Financial Analyst Lead

Michigan Medicine; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent medical, dental and vision

2:1 retirement match

Job summary

Michigan Medicine seeks an experienced Financial Analyst Lead to oversee financial operations for the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology and Genetic Medicine. The role includes planning, forecasting, reporting, and strategic analysis across clinical, research, and educational missions.

The ideal candidate partners with faculty and administrators to translate data into actionable insights and supports high-stakes decision-making in a complex academic medical center environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, or related field.
• 8+ years of professional financial management experience.
• Five or more years in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Experience interpreting complex financial policies and ensuring compliance.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with executive stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Direct financial strategy, planning, and oversight for a large division’s portfolio.
• Develop budgets, forecasts, and annual financial plans; monitor performance.
• Prepare executive-level analyses, dashboards, and reports for leadership.
• Coordinate effort planning, payroll, and sponsored research administration.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to support strategic decision-making.

Skills

Financial analysis

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial reporting

Policy interpretation

Executive presence

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance/business

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

Mission Statement

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Job Summary

The Divisions of Hematology and Oncology and Genetic Medicine within the Department of Internal Medicine seek an experienced and strategic financial professional to serve as Financial Analyst Lead. Together, these divisions support a complex mission spanning patient care, translational and clinical research, clinical trials, and education.

Reporting to the Division Administrator, the Financial Analyst Lead serves as the principal financial advisor for a large and diverse portfolio that includes clinical operations, sponsored research, clinical trials, faculty and staff effort, philanthropic and discretionary funds, and other institutional resources. The position provides division-wide financial leadership and partners closely with research administration, departmental finance, faculty, and operational leaders to support sound financial stewardship and informed decision-making.

This role is responsible for guiding financial planning, portfolio management, compliance, forecasting, reporting, and strategic analysis across the divisions' clinical, research, and educational missions. The successful candidate will be able to evaluate complex financial and operational information, identify risks and opportunities, and translate findings into actionable recommendations for division and departmental leadership.

The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical and relationship-building skills, sound professional judgment, and the ability to effectively partner with faculty, administrators, and institutional leaders in a highly collaborative environment.

This is an outstanding opportunity to play a key leadership role within one of Michigan Medicine's key strategic growth areas. The position offers a breadth of responsibility and visibility to institutional leaders, with opportunity to influence strategic decisions in clinical operations, research administration, faculty affairs, and institutional finance. Joining this team will enable you to meaningfully contribute to a mission dedicated to advancing cancer care, blood disorder treatment, genetics, and scientific discovery.

Responsibilities*

The Financial Analyst Lead provides strategic oversight for the financial operations of the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology and Genetic Medicine. This position develops, interprets, and implements complex financial and accounting concepts, policies, and advanced analytical techniques to support sound financial planning, stewardship, and internal control. Serving as a trusted advisor to division leadership, the Financial Analyst Lead evaluates financial performance, identifies risks and opportunities, and translates complex financial, clinical, and research data into actionable recommendations.

Specific Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To

Financial Strategy, Planning, and Oversight (40%)

• Direct the financial management of the division's comprehensive portfolio, including clinical, sponsored research, clinical trial, discretionary, philanthropic, and other institutional accounts.
• Develop and maintain financial planning, forecasting, monitoring, and control processes that align resources with the division's operational and strategic priorities.
• Analyze financial performance, identify trends and variances, and recommend strategies to address financial risks and opportunities.
• Develop and implement financial tools, reporting methods, and process improvements that enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, internal controls, compliance, and access to financial information.
• Assist with annual department and institutional processes, including budget development, forecasting, year-end activities, and space surveys.

Financial Reporting and Decision Support (20%)

• Lead the preparation and presentation of financial, operational, and research-related analyses and reports for division leadership and other senior organizational leaders.
• Integrate financial, clinical, research, staffing, and effort data to evaluate divisional performance and support strategic planning.
• Develop executive-level dashboards, forecasts, presentations, scenario analyses, and recommendations to support strategic planning and resource-allocation decisions.
• Conduct ad hoc analyses and reporting to support leadership decision-making and resource allocation.

