Financial Analyst III

Job Summary

The Finance Analyst is a newly created role to expand HCI's Finance team and supports the research, outreach, and education department heads and principal investigators (PIs). The role involves deepening financial support and optimizing resources for these teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop an in-depth understanding of supported departments' work and objectives.

• Prepare financial plans and budgets, ensuring alignment with HCI objectives.

• Aid in annual budget preparation and regularly monitor budget adherence, identifying areas for cost optimization.

• Analyze financial data to identify trends and areas for improvement and explain variances.

• Develop and maintain financial models for budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.

• Communicate financial information clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Respond to ad hoc questions and data requests.

• Assist with annual budget reporting, as needed, including investigation of and compilation of variance explanations.

• Assist with the preparation and tracking of the commitment schedule and recruitment budget.

• Review monthly transactions to ensure accuracy.

• Prepare journal entries for intra-fund transfers and expense corrections.

• Open, update, and inactivate chartfield activities and grants.

• Calculate salary caps and payroll distributions to comply with federal grant requirements.

• Review purchases and contracts to ensure sufficient cash and budget are available.

• Generate accounts receivable invoices for assigned shared resource recharge centers.

• Ensure correct payroll distributions are maintained in the system of record.

• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and accuracy in financial planning, reporting and analysis.

• Participate in the design, implementation, and review of financial and accounting systems.

• Develop and refine budgeting and forecasting methodologies to improve accuracy.

• Work closely with cross-functional teams to gather information and develop insights.

• Provide support and guidance to other finance team members.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.

• Typically requires 3-5 years of experience in financial analysis or a related field.

• Prefer previous experience in higher education research environment with knowledge of fund accounting and grants.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Proficiency in financial modeling and forecasting.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills.

• Advanced knowledge of financial software (e.g., Excel, PeopleSoft, Anaplan) and PowerPoint.

• Knowledge of fund accounting principles and financial reporting standards.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to prioritize workload and manage time effectively.