Budget/Business Analyst

About the role

The University of Southern California School of Architecture is seeking a Budget/Business Analyst to join the Business Office Team. The ideal candidate will assist in local planning of short- and long-term budgets, analyze overall departmental spending, and provide detailed transactional data to support decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Aids in local planning of short- and long-term budgets by compiling and organizing data for forecasts.
• Analyzes overall departmental spending versus budget and prepares ad hoc financial reports as needed.
• Administers assigned budget(s) and monitors actual income and expenses to develop projections and authorize financial commitments.
• Forecasts future budget performance based on knowledge of assigned operations and identifies and researches variances and trends.
• Interacts with central departments such as Purchasing, USC Travel Manager, Office of Global Initiatives, and Corporate Card Services to coordinate new supplier setups and manage procurement and travel cardholder changes.
• Sets up and maintains gift and project accounts, tracks expenditures, and ensures accounts stay within budget.
• Maintains Internal Service Delivery (ISD) for central services like parking, hotel stays, and events, reconciling account balances and initiating correcting entries.
• Collaborates with staff and faculty to provide guidance on university expenditure policies and procedures, assists with financial transactions, and reviews invoices and travel card transactions for compliance.
• Manages Dean’s approval memos for goods and services based on University and School-specific expenditure policies.
• Coordinates fiscal year-end financial transfer and closing activities with staff and faculty.
• Provides detailed reporting to stakeholders, including the Manager Budgetary Balance (MBBR) report and transactional journal data showing trends and budget expenditures.
• Meets with department chairs, administrators, and supervisors quarterly to review their department financial performance.
• Assists faculty and staff in financial transactions such as purchasing equipment and supplies, accounting for travel expenditures and reimbursements, and making travel and hotel arrangements for visiting scholars and guests.
• Submits reimbursement requests for students and school guests as requested and reconciles transactions at the end of each month.
• Reviews invoices and coordinates with departments to confirm goods and services have been received.
• On a monthly basis, reconciles account balances and activity to the university financial system, researching and bringing budget variances to the attention of the supervisor for discussion and resolution.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree preferred, Master’s degree may substitute for minimum education.
• Experience: At least 1 year of previous experience as a Budget Business Technician, Accountant I, Financial Analyst, or Business Coordinator is required. Two years of experience is preferred.
• Skills: Knowledge of business administration, accounting, or related fields, knowledge of financial systems such as Workday, Concur, and Student Information Systems, and strong computer skills with use of automated spreadsheets.

Pay

This position's hiring range is $37.88/hr - $41.00/hr.

Benefits

• Excellent benefits package including health benefits, retirement plans, tuition benefits, professional development opportunities, and access to cultural and sporting events.