Financial Analyst/Planner Specialist (Bilingual – English/Spanish)

Northeastern Illinois University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeastern Illinois University seeks a data-driven professional to coordinate TRIO Student Support Services grant data, reporting, and compliance. The role emphasizes budget monitoring, financial analyses, and program evaluation to support grant objectives and institutional planning.

The position requires strong data management, Excel proficiency, and the ability to collaborate with Institutional Research and campus offices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in accounting, finance, business, economics, or related field.
• Experience with federal grant reporting and audits is ideal.
• Strong Excel and data visualization skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate financial and program data reporting for TRIO SSS grants.
• Monitor budgets, expenditures, and forecasting for three grants.
• Prepare grant reports, APDs, and continuation materials.
• Develop dashboards and data summaries for program leadership.

Skills

Budgeting

Financial analysis

Data management

Bilingual English/Spanish

Reporting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

Excel

Data systems

Job description

Northeastern offers a rewarding working environment for our students and employees. Our faculty and staff are smart, dedicated people who work to create an excellent urban university experience for bright and motivated students.Job Summary:Under direction of the TRIO Student Support Services Access, Achieve and Teacher Preparation grant projects Executive Director, to coordinate data management, assessment, reporting, compliance, and administrative operations with knowledge and execution of the policies and procedures of these offices.The incumbent serves as the department's primary coordinator for student data systems, federal reporting, program evaluation, institutional assessment, grant compliance, and operational support. The position develops and maintains comprehensive data collection systems that support federal reporting requirements, institutional decision-making, continuous quality improvement, and strategic planning while collaborating with Institutional Research and campus partners. Bilingual English/Spanish required.Job Description:Budget Analysis, Financial Monitoring, and ForecastingMonitors and analyzes budgets and expenditures for the three federally funded TRIO Student Support Services grant projects.Maintains comprehensive financial records of expenditures, purchase transactions, payroll expenditures, invoices, commitments, and available balances.Prepares routine budget reports and financial analyses for the Executive Director to monitor spending patterns and ensure expenditures remain consistent with approved grant budgets and program priorities.Reviews financial data to identify discrepancies, spending trends, potential cost savings, and operational efficiencies.Reconciles departmental financial records with university financial systems and works with appropriate university offices to research and resolve discrepancies.Develops and maintains budget projections and expenditure forecasts to assist with short- and long-term financial planning.Analyzes spending trends and anticipated program needs to identify potential budget adjustments.Assists the Executive Director with preparing budget amendments, reallocations, revisions, and other financial documentation necessary to align expenditures with grant activities and departmental priorities.Federal Grant Fiscal Compliance and ReportingReviews and monitors grant expenditures to support compliance with applicable university, state, federal, and U.S. Department of Education requirements and approved grant budgets.Prepares and maintains financial documentation and supporting records necessary for grant reporting, audits, monitoring activities, continuation applications, and other institutional or federal reviews.Assists with the preparation of financial portions of grant reports and provides expenditure data necessary for Annual Performance Reports, continuation reports, grant renewals, and other required submissions.Coordinates data preparation and documentation necessary for the Annual Performance Reports for the three TRIO Student Support Services grants.Maintain audit-ready records and monitor compliance with U.S. Department of Education regulations.Assist with continuation reports, grant renewals, and monitoring visits.Serves as a departmental liaison with university financial and grants offices regarding budget monitoring, expenditure reconciliation, financial processes, documentation requirements, and grant-related fiscal matters.Data Management, Reporting, and Program AnalysisOversee process of transitioning student records and tasks as there will be a more streamlines process.Develops and maintains standardized procedures for collecting, validating, reconciling, and reporting program data.Produce dashboards and reports on retention, persistence, GPA, graduation, FAFSA completion, and post-graduation outcomes.Reviews and analyzes program data related to enrollment, retention, persistence, academic standing, graduation, FAFSA completion, participation in services, and other grant performance indicators.Produces routine reports and data summaries to assist the Executive Director and program leadership with monitoring grant objectives, identifying trends, assessing program performance, and making data-informed decisions.Conducts periodic data audits to identify missing, inconsistent, or inaccurate information and coordinates necessary corrections.Collaborates with Institutional Research and appropriate campus offices to obtain and reconcile institutional data necessary for federal reporting, assessment, and program evaluation.Bilingual skills (English/Spanish required) due our TRIO SSS student population being 65% Hispanic and our university being a Hispanic Serving and Minority Serving Institution.Federal Grant Reporting, Assessment, and Program ComplianceCoordinates data preparation and documentation necessary for the Annual Performance Reports for the three TRIO Student Support Services grants.Maintains records necessary to demonstrate progress toward federally approved objectives and Competitive Preference Priority activities.Supports departmental assessment activities by compiling and analyzing financial, participation, and outcome data.Assists the Executive Director in evaluating program performance, resource utilization, and progress toward grant objectives and identifies areas requiring additional review or adjustment.Supports preparation for U.S. Department of Education monitoring visits, institutional audits, and other grant compliance activities.Program Operations and Administrative CoordinationCoordinates financial and administrative processes associated with departmental purchasing, procurement, travel, contractual services, memberships, and other grant-funded activities.Tracks purchasing and financial documentation from initiation through completion and maintains organized records supporting departmental expenditures.Coordinates inventory records for grant-funded equipment and supplies and assists with appropriate documentation and reconciliation.Provides guidance to TRIO SSS staff regarding established departmental financial procedures, documentation requirements, and purchasing processes.Coordinates assigned office operations and supervises student employees supporting departmental administrative functions.Student Intake, Enrollment, and Records ManagementCoordinates and monitors the streamlined electronic student application and intake process for the three TRIO Student Support Services programs.Maintains accurate electronic participant records and assists with verifying required application and eligibility documentation.Monitors program enrollment levels and produces reports to assist program leadership in meeting federally funded participant targets.Coordinates applicant information and interview scheduling as necessary and ensures that participant information is accurately reflected in departmental systems.Provides additional financial, data, records management, and operational support related to the essential functions of the TRIO Student Support Services department.Bilingual skills (English/Spanish required) due our TRIO SSS student population being 65% Hispanic and our university being a Hispanic Serving and Minority Serving Institution.Communications and OutreachCoordinate newsletters, website updates, recruitment campaigns, promotional materials, and social media communications.Communication and visits with stakeholders via departmental communications.Bilingual skills (English/Spanish required) due our TRIO SSS student population being 65% Hispanic and our university being a Hispanic Serving and Minority Serving Institution.Minimal Qualifications:1. Any one or combination totaling four (4) years (48 months) from the categories below:A. college coursework comparable to that in a field related to financial analysis/planning such as accounting, business administration, economics, finance, statistics, or a closely related field30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)Associate Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen (18) months90-semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)Bachelor’s Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)Master’s Degree equals four (4) years (48 months)B. work experience in developing financial or economic analyses, research designs, strategic plans, or data models.2. One (1) year (12 months) of professional level progressively responsible financial work experience.3. Full professional proficiency in both English and Spanish (written and verbal communication, including reading) is required.Departmental Preferences:Bachelor’s degree preferred in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, statistics, data analytics, public administration, higher education administration, or a closely related field.Experience working with federally funded grant programs, preferably U.S. Department of Education TRIO programs or other higher education grant-funded programs.Knowledge of federal grant administration, fiscal compliance, and reporting requirements, including experience maintaining documentation for audits, monitoring visits, continuation applications, and other federal or institutional reviews.Experience with budget management, financial analysis, reconciliation, and forecasting, including monitoring expenditures, identifying discrepancies, analyzing spending trends, developing projections, and assisting with budget reallocations or amendments.Strong data management and analytical skills, including experience collecting, validating, reconciling, analyzing, and reporting quantitative and qualitative data.Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel or comparable spreadsheet/data-analysis software, including the ability to organize large datasets, perform calculations and analyses, and develop reports, dashboards, and other data summaries.Experience developing reports, dashboards, and data visualizations to monitor key performance indicators, program outcomes, financial activity, and organizational goals.Experience working with student information systems, financial management systems, databases, or grant-management systems, with the ability to learn and effectively use institutional technology platforms.Knowledge of assessment and program evaluation practices, including the ability to analyze program performance, identify trends, evaluate progress toward objectives, and support data-informed decision-making.Experience preparing or supporting federal, state, institutional, or grant-related reports, with preference for experience with U.S. Department of Education Annual Performance Reports (APRs) or similar reporting requirements.Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to maintain accurate, complete, and audit-ready financial and program records.Strong organizational and project-management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, track projects from initiation through completion, and work effectively across multiple programs or funding sources.Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate financial, data, compliance, and procedural information clearly to staff and other stakeholders.Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with multiple university offices and stakeholders, including areas such as Institutional Research, Grants Accounting, Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, and Student Affairs.Experience developing, documenting, and improving administrative processes and procedures, particularly processes involving financial transactions, student records, data collection, reporting, or regulatory compliance.Demonstrated commitment to serving diverse student populations and ability to work effectively within a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) environment.Experience coordinating or supervising student employees preferred.Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, identify problems, recommend solutions, and maintain effective working relationships in a deadline-driven environment.Working Schedule:Monday - Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Thursdays: 10 a.m. -6 p.m. (Spring and Fall - different summer hours)Fridays: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Location: NEIU Main Campus - LIB, Room 411 (5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625)Setting: In-office, not eligible for remote work.Applicants must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States. This position is not eligible for sponsorship of work visas.This position requires a background check.Salary Range$60,232.28BenefitsUniversity employees may be eligible for a variety of State of Illinois benefits. These benefits are administered through the Illinois Department of Central Management Service (CMS). Please visit our Employee Benefits page to learn more about our comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision benefits, sick and vacation days, and participation in the State Universities Retirement System.Northeastern Illinois University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and invites applications from Women, Minorities, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, as well as other qualified individuals. Northeastern Illinois University's positions are contingent upon the University's receipt of its State of Illinois appropriation.