Finance and Budget Analyst (Finance Specialist III) - College of Arts & Sciences
About The Position
Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences is a vibrant intellectual community of approximately 4,600 undergraduates, 1,400 graduate students, 640 faculty members and 280 staff members. As the university’s largest and most diverse academic unit, the College offers a rigorous liberal arts and sciences education across 28 departments and more than 25 programs, institutes and centers. The Finance and Budget team oversees more than $450 million in College resources, including approximately $30 million in sponsored activity. The team provides financial analysis, reporting, guidance, and policy implementation support to stakeholders across the College. In addition, the team manages the College's core budget by monitoring commitments, administering base budget and other funding allocations, and delivering budgetary guidance, forecasting, and financial modeling to College leadership. The Finance and Budget Analyst serves as a key member of the College of Arts & Sciences Finance and Budget team, providing financial, compliance, and reporting support across a diverse portfolio of academic departments, programs, grants, and administrative activities. Reporting to the Director of Finance and Budget, the position is responsible for monitoring compliance with university, sponsor, and regulatory requirements; supporting internal controls; developing and administering financial reporting and analysis, and managing specialized financial processes and distributions. The position serves as a key resource for financial planning, forecasting, compliance monitoring, and data-driven decision support for college leadership and academic units. The Budget Analyst works closely with departmental managers, faculty, research administrators, human resources staff, central Cornell offices, and college leadership to ensure accurate financial stewardship, compliance, and reporting. The position requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, the ability to interpret policies and regulations, and the capacity to manage multiple priorities in a complex academic environment. While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or related field and 3 to 5 years relevant experience or equivalent combination
- Demonstrated knowledge of budgeting, financial analysis, accounting principles, and compliance practices
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex financial information
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis tools
- Demonstrates a holistic understanding of how their work impacts and supports broader college objectives
- Able to synthesize information from diverse areas and identify interdependencies across the college
- Experience working with financial systems and databases
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and deadlines
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholder groups
- Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members
Nice To Haves
- Experience in higher education, finance, or research administration
- Experience with Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, or similar tools
Responsibilities
- Monitoring compliance with university, sponsor, and regulatory requirements
- Supporting internal controls
- Developing and administering financial reporting and analysis
- Managing specialized financial processes and distributions
- Serving as a key resource for financial planning, forecasting, compliance monitoring, and data-driven decision support for college leadership and academic units
- Ensuring accurate financial stewardship, compliance, and reporting
Benefits
- No visa sponsorship or relocation assistance provided
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
