Senior Budget Analyst

University of Chicago • Hyde Park, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Budget Analyst works in the Physical Sciences Division’s Budget & Finance department under the direction of the Associate Director of Finance. The role prepares the Division’s consolidated annual budget, partners with departments and centers to create and update financial models, and supports departments in preparing their budgets. It also involves collecting and analyzing accounting data, conducting financial reviews and historical trend analyses, and developing and maintaining policies and guidelines for accounting data collection and analysis.

The position supports budget planning, forecasting, and resource allocation through financial models, expenditure projections, variance reports, and analysis. It produces reports and interprets financial and other divisional data for senior University leaders, communicates findings to stakeholders, and helps identify resource-planning issues. The position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with onsite work required one day a week and/or as needed. Occasional extended or non-standard hours may be required during peak periods.

Requirements

• College or university degree in a related field.
• Five to seven years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Strong practical knowledge of financial analysis methodologies.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial audiences.
• Ability to think strategically, independently develop and evaluate options, and translate findings into operational objectives.
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships at all organizational levels and work effectively with senior University leadership.
• Problem-solving, organization, analytical, and coordination skills, including attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and interact with a diverse workforce.
• Excellent time management and ability to handle multiple concurrent tasks within deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Flexibility to work effectively under time pressure on high-visibility, high-stakes projects and adapt to changes in workflow and procedures.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or another advanced degree.
• Educational background focused on business or a related technical field.
• Demonstrated experience building financial models.
• Advanced Excel skills, including sorting, VLOOKUP, IF statements, and pivoting data.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Experience in accounting, finance, budgeting, financial analysis, or a related area.
• Experience compiling data used to prepare budgets.
• Experience verifying electronic records for data integrity.
• Experience researching information.
• Experience in a university setting or another complex not-for-profit organization.
• Familiarity with the Oracle ERP system, Orbit reporting system, and SmartView.
• Familiarity with a higher education environment.
• Understanding of how gifts, endowments, and payroll flow into departmental budgets.

Responsibilities

• Prepare the Division’s annual budget by gathering, analyzing, and compiling financial data into spreadsheets shared with departments, and provide specialized budget analysis and administration.
• Evaluate budget estimates and proposals for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with established procedures, regulations, and organizational objectives.
• Track budget performance by reviewing reports and accounting records to ensure allocated funds are used effectively and appropriately.
• Produce reports and analyses for the Associate Dean and collaborate with others to develop useful reporting designs and metrics.
• Examine past budgets and research economic and financial developments that affect spending; communicate progress and results to stakeholders.
• Respond to requests across the Division, including from the Dean and Associate or Deputy Deans, for special reports and data such as enrollment, faculty, and admissions information; analyze and interpret results and prepare clear reports.
• Identify current and future resource-planning and allocation issues, and develop, lead, and supervise complex studies and analyses to support senior staff decisions.
• Communicate conclusions drawn from data analysis clearly.
• Design, implement, and maintain financial models for budget planning, forecasting, resource allocation, and assessing the potential impact of strategic initiatives.
• Review estimated expenditures, develop expenditure projections and periodic budget variance reports, and prepare forecasts and analyses.
• Maintain a deep understanding of operational budgets for departments or other operational units.
• Report variances between approved budgets and actual performance and recommend revised procedures.
• Perform other related work as needed.

Benefits

• Benefits eligibility, including access to health, retirement, and paid time off programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior