Institutional Analyst - Finance & Student Funding

Stanbridge University•Irvine, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Stanbridge University is seeking an Institutional Analyst – Finance & Student Funding to support data-driven decision making across finance, enrollment, financial aid, and campus operations. This is a fully on-site role based in Irvine, California, requiring in-person attendance five days per week. The Institutional Financial Analyst serves as a key analytical partner to university leadership by evaluating institutional performance, student funding trends, enrollment-driven revenue, and operational effectiveness across multiple campuses. This position works closely with Finance, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Human Resources, Operations, and Academic Leadership to provide accurate reporting, forecasting, and actionable insights that support strategic decision-making. The ideal candidate combines strong financial and analytical skills with an understanding of higher education operations. This role is well suited for professionals from institutional research, financial aid administration, student financial services, university finance, enrollment management, or higher education analytics functions who are looking to expand their impact through strategic institutional analysis.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Data Analytics, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
Two (2) to five (5) years of experience in financial analysis, institutional research, higher education analytics, financial aid administration, student financial services, accounting, budgeting, or a related analytical role.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling, reporting, and data analysis.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Experience gathering, validating, and reconciling data from multiple systems and stakeholders.
Ability to communicate complex information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Comfortable using AI tools and automation technologies (e.g., Excel AI features, ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar platforms) to improve reporting and operational efficiency.
Ability to work collaboratively across departments and independently manage multiple priorities.
Must be able to work on-site in Irvine, California, five days per week.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a college, university, vocational school, or other higher education environment.
Working knowledge of federal Title IV financial aid programs, FAFSA processing, verification, packaging, disbursement, and compliance requirements.
Experience with student accounts, bursar operations, financial aid reporting, enrollment management, or institutional research.
Familiarity with student information systems (SIS), financial aid management systems, or higher education ERP platforms.
Experience analyzing enrollment-driven revenue models and student funding programs.
Knowledge of accreditation, regulatory reporting, and higher education compliance requirements.
Experience with accounting systems such as QuickBooks or similar financial platforms.
Experience developing dashboards, business intelligence reports, or data visualization tools.

Responsibilities

Analyze financial and operational performance across multiple campuses and departments.
Evaluate institutional trends related to enrollment, retention, student funding, revenue, and expenses.
Identify opportunities to improve financial performance, operational efficiency, and resource allocation.
Allocate shared expenses using consistent and supportable methodologies.
Prepare analyses and recommendations for university leadership and executive decision-makers.
Analyze enrollment-driven revenue streams, including tuition, fees, institutional aid, scholarships, grants, military education benefits, and Title IV funding.
Monitor student funding trends and evaluate their impact on institutional financial performance.
Partner with Financial Aid and Student Accounts teams to reconcile student funding activity and identify reporting variances.
Support revenue forecasting by analyzing enrollment trends, persistence, student funding utilization, and related financial metrics.
Assist with reporting and analysis related to federal, state, institutional, and military funding programs.
Collect financial and operational data from multiple internal systems, including accounting platforms, student information systems, payroll systems, financial aid systems, and departmental sources.
Perform data validation, reconciliation, and quality assurance reviews across systems that may not be fully integrated.
Investigate discrepancies and ensure consistency and accuracy of reporting data.
Partner with departments across the university to obtain, validate, and interpret required information.
Assist in the development and management of annual budgets across multiple campuses and operational units.
Monitor actual performance versus budget and investigate significant variances.
Support rolling forecasts and scenario-based planning initiatives.
Develop financial models to support strategic planning and institutional growth initiatives.
Evaluate the financial impact of enrollment changes, program growth, staffing decisions, and operational initiatives.
Analyze payroll expenses across campuses, departments, and academic programs.
Monitor labor cost trends and support workforce planning initiatives.
Assist leadership in understanding compensation-related cost drivers and staffing impacts.
Evaluate productivity and operational metrics that influence financial performance.
Prepare monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc reporting packages for university leadership.
Build and maintain Excel-based models, dashboards, and reporting tools.
Develop and monitor key performance indicators, including: Cost per student, Revenue per student, Enrollment yield metrics, Retention-related financial indicators, Campus-level profitability and margin analysis, Operational efficiency measures.
Present findings and recommendations in a clear and actionable manner.
Identify opportunities to improve reporting accuracy, data integrity, and analytical efficiency.
Recommend and support implementation of process improvements and automation initiatives.
Utilize AI-powered tools and emerging technologies to streamline reporting and analytical workflows.
Support standardization of institutional reporting practices across campuses and departments.