qualifications are met, information regarding your education and experience should be included in your application materials.
• Applications without transcripts attached, may receive notification that their application materials are incomplete. If you receive a notice and information has been provided elsewhere in your applications materials, please disregard. (Unofficial transcripts acceptable for application process; official transcripts required upon hire). 
• References: Upload (attach) a list of at least three (3) professional references with names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. One of which must be your current or most recent supervisor. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted. 
• Supplemental Question: Provide a response to the following question. 

What personal and professional work have you done in order to broaden your understanding of racial equity and how the intersections of multiple social and cultural identities impact your work and relationships with others? Please limit your response to a maximum of 500 words.

To learn more about our Equity, Engagement, and Belonging efforts, please visit: https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/equity-engagement-and-belonging.

Please Note

To ensure consideration, application materials should be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

All correspondence regarding your application status will be sent to the email address associated with your SCHOOLJOBS.COM account. Please make sure to check your spam folder periodically, in the case of an automated, incorrect delivery.

Terms of Employment

This is a full-time, administrative-exempt position. The primary work location will be at Pierce College, Fort Steilacoom campus. However, this position is eligible for telework up to five (5) days per week. The work associated with this position may be performed predominantly through telecommuting, with occasional onsite work and meetings (e.g., All District Days, Budget Committee Meetings) as influenced by business needs. The employee will have access to a workspace or office at the Fort Steilacoom campus in Lakewood, Washington.

The employee must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance of the campus to respond to workplace reporting requirements at the time of hire. Frequent travel to Pierce College campuses or other sites may occur.

Standard work hours are between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional evening and weekend hours required. This position requires regular and consistent attendance. 

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $87,307.00 - $108,020.00 annually. The salary will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications and related experience. Typically, new hires start no higher than $90,945.00/year, based on Pierce College's Administrative/Exempt Compensation Plan.

Your paycheck is just part of the total compensation package. There is an outstanding benefits package which is worth an additional value equivalent to about 30% of your salary. A comprehensive health care benefits package for you and your dependents includes medical, dental and vision insurance. Life and long- term disability insurance plans; vacation, sick and personal leave; reduced tuition; and retirement benefits are also provided.

Physical Work Environment

This position primarily works indoors in an office environment and is eligible for telework up to 5 days per week. Most of the work may be performed remotely, with occasional onsite work and meetings at Pierce College, Fort Steilacoom campus as needed.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants with disabilities who require assistance with the application and employment process will be accommodated to the extent reasonably possible. Requests should be made to the District Human Resources Office by calling 253-964-7342. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may dial 711 to place a call through Washington Relay, the state's free telecommunication access service.

Screening & Interview Process

Only those candidates who have complied with the application process and meet the required qualifications will be considered. Following the review of application materials, the most qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview. Check the email account you used for the application process for communication regarding the status of your application. Application materials submitted to Pierce College are the property of the College and will not be returned.

Please Note

This is a competitive selection process. Your application materials will be reviewed and evaluated based on the minimum qualifications listed for the position. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the district’s needs will be eligible for further consideration. 

Notification of application status normally occurs 4 to 6 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes which may include written, oral and performance examinations, and final interviews.

Conditions of Employment

Prior to the start of employment, the finalist for this position will be subject to a criminal background check as a condition of employment. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Conditional offer letters will be accompanied by a declaration and authorization to release information form to be completed by the applicant. Disclosure is required under Washington State Law RCW 28B.112.080.

An offer of employment will not carry with it any responsibility or obligation on the part of the district to sponsor an H-1B visa. In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, proof of authorization to work in the United States will be required at the time of hire.

Pierce College has adopted a Drug Free Workplace policy. As a condition of employment, employees must agree to abide by the requirements established in that policy.

Equal Opportunity

The Pierce College District is an equal opportunity employer. The Board of Trustees and Pierce College District are committed to providing equal opportunity and will not discriminate in terms and conditions of employment and personnel practices. Decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal.

For more information about this position or assistance regarding your application, please contact the Human Resources office at: jobs@pierce.ctc.edu.

Questions regarding equal employment opportunities or discrimination may be directed to the following:

Kelly Benson - Interim Title IX Coordinator & ADACO/Section 504 Coordinator

(253) 964-6716

Deena Forsythe - Vice President for Human Resources

(253) 964-6586

Paula Henson-Williams - District Affirmative Action Officer

(253) 864-3229

Employer

Pierce College

Address

9401 Farwest Drive SW

Lakewood, Washington, 98498

Phone

253.964.7342



Director of Budget for Learning and Student Success Supplemental Questionnaire

*

QUESTION 1

What personal and professional work have you done in order to broaden your understanding of racial equity and how the intersections of multiple social and cultural identities impact your work and relationships with others? Please limit your response to a maximum of 500 words. To learn more about our Equity, Engagement, and Belonging efforts, please visit: https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/equity-engagement-and-belonging.

* Required Question