Financial Planning Analyst

Saint Mary's College•Notre Dame, IN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Financial Planning Analyst leads budgeting and forecasting activities for the College. While the position's primary focus is the College's operating budget, the Analyst works closely with managers of grants, capital projects, and restricted funds to support comprehensive financial planning across all College funds. The Financial Planning Analyst is responsible for maintaining the College's multi-year financial plan and, in collaboration with Institutional Research and Student Engagement, the College's net tuition forecasting model. The position partners closely with Human Resources and the Provost's Office to support staffing planning and ensure personnel costs are accurately reflected in the budget. As a key member of the Finance and Operations team, the Financial Planning Analyst provides strategic financial analysis, forecasting, and decision support to senior leadership and contributes to presentations and reporting for the Board of Trustees' Financial Stewardship Committee. The successful candidate will possess strong analytical skills, budgeting expertise, financial systems knowledge, and the ability to communicate complex financial information to a variety of audiences.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in budgeting, financial planning, accounting, or related financial management functions, including at least three years of direct budgeting and forecasting experience.
Demonstrated expertise in financial analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and quantitative modeling.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build collaborative relationships across all levels of the organization.
Ability to communicate financial and technology concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience presenting financial analyses and recommendations to executive leadership.
Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
Demonstrated leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and experience leveraging AI-enabled productivity tools such as Microsoft Copilot.
Experience implementing, integrating, managing, or supporting ERP and/or budgeting systems.
Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and continuous process improvement.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and must not require visa sponsorship from the College, either now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Higher education budgeting and financial planning experience strongly preferred.
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), or related advanced credential.
Exceptional time management and organizational skills.
Experience with Oracle Cloud ERP.
Experience with Oracle Cloud EPM Budgeting and Planning.
Experience supporting financial planning and budgeting processes within a higher education environment.

Responsibilities

Maintain and update the College's multi-year financial model to reflect changing assumptions, priorities, and institutional needs.
Collaborate with the Office of Institutional Research and the Office of Student Engagement to maintain and enhance the College's net tuition forecasting model.
Partner with Human Resources to maintain staffing plans and ensure budget projections accurately reflect approved staffing needs.
Lead and oversee the College's annual budget development process.
Chair the Budget Advisory Committee and participate in other committees and initiatives as assigned by the Vice President for Finance and Operations.
Prepare and present major revenue and expense forecasts throughout the fiscal year, including variance analyses and recommendations for revenue enhancement and cost optimization.
Support the Vice President and Controller in preparing financial reports, forecasts, and presentations for the Board of Trustees' Financial Stewardship Committee.
Provide financial analysis and decision support to the Executive Team, including evaluating the financial viability of new initiatives and strategic investments.
Serve as the functional lead for the College's budgeting and planning systems, including Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Oracle Workforce Planning, and Oracle SmartView.
Ensure data integrity, version control, testing, system enhancements, and ongoing optimization of budgeting and forecasting tools.
Develop and maintain management reports, dashboards, and financial analytics to support informed decision-making.
Collaborate with stakeholders across the College to promote sound financial planning and budgeting practices.
Perform other duties as assigned.