Financial Analyst

School of Government Services; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The School of Government Services in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is hiring a Financial Analyst. This position supports the Budget, Planning, & Analysis department, focusing on financial modeling, analysis, and budgeting for various fund types.

Essential duties include campus-wide budget analysis and special projects. Candidates should have a relevant degree and experience in financial analysis, showcasing strong analytical and communication skills. The position offers a hybrid work arrangement.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2–3 years of experience in financial analysis, budgeting, or accounting.
• Ability to analyze large volumes of data and solve problems.
• Proficiency in creating financial projections and metrics.

Responsibilities

• Perform campus-wide budget analysis for the annual budget cycle.
• Provide analysis on risks associated with budget scenarios.
• Assist with data preparation in support of budget requirements.

Skills

Analytical skills

Proficiency in Excel

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or business administration

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement that may include a partially remote work location.

The Financial Analyst position will complement the existing team in the Budget, Planning, & Analysis (BP&A) department; each serving various elements of budget development, execution and management. This position will function as a Financial Analyst (FA) and will provide complex financial analysis, financial modeling and forecasting, metrics, reporting, and budgeting. This includes all institutional fund types - general funds, F&A or overhead receipts, institutional trust funds, grants, discretionary funds, foundations, and endowments. This position will also be integrated into the complex and unique facets of the state of North Carolina general funds budgeting process.

SOG Services assists faculty and staff at the UNC School of Government in carrying out its important mission: to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. As a nonprofit organization and an official affiliated entity of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, SOG Services also contributes to advancing UNC-Chapel Hill’s broader mission of academic excellence, research, and public service.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

60% Analysis, Modeling, and Forecasting

This position is responsible for using various moderately complex models and systems to perform campus-wide budget analysis during the development, review, and reporting periods of the annual budget cycle.

• Supports the development and maintenance of centralized revenue projection models, including tuition, appropriations, and non-general fund sources.
• Acts as a direct support contact for MCU finance leads during all phases of the budget process.
• Identifies data needs for financial analysis and participates in collaboration with key areas across campus to gain access to information for forecasting.
• Provides analysis on risks associated with potential budget scenarios.
• Works with various datasets and tools including financial, human resources, and student data.
• Assess the potential impact of incorrect estimates or assumptions within a budget model.
• Provides regular analysis and reporting such as budget-to-actuals, historical examination of revenues and expenses, budget reduction and distribution scenario planning, and allocation model planning.
• Reports on monthly budget performance, status of one-time allocations, and projects.

40% Special Projects

• As our annual budget process continues to evolve, our budget development system continues to advance, and the demand for multifaceted planning and reporting from leadership is at the forefront, the need for financial analysis and reporting is paramount.
• This position will be assigned special projects that involve documenting and analyzing complex issues, developing ad-hoc reporting, and preparing recommendations based on the review of data.
• This position will be viewed as a resource for institutional and regulatory knowledge and may be asked to participate in other special initiatives as assigned by the Executive Director.
• May also assist with data preparation and analysis in support of external budget requirements, including submissions to the Office of State Budget and Management and the UNC System Office.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or other related disciplines. Minimum 2–3 years of related professional experience in financial analysis, budgeting, or accounting
• Demonstrated analytical and critical thinking skills including ability to analyze large volumes of data, solve problems, find efficient way to complete tasks, and make decisions.
• Proficiency in understanding numerical relationships and trends, using tools like graphical and/or Excel dashboards to create financial projections, metrics, costing standards and other relevant information for campus customers.
• Basic familiarity with North Carolina budget processes and general fund appropriations.
• Operational business understanding, including the potential impact of business decisions on various situations.
• Attention to detail and ability to successfully manage multiple tasks independently, while keeping big picture in sight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong skills in Excel, Word, and database applications.
• Ability to work independently with sound direction and goals.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Progressive experience in accounting and extensive knowledge of complex accounting functions.
• Proven experience in financial reporting, system integration, and data reconciliation, particularly with software such as AIM, Maximo, PeopleSoft, Sequel, IQ Query, Power BI, and/or Tableau.
• Ability to educate constituents, deliver formal presentations, summarize complex data, and communicate results with outstanding written and oral correspondence.