Budget Analyst II, Budget & Financial Planning

Wake Forest University Pre-College Programs; United States; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Wake Forest University Pre-College Programs seeks a Budget Analyst to manage day-to-day budget and planning activities within the Budget and Financial Planning Office. The role involves reviewing funds availability, performing data trend analyses, and supporting the campus community with adaptive budgeting processes.

The candidate will train staff on Workday/Adaptive cycles, assist with forecasts, and contribute to senior leadership presentations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline.
• 3–5 years of related financial work or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets for template development, pivots, lookups and summary analyses.
• Ability to present analysis results in PowerPoint and Excel graphs.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Validate budget availability for Adaptive transactions.
• Approve transactions and monitor expenses with Business Managers, HR, Payroll or Central Finance.
• Support projects, profitability analyses, and financial reports for senior management.
• Serve as Subject Matter Expert for Budget and Financial Planning, specifically Adaptive.
• Prepare, test, and train for Workday/Adaptive budget cycles.
• Assist campus partners with budgets and forecasts in Adaptive.
• Research data, benchmark peer tuition/fees, and develop executive presentations.
• Assist in day-to-day office activities and scheduling.

Skills

Budget analysis

Excel

Google Sheets

PowerPoint

Data interpretation

Communication

Time management

Independent judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance or related discipline

Tools

Adaptive (Workday)

Workday

Job description

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Director, this position will serve as a Budget Analyst and provide administrative support as needed in support of responsibilities of the office of Budget and Financial Planning. From a fiscal perspective, this position will have day-to-day budget and planning responsibilities including the review of funds availability, conducting data/trend and variance analysis, and providing support to the campus community. *This position is not eligible for sponsorship of non-immigrant or immigrant visa status through Wake Forest University. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.

Essential Functions

• Validates budget availability for Workday Adaptive Planning (“Adaptive”) transactions resulting from Workday Human Capital Management or Financial business processes.
• Roles may include approving transactions, tracking and monitoring data related to expenses, workflow assistance, collaborating with Business Managers, HR, Payroll, or Central Finance to correct issues, and testing Workday and Adaptive upgrades/releases.
• Assists the Budget & Financial Planning team with projects that may include working with other departments on financial projects, analyzing the profitability of auxiliary units or new initiatives, and preparing and coordinating various financial analyses for senior management.
• Subject Matter Expert on Budget and Financial Planning processes and tools, specifically Adaptive.
• Responsible for the preparation, development, testing, and training to support Workday and Adaptive annual and interim budget and planning cycles.
• Provides assistance and training to campus partners in the development and submission of annual budgets and forecasts in Adaptive.
• Performs information research and analysis, including collecting and updating peer data for benchmarking processes (e.g. tuition and fees) and presentations.
• Assists in the development of presentations for various executive and departmental meetings.
• Exercises considerable discretion and independent judgment and can analyze complex information requests and determine trends.
• Supports coordinating day-to-day office activities, including scheduling meetings, ordering supplies, or processing invoices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline with three to five years of related and progressively more responsible financial work or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in budgeting, strategic planning, and other fiscal responsibilities in an academic environment.
• Intermediate level in Excel and Google Sheets (i.e., template development, pivot tables, lookups, and various sum functions) and the ability to utilize these skills to meet ad hoc data needs in support of leadership requests for analysis, forecasts, or ongoing reports.
• Ability to represent analysis results and projections in PowerPoint presentations and Excel graphs.
• Strong logical and analytical problem-solving skills; strong critical thinking skills with attention to detail.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community; proven verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing priorities; excellent time management skills; ability to organize personal workflow.
• Ability to analyze and interpret policy and procedural questions without the benefit of precedents.
• Ability to work independently; evidence of sound judgment and high-level problem‑solving skills, unquestionable integrity, and a strong sense of professional ethics.
• Ability to acquire knowledge of new systems in a short time period.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Knowledge of fund accounting principles, budget preparation, and fiscal controls.
• Ability to perform information research and analysis for new projects; familiarity with sources for researching higher education issues.
• Experience with Adaptive and Workday to include maintaining business processes, calculations (eg formulas), and methodologies as well as report writing for Workday and Adaptive.
• Advanced level in Excel and Google Sheets (i.e., template development, pivot tables, lookups, and various sum functions) and the ability to utilize these skills to meet ad hoc data needs in support of leadership requests for analysis, forecasts or ongoing reports.

Accountabilities

Responsible for own work. Budgetary responsibilities.

Physical Requirements

Work primarily involves sitting/standing, communicating with others to exchange information, operating a computer, and assessing the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned.

Environmental Conditions

Subject to inside environmental conditions. Not typically exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Disclaimer

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by the employee’s supervisor.

Time Type Requirement

Full time

Accommodations for Applicants

If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] or [phone].

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates to apply without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and military or veteran status.

About WFU

Wake Forest University, formed in 1834, has experienced decades of growth and innovation.

WFU is a distinctive university that combines a liberal arts core with graduate and professional schools and innovative research programs.

The University embraces the teacher-scholar ideal, which prizes the personal interaction between students and faculty.

It is a place where exceptional teaching, fundamental research and discovery, and the engagement of faculty and students in the classroom and the laboratory are paramount.

Wake Forest University is a community that seeks the enlightenment and freedom which come through diligent study and learning.

Its higher goal, however, is to give life to the University motto "Pro Humanitate," as members translate a passion for knowledge into compassionate service.

The community shares a tradition that embraces freedom and integrity and acknowledges the worth of the individual.

The heritage, established by the school's founders and nurtured by succeeding generations, promotes a democratic spirit arising from open-mindedness and discourse.

Wake Forest fosters compassion and caring for others.

Its collective strength and character are derived from the values and distinctive experiences of each individual; therefore, it affirms the richness of human intellect and culture and its contribution to knowledge, faith, reason, and dialogue.

Furthermore, it strives toward a society in which good will, respect, and equality prevail.

To that end, Wake Forest University rejects hatred and bigotry in any form and promotes justice, honor, and mutual trust.

The University is comprised of: the undergraduate college, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Divinity, School of Law, and School of Medicine (located on the Bowman Gray campus with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center) and today enrolls about 4,846 undergraduates and 2,823 students in graduate programs at its principal location, the Reynolda campus.

Students at Wake Forest University enjoy a great deal of access to and interaction with world-class faculty both in and out of the classroom setting with a student‑faculty ratio of 11:1.

Wake Forest employs approximately 2,772 full and part‑time faculty and staff.

Wake Forest is a collegiate university offering a vibrant, intellectual community with a rich cultural life, an impressive array of facilities, and a strong athletics program competing in the fifteen‑team Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Since its founding, the university has adopted the motto “pro humanitate,” which is exemplified by a deep institutional commitment to public service and engagement with the world.

Wake Forest has a strong commitment to holistic, eight‑dimensional well‑being for students, faculty and staff as evidenced in the Thrive initiative.

Winston‑Salem, North Carolina Wake Forest is located in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina, a beautiful, mid‑sized city centrally located in the Piedmont‑Triad region of North Carolina.

Winston‑Salem is a family‑friendly city with high quality schools, numerous outdoor recreational activities and events, and is known for its vibrant and thriving arts scene.

Winston‑Salem residents enjoy close proximity to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains (1.5 hours) and Atlantic beaches (4 hours), a moderate climate with four distinct seasons, a very reasonable cost of living, and an eclectic variety of restaurants, wine bars, and breweries for dining with friends and family.

Winston‑Salem offers many of the amenities of a large city but with the sense of community and quality of life of a smaller town.