Financial Analyst

Department: Col of Humanities and Soc Science

Classification: Financial Svcs Specialist 1

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Finance & HR Team manages the budget of approximately $95 million across all sources and administers the faculty and staff hiring processes. It serves as liaison between central offices (Budget, Accounting, Financial Aid, HR, and Provost) and college departments and programs.

About the Position:

The Financial Analyst plays a critical role in managing day-to-day financial operations of the college and performs complex analytical and administrative duties to support with budget development, financial analysis, and reporting within CHSS. The position works collaboratively with the CHSS Finance & HR Team, across 14 academic and 8 administrative departments within the college, and partners with central units to ensure compliance with university policies and procedures. The position is responsible for analyzing financial data to identify trends, mitigate risks, and support with decision making on resource allocation and process improvement.

Responsibilities:

Financial Planning, Reporting & Analysis:

• Prepares financial reports to support the team with budget development and forecasting;
• Works with departments and administrative units on budget to actual variance analysis;
• Develops and maintains financial and budget spreadsheets for analysis and reporting across all funds;
• Leads on preparation for budget meetings with units and follows up on action points;
• Reviews and manages fund balances in coordination with the Director of Finance (startups, indirect, rollover, etc.);
• Supports with updating and maintaining the roster file for labor projections;
• Compiles historical and current financial data to develop metrics and KPI data;
• Assists the Director of Finance in modelling for use of carryforward/foundation/indirect funds in leveraging college resources;
• Performs reconciliation of assigned funds and orgs in compliance with the university policy; and
• Provides training to units on finance related systems and processes.

Finance Administration:

• Supports with the day-to-day management of financial operations in compliance with university policies and procedures;
• Leads on month-end financial closing processes to include submission of labor effort changes, position budget updates, budget transfers, and journal vouchers;
• Administers foundation vouchers and financial aid requests;
• Manages Marketplace Touchnet sites and requests;
• Submits the chart of account changes to include new fund/org creation/closure and other maintenance requests;
• Partners with stakeholders across the college and central divisions to facilitate operational and finance related projects;
• Works with college administration in the development and implementation of finance policies and procedures; and
• Provides guidance to departments on resolving finance related transactions.

Graduate Assistant Hiring Administration:

• Prepares and updates Graduate Assistant memos in line with CHSS budget and GA hiring guidelines;
• Manages tuition waiver budget allocation, tracks commitments, and reconciles variances at the college and unit level; and
• Manages out of state tuition discount process, streamlines the data collection from units, and improves reporting and budget to actual variance analysis.

Other Related Duties:

• Supports with operational and administrative duties, special projects, and initiatives as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Relevant professional experience (typically 2-3 years);
• Knowledge of fiscal and budgetary processes and general accounting principles;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite; advanced Excel skills (complex formulas, pivot tables);
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills;
• Effective written and oral communication skills with ability to communicate financial information to various stakeholders;
• Ability to interpret and analyze financial data;
• Ability to work collaboratively, meet deadlines, and manage multiple priorities;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; and
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a Higher Education environment is highly desirable;
• Knowledge of university financial systems, such as Banner, MicroStrategy, etc.; and
• Knowledge of working with large datasets.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Financial Analyst at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date:  January 23, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  February 14, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes