Financial Analyst

aspeninstitute; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid leave

Job summary

The Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, seeks a Financial Analyst to provide budgetary and financial support across Aspen programs, ensuring accurate accounting and grant reporting. You will work under the Financial Manager and collaborate with program staff.

This role requires 2–3 years in grant management, budget forecasting, and financial analysis, plus strong Excel skills. You will engage with Planful, NetSuite, NPSP, UKG, and Concur to drive accurate financial data.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in business, accounting, or related field.
• 2–3 years in grant management, budgeting, and financial analysis.
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting and budgeting systems.
• Detail-oriented and able to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Prepare proposals and budgets and submit in Planful.
• Support programs with forecasts and grant data in accounting systems.
• Process grant documents and ensure data accuracy.
• Generate funder and internal financial reports.
• Collaborate with program staff for budget updates and reconciliations.
• Assist with year-end and grant audits.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Excel skills

Verbal & written communication

Attention to detail

Independent worker

Research & data analysis

Education

BA/BS in business or accounting

Tools

Planful

NetSuite

NPSP

UKG

Tipalti

Concur

Job description

ABOUT US

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners.

FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS

The Financial Planning & Analysis team provides support for annual budgeting, ongoing forecasting, grant reporting, monthly financial reviews, and ad-hoc analyses for all Aspen departments.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Financial Analyst will be responsible for providing budgetary and financial support to a portfolio of Aspen programs, as well as responsible for accounting compliance and analysis of these programs, under the leadership of the Financial Manager. Major services include areas in grant accounting, budget facilitation, & financial analysis. The Financial Analyst routinely interacts with the financial manager and key staff members in each program who are responsible for departmental accounting functions. Frequent interaction with program administrators, business offices, and accounting operation within the Aspen Institute.

This position reports to the Financial Manager. The Salary range for this position is $65,000 - $80,000. The expectation is for this role to be in our DC office a minimum of 2x a week to collaborate with colleagues.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Budget, Grant, & Reporting

• Collaborate with programs to ensure preparation of proposal and program budget and submission in Planful.
• Support program staff in use of Planful.
• Process grant documents and maintain grant data in the accounting and budget systems to ensure accurate data input.
• Work with program staff to maintain updated forecasts based on material changes throughout the year.
• Assign new accounting codes in accordance with Institute’s program classification and NetSuite coding structure using Project Request Forms.
• Investigate and report to programs/manager any inconsistencies or improprieties; research and resolve programs inquiries, in consultation with managers.
• Allocate project expenses and process journal entries related to program revenues and expenses in the assigned functional areas.
• Update funding and budget data, as needed, to assist with the preparation of financial materials for senior management.
• Prepare funder reports and financial reports to meet funding terms and the diverse needs of individual programs.
• In collaboration with, and with final approval of the grant manager, review and process grant agreements through internal approval process to ensure compliance with grant accounting policies and U.S. government regulations, if applicable. Review sponsorship agreements and ensure submission to Ironclad for due diligence review. Update NPSP with grant information.
• Obtain training on all financial systems: Planful for forecasting, NetSuite for accounting, NPSP for grant management, UKG for payroll reports. Also become familiar with Tipalti for invoice processing and Concur for expense processing.

Financial Analysis

• Provide timely, relevant and accurate reporting & analysis against historical, budgeted, and forecasted data to identify and manage any financial issues.
• Take part in a monthly review of financial performance with programs, helping with both meeting preparation and subsequent follow-up.
• Work with programs to ensure funding compliance and proper accounting procedures have been followed for reporting to the funders.
• Monitor allocated costs such as fringe, interest, and overhead charges for accuracy and sound logic.
• Review proposal budgets generated by the programs.
• Use reports in Planful for tracking, monitoring, and understanding actuals, budget and projection.
• Provide supporting materials for yearend audit and/or any other grant audit requirement, as needed.
• Maintain and develop various financial models and standard templates distributed for use by all during the proposal, budgeting, and reporting processes, ensuring quality, accuracy and perform analytic review of preliminary materials.
• Perform ad hoc analyses in response to emails, your own research, meeting discussions.
• Perform other duties and reconciliations as assigned.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• BA/BS in fields of business administration, accounting or other related fields or relevant work experience; A background in a non-profit, research or academic setting is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience in grant management, donor reporting, financial analysis, and budget forecast. Strong verbal and written communication, organizational and planning skills, excellent analytical skills.
• Excellent Excel and other Microsoft Office skills.
• Working knowledge of accounting principles and program implementation in non-profit organizations are essential.
• Familiarity with standard accounting and budgeting systems is highly desirable; knowledge of database software is helpful.
• Attention to details; proven ability to work efficiently under pressure.
• Independent worker and analytical thinker with ability to conduct research, data analysis and resolve complex problems.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.

The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.

The Aspen Institute welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs, including the interview process. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about accessibility, please email [e-mail] or call 202-736-2127 in advance of your visit. Requests for ASL or CART services should be made at least two weeks in advance when possible. We will make every effort to fulfill requests, subject to availability.