Senior Financial Analyst, Financial Planning and Analysis

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 94,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Chicago is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst to support decision making through financial planning and analysis and ongoing benefit management review. You will help develop the annual budget for the ~ $430 million employee benefit pool and co-lead quarterly budget reviews with senior leadership.

The role requires strong finance, accounting, and data management skills, with experience in higher education finance and GAAP knowledge. Collaboration across campus is essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• 5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Experience in higher education finance or treasury is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supports the development of financial reporting tools and analysis for evaluating the University’s financial performance.
• Maintains or skillfully uses external databases including Oracle.
• Assists the Treasury Director in preparing materials for Board meetings.
• Partners with Treasury Director to complete audit responsibilities related to the University’s employee benefits program.
• Leads ongoing review of the accounting for the staff benefit expenses.
• Delivers ad-hoc reporting and analyses as needed to support finance and treasury.
• Communicates with stakeholders across the University to drive execution of strategic initiatives.

Skills

Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint,  

Financial forecasting / modeling

GAAP knowledge

Quantitative skills

Education

Undergraduate or master’s degree in STEM, business, accounting or economics

College degree in related field

Job description

About The Department

The primary goal of Financial Services is to support the core mission of the University through exemplary fiscal stewardship. Our services and programs are geared toward providing our customers outstanding response and service while fulfilling compliance and fiduciary obligations. Among many duties, Financial Services has responsibility for accounting and financial reporting; cash, endowment, and debt management; payroll; sponsored award accounting; and purchasing and paying for goods and services.

Department

F&A FIN - Treasury Operations

Job Summary

The University of Chicago is looking for a Senior Financial Analyst who will serve as a member of the finance team and will assist University-wide decision support through financial planning and analysis and on-going review of benefit management. The position will be engaged with internal constituents across the University, as well as external constituents including auditors, investment banks and benefits brokers. The position will provide critical support for the University’s finance leadership and impact short-term and long-term strategic decisions.

In consultation with the Office of Human Resources, the Senior Financial Analyst develops the annual budget for the approximately $430 million employee benefit pool, prepares analyses for benefit issue resolution, and co-leads quarterly budget reviews with University senior leadership. The Senior Financial Analyst will also coordinate the development of the Finance and Administration budget.

The ideal candidate will have experience in higher education finance working with finance, accounting and or legal teams, proficiently use financial models to guide strategic decision making, be adept at managing data, and efficient partnering across an organization to complete high priority assignments. Degrees or experience in a quantitative or finance-related field are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supports the development of various financial reporting tools and analysis for evaluating the University’s financial performance, financial plan, strategic projects and financing transactions.
• Maintains or skillfully uses external databases including Oracle.
• Assists the Treasury Director in preparing materials for Board meetings, including Financial Planning Committee.
• Partners with Treasury Director to complete audit responsibilities related to the University’s employee benefits program and works with the auditor to resolve any inquiries.
• Identifies and addresses areas for process improvement within finance and treasury operations, including the enterprise resource planning (financial system transformation in Oracle) and treasury management system.
• Delivers ad-hoc reporting and analysis as needed to support finance and treasury.
• Effectively communicates and collaborates with stakeholders across the University to drive forward execution and tracking of strategic initiatives.
• Serves as primary liaison between Finance and the Office of Human Resources (HR) to develop the annual budget for University-wide staff benefit expenses.
• Leads on-going review of the accounting associated with the staff benefit expenses.
• Designs and delivers quarterly actual and forecasted performance for the staff benefit expenses and recoverable charges.
• Prepares trend analyses for all staff benefit components, elevates observations, and partners with HR to communicate recommended benefit adjustments.
• As new opportunities and challenges are presented to the University leaders, this position will be expected to be a key member of the FP&A team who conducts analyses and makes recommendations that support decisions beneficial to the University. These recommendations will often be presented to the Board of Trustees for information sharing and/or formal approvals.
• Responsible for the year-end close out of the staff benefit pool and related analyses.
• Leads the analysis of the benefit rate approved by the federal government and prepares the annual calculation for federal approval.
• Establishes and coordinates the overall budget for Finance and Administration.
• Reviews and reports on Finance and Administration budget, expenses and actual performance in accordance with overall budget.
• Develops, monitors, and analyzes a consolidated annual and intermediate, typically three to five year, budget plan and budget process. Reviews estimated expenditures. Develops expenditure projections and periodic budget variance reports. Prepares forecasts as well as analyses.
• Works mostly independently and serves as a financial strategy and modeling contributor. Acts as a trusted advisor and recommends improvements on financial strategy and situation.
• Collaborates to create the long-term financial model to reflect the strategic priorities. Guides budget administrators to help ensure the integrity of financial analysis and planning.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Education

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Undergraduate or master’s degree in a STEM, business, accounting or economics field.

Experience:

• Higher education finance, corporate or municipal finance, treasury management, and/or accounting.

Technical Skills Or Knowledge:

• Fluency in using Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Strong quantitative skills and demonstrated fluency with financial concepts, financial forecasting and/or modeling experience and employee benefits concepts.
• Familiarity with GAAP financial statements.

Preferred Competencies

• Team-oriented professional who embraces and advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion as good business practice.
• Interact quickly, thoughtfully, and impactfully with internal/external partners.
• Skilled at managing multiple projects and competing priorities to meet deadlines.
• Curiosity-driven and continuously interested in professional growth.
• Strong writing and presentation skills and deliver complex information in a concise and effective manner that adds to decision support at the highest level.
• Proven attention to detail and desire to continuously learn and improve.

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$93,500.00 - $115,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case‑by‑case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.