Senior Budget Analyst

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory•Princeton, NJ

3d•$87,200 - $139,400

About The Position

The Senior Budget Analyst provides advanced financial analysis and technical expertise for the Laboratory’s budget development and execution, long-term planning, and indirect cost management. Working independently, the analyst evaluates financial performance, identifies risks and trends, and presents actionable recommendations to Budget Office leadership. The role is a senior functional resource for Oracle financial systems and Budget Office operations, supporting accurate project funding, cost allocations, and financial reporting. It also supports DOE reporting, the annual Incurred Cost Submission, proposal development, and audits, while strengthening internal controls and operational effectiveness through process improvements, automation, and technical guidance. The position is with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by Princeton University. PPPL conducts research in plasma science and fusion energy and applies its expertise to microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences. The role provides financial analysis and budget formulation and execution support; manages and validates Oracle ERP funding, data, reports, projects, awards, and Budget Office functions; and provides proposal, audit, process-improvement, and analytical support. The position has 40 standard weekly hours and is eligible for benefits. The posted salary range is $87,200 to $139,400.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Mathematics, or a similar field.
5–8 years of progressively responsible experience in a budgeting or accounting environment.
Experience developing and maintaining complex financial spreadsheets.
Knowledge of Cost Accounting Standards and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to explain and quantify impacts of alternative decisions or scenarios.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple assignments.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with personnel at all levels, internally and externally.
Ability to independently research, interpret, analyze, and compile data and present results.
Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines and deliverables, including working outside normal hours as needed.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and Google Workspace applications.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Oracle Financials, including PPM and EPM Cloud.
Experience with DOE financial management, federal contracting, indirect costs, or government cost accounting.
Experience using artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, or automation tools for financial analysis, forecasting, reporting, data validation, or process improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead complex financial analysis supporting budget formulation and execution, multi-year planning, and provisional and actual indirect-rate development and analysis.
Develop, maintain, and analyze financial schedules, models, forecasts, and supporting data to evaluate budget performance, cost trends, funding requirements, indirect cost recovery, and projected financial results.
Analyze monthly indirect cost recovery at provisional rates, investigate trends and variances, assess financial impacts, and recommend management actions.
Monitor performance against budgets and forecasts, identify risks or inconsistencies, and support corrective actions or revised projections.
Prepare and quality-review financial reports, schedules, and analyses for DOE and other stakeholders, ensuring accuracy and supporting documentation.
Contribute to the annual Incurred Cost Submission through preparation, reconciliation, analysis, and validation of financial data and schedules.
Provide analytical support to the Associate Budget Director and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, including research and responses to complex or time-sensitive data requests.
Explain financial results and complex data clearly to Budget Office leadership and stakeholders to support decision-making.
Serve as a senior Budget Office resource for Oracle ERP activities, financial processes, system functionality, and accounting and funding relationships.
Establish and maintain projects and awards and perform complex financial system updates, including cost allocation tables and other Budget Office-controlled data.
Manage monthly project funding updates, reconcile system funding to DOE and other authoritative records, and investigate and resolve discrepancies.
Validate indirect and allocated cost calculations, identify anomalies and root causes, assess impacts, and coordinate resolution of system, data, or process issues.
Execute and validate assigned month-end and year-end close activities, including reconciliations and review of financial results.
Analyze system-generated data and reports for integrity and consistency and identify improvements to controls, reporting, and efficiency.
Participate in testing system enhancements, upgrades, configuration changes, and defect corrections; develop test scenarios, validate and document results, and assess downstream impacts.
Provide guidance to staff and stakeholders on Budget Office processes and appropriate use and interpretation of Oracle financial data.
Support Principal Investigators in DOE and other sponsor proposal development and submission, reviewing budgets, cost assumptions, funding requirements, and financial data.
Support internal and external audits by preparing analyses, reconciliations, schedules, and documentation and responding to auditor inquiries in assigned areas.
Develop and improve Budget Office procedures, desktop instructions, analytical tools, and documentation to strengthen consistency, controls, knowledge transfer, and effectiveness.
Identify and support implementation of automation and other improvements to financial analysis, reporting, data validation, and Budget Office processes.
Provide technical guidance and knowledge transfer to less-experienced analysts and assist with complex financial, system, and process questions.
Lead or independently execute special projects and complex analyses assigned by Budget Office leadership, the Associate Budget Director, or Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
Perform other duties as assigned.