Financial Operations Planner

Penn State University; State College (Centre County); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for the position of a Financial Operations Planner. This role partners with the Strategic Finance Partner to provide financial guidance, analysis, and decision support to unit leadership on budget and financial matters.

The role supports long-term financial planning, resource allocation, and compliance with institutional priorities and regulations, while supervising staff and coordinating with campus units.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted.
• If applicable, 3+ years of relevant experience for the supervisor track.
• No certifications required.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal units to submit instructional pay, adjunct appointments, and labor distribution.
• MaintainCourse budget and labor distribution lists and process position budgeting.
• Analyze budget data; gather, compile, and manipulate data for insights.

Skills

Budgeting

Financial analysis

Forecasting

Data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

SQL

Excel

Power BI

Job description

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Pennsylvania State University Office of Budget and Finance invites applications for the position of a Financial Operations Planner . This role supports the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and the Schreyer Honors College (SHC) by partnering closely with a Strategic Finance Partner to provide financial guidance, analysis, and decision support to unit leadership.

The Financial Operations Planner supports the business unit and Strategic Financial Partner by providing oversight and expert guidance to unit leaders on budget and financial matters; serves as a subject matter expert in one or more budget or fiscal-related areas; advises unit leaders on budget management and financial controls; provides in-depth financial analysis, forecasting, and budget modeling; plays a key role in supporting long-term financial planning efforts and ensuring effective resource allocation aligns with the university's mission, strategic goals, and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Human Resources Consultant, and Graduate Coordinator to submit instructional supplemental pay, adjunct appointments, and labor distribution
• Maintain lists of course buyouts, non-instructional, temp additional pay, and process position budgeting
• Collaborate in budget and resource data analysis to provide data-driven recommendations and financial insights; gather, compile, and manipulate data; may determine analytical methods to be used
• Develop, maintain, and refine financial models to support long-range planning and scenario analysis
• Oversee assigned components of budget activities; participate in the conceptual development of the various budget processes and specifications for projects
• Review financial reports to understand and explain variances between budget and actuals; analyze trends in revenues, expenditures, enrollments, and funding sources; ensure appropriate spending and billing practices are being followed
• Monitor financial performance against budget and forecast, identifying areas of concern or opportunity
• Participate in the development of financial dashboards and reporting tools for internal stakeholders and senior leadership
• Provide financial analyses for new initiatives, program reviews, and business plans, including ROI and cost-benefit assessments
• Assist in the preparation of the annual operating budgets, ensuring alignment with unit and institutional priorities
• Manage workforce planning and labor distribution for assigned business area(s); assist with annual salary increase program execution
• Support compliance with internal policies, external regulations, and audit requirements; oversee audits as required
• Partner with other university offices to ensure consistent data sources and accurate financial projections
• Will supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Additional Information

This position offers a flexible work arrangement that combines remote and on-campus work. The standard expectation is two days per week in the office; however, flexibility is supported in weeks where this cadence is not feasible, based on business needs and coordination with the team. Questions related to flexible work arrangements should be discussed with the hiring manager during the interview process.

Minimum Education, Work Experience & Required Certifications

If filled as Finance Planning Analyst - Senior Supervisor, this position requires:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Required Certifications:
• None

If filled as Finance Planning Analyst - Supervisor, this position requires:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Required Certifications:
• None

Background Checks/Clearances

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Due to the financial and fiduciary responsibilities of this position, successful completion of a credit history check will be required in addition to standard background checks.

Penn