Sr Budget Analyst (Hybrid)

Northwestern University US; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic Budget Analyst to join their team. This role involves managing budget development and resource allocation for various academic and administrative units. The ideal candidate will provide financial insights, facilitate budget forecasting, and lead cross-functional projects, ensuring effective resource planning and allocation. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to strategic decision-making and process improvement initiatives in a collaborative environment. If you are passionate about finance and have a keen analytical mind, this role is a perfect fit for you.

Qualifications

• 5 years of financial, budgeting, or account reconciliation experience required.
• Strong Excel skills and experience in a large university setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage budget development and provide financial insights for academic units.
• Lead cross-functional projects and conduct ad hoc financial analysis.

Skills

Financial Analysis

Budget Management

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Excel

Oracle Software

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Finance

Tools

Excel

PeopleSoft

Job description

Department: Office of Budget and Planning
Salary/Grade: EXS/10

Job Summary:

The Office of Budget and Planning is seeking a dynamic individual to augment our team. The Office of Budget and Planning serves as the steward of resources and trusted advisor for units across Northwestern University in order to support decision-making and enable strategy.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Budget Operations, this position will be responsible for developing and facilitating the implementation of solutions for financial, operational, or strategic challenges facing the central administration, schools, or business units across the university. This role will be responsible for managing the budget development, resource allocations, operations, and analysis for a portfolio of academic and/or administrative units.

Serving as a Budget Office expert for these units, the Budget Analyst will provide timely and accurate financial insight into their units in order to understand and measure current and projected financial activity within their portfolio of responsibility. In addition, the Budget Analyst will be responsible for communicating allocation decisions and providing direction for budget development and forecasting initiatives.

Lastly, the Senior Budget Analyst will be responsible for leading cross-functional team projects or committees that are internal and/or external to the office, as well as conducting ad hoc analysis at the direction of the Senior Associate Vice President for Budget and Planning. They will interface with University leadership to present their analysis or special projects and will actively participate in process improvement initiatives.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $85,000-$95,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Specific Responsibilities:

Budget:

• Serves a primary role in the development & implementation of annual budget including fiscal resource allocation of appropriated, discretionary, endowment & gift revenues & expenses.
• Develops data-driven solutions to solve financial, operational, or strategic issues facing administrative or academic units.
• Manages budget & provides timely, accurate financial status for the current fiscal & future plan.
• Guides units of responsibility through university budgeting and forecasting processes, reviews budget and forecasting submissions.
• Acts as Budget Office expert on units and functions within portfolio of responsibilities.
• Coordinates & completes all associated fiscal year close/open processes.
• Approves funds reallocation within budget as necessary & appropriate.

Forecasting, Analysis, Statements & Reporting:

• Measures individual net performance of all areas/units as well as consolidated area/unit income statement & balance sheet with the use of pre-defined analytical financial tools.
• Recommends changes to tools to improve analysis, forecasting, modeling & reporting & ultimately quality of financial information & analyses provided to management for planning, evaluating & controlling operations.
• Oversees monthly reconciliation & reports on current financial performance, impact on year-end forecast & opportunities & risks.
• Performs complex financial account reconciliations, statement analysis, and transaction research.
• Builds, maintains, and updates financial models and associated financial analysis.

Transactions:

• Oversees accurate, efficient and compliant workflow of all transactional processes across areas/units.
• May serve as primary Level III school approver for NU Financial transactions.
• Provides optimal customer service and financial guidance to areas/units.
• Oversees processing of all daily financial transactional activity.
• Reviews exceptions forms and reimbursements that require special attention.
• Requests new chart strings.
• Prepares faculty salary recovery & summer salary.
• Creates & monitors recharge centers.
• Monitors open encumbrances & deficit chart strings; &/or stop an expense that is inappropriate or against deficit chart string.
• Reviews status of related university unit accounts and processes; troubleshoots issues as needed.

Administration:

• Identifies current & future resource planning & allocation issues & develops, leads, & supervises complex studies & analyses that will assist senior staff and in reaching resource planning and allocation decisions.
• Processes & presents associated data & information through the application of sophisticated database, graphic & spreadsheet tools.
• Manages operation of a computer system or system processes that support the area or program.
• Ensures that service level goals are met.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as accounting, business administration, finance, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 5 years financial, budgeting &/or preparing account reconciliations or financial statements along with financial analysis or other relevant experience.
• 2 years of budget or financial experience obtained from within a large, decentralized, research intensive university.
  

Minimum Competencies:

• Excellent computer skills including especially strong working knowledge of Excel with a general working knowledge of Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous consulting experience developing solutions for large research institutions.
• Previous financial planning and analysis (FP&A) experience in a corporate or non-profit setting.

Preferred Competencies:

• Working familiarity of Oracle based enterprise software (PeopleSoft).

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement . Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process .