Faculty and Staff Effort Management (15%)

• Serve as the division's subject-matter expert for faculty and staff effort planning, allocation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Develop, review, and process effort distributions and changes for U-M and Veterans Affairs faculty and staff, ensuring appropriate documentation, funding, and institutional alignment.
• Coordinate effort timelines, U-M/VA memoranda of understanding, and related agreements.
• Analyze and manage complex effort scenarios involving research, clinical, educational, and administrative activities; grant restrictions; cost sharing; leaves; sabbaticals; and funding or appointment changes.
• Partner with faculty, division leadership, research administrators, human resources, and departmental stakeholders to ensure effort commitments are accurate, supportable, and compliant.

Procurement and Financial Operations (15%)

• Oversee procurement and related financial operations, including purchasing, reimbursements, contracts, service agreements, payroll-related transactions, and account management activities, ensuring transactions are appropriately authorized, documented, funded, and compliant with institutional and sponsor requirements.
• Monitor transaction processing and account reconciliation, resolve discrepancies and implement workflows improvements as needed.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex financial, procurement, payroll, research administration, and account-management issues.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, administrative offices, and external partners to resolve issues and advance divisional priorities.

Research and Sponsored Programs Administration (10%)

• Maintain working knowledge of the division's sponsored research portfolio and related pre-award and post-award processes.
• Provide backup support to the Research Administration Manager, including review of proposal budgets, award terms, expenditures, cost sharing, effort commitments, financial reporting, and award closeout activities; collaborate with investigators, research administrators, and institutional offices to support compliant administration of grants, contracts, and clinical research funding and assist in resolving related financial or administrative issues.
• Provide financial analysis and guidance regarding the implications of research proposals, awards, staffing plans, and programmatic decisions.

Additional Responsibilities

• Represent the division on departmental and institutional committees, workgroups, and strategic initiatives, as assigned.
• Maintain current knowledge of policies, regulations, accounting standards, and financial management practices relevant to academic medicine and sponsored research.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Division Administrator or division leadership.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelors degree in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, or a closely related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 8 or more years of professional experience.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in financial management, accounting, budgeting, or financial analysis, including experience managing complex financial portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience developing budgets and forecasts, monitoring financial performance, analyzing variances, and preparing management-level financial reports.
• Experience interpreting and applying complex financial policies, accounting principles, internal controls, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate complex information, identify risks and opportunities, and develop practical recommendations.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to establish priorities, manage multiple projects, and meet competing deadlines in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to financial and nonfinancial audiences.
• Demonstrated executive presence, professional judgment, and confidence communicating with faculty, administrators, and senior organizational leaders.
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively within a team environment and to build effective relationships across a highly matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and Word, including the ability to use Excel for complex financial analysis, data management, and reporting.

Desired Qualifications*

• Seven or more years of progressively responsible financial management experience, preferably within academic medicine, health care, higher education, or another complex research-intensive organization.
• Master's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, health administration, or a related field.
• Professional certification such as CPA, CMA, or a comparable credential.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the financial and operational environment of an academic clinical department, including clinical operations, faculty compensation, productivity, effort allocation, and multi-mission planning.
• Experience managing complex financial portfolios supported by diverse funding sources, including clinical revenue, sponsored research, clinical trials, gifts, discretionary funds, and institutional support.
• Experience with research administration and compliance, including proposal development, award management, sponsor and institutional requirements, effort reporting, financial monitoring, and award closeout.
• Experience managing faculty and staff effort across clinical, research, educational, and administrative activities; experience coordinating effort involving both university and Veterans Affairs appointments is preferred.
• Experience overseeing core financial operations, including procurement, payroll, account reconciliation, and implementation of process improvements, financial controls, or operational efficiencies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop executive-level financial and operational analyses that integrate financial, clinical, research, and workforce data to support strategic decision-making.
• Familiarity with enterprise financial, human resources, research administration, business intelligence, and related systems used in a large academic medical center, university, or health care environment.

Why Join Michigan Medicine?

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world's most distinguished academic health systems. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings. Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.