Academic Budget Analyst II

Rice University•Houston, TX

5d•$70,000 - $80,000•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Academic Finance, the Academic Budget Analyst II provides analytical and operational support for academic budgeting, financial reporting, and financial data management within the Office of the Provost. This position prepares financial analyses, reporting tools, and tracking systems that support academic financial planning and operational decision-making. The Academic Budget Analyst II assists with recurring financial reporting, maintains financial databases and tracking tools, and supports budgeting processes and financial reviews for academic units. This position works with institutional financial systems and analytical tools including ERP financial systems, reporting platforms, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, AirTable, and project tracking tools such as Asana to prepare financial reports and maintain financial tracking systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, business administration, or related field.
Two or more (2+) years in budgeting, financial analysis, or financial reporting, with higher‑education experience strongly preferred.
Collect, interpret, and analyze financial and budget data with accuracy.
Proficiency with pivot tables, formulas, and core financial functions to prepare analyses and reports.
Ability to use Word and PowerPoint to prepare clear financial reports and presentations.
Experience with financial systems or budget planning platforms for reporting and reconciliation.
Build dashboards and graphical reports using Tableau or similar tools.
Familiarity with Asana or similar workflow platforms to manage assignments and deadlines.
Experience maintaining financial tracking systems such as AirTable.
Manage multiple assignments, maintain tracking systems, and present financial information clearly.
Apply basic accounting principles and financial reporting practices in academic finance.
Must be able to work at a computer workstation for extended periods of time.

Nice To Haves

4–5 years of progressively responsible experience in budgeting or financial reporting, ideally in higher education.
Ability to navigate and reconcile data across enterprise financial systems and reporting platforms.
High‑level skills including lookup functions, multi‑sheet models, and scenario analysis.
Build dashboards and trend analyses that support leadership decision‑making.

Responsibilities

Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual budget vs. actual reports for academic units.
Support preparation of financial reports used in budget review meetings and leadership discussions.
Assist with financial analyses, budget projections, and special projects as assigned.
Develop annual faculty salary graphs for budget meetings using Tableau.
Create dashboards and visualizations illustrating financial trends and budget performance.
Maintain reconciliation templates and financial tracking tools.
Prepare academic budget adjustments for submission to the central Budget Office.
Reconcile financial data to ensure consistency between budget planning tools and official financial systems.
Prepare journal entries, fund balance transfers, and budget adjustments.
Maintain AirTable tracking for adjustments to SF, AMF, and Core funding.
Reconcile school budget guidelines with AirTable adjustments to ensure alignment.
Compile faculty recruitment financial templates from schools for consolidation and review.
Update department Wiki documentation for financial processes and procedures.
Track project assignments and workflow using Asana.
Prepare content for the academic budget website, including assisting in development and ongoing updates.
Perform additional responsibilities at a comparable level to support evolving academic budget operations and institutional financial needs.