Senior Financial and Administrative Systems Analyst

About the Role

The Senior Functional Analyst serves as the business liaison for financial, gift administration, and related administrative systems. This role evaluates business processes, identifies efficiency and control improvements through technology, documents and prioritizes business requirements, and partners with Information Strategy and external vendors to implement and optimize solutions. The position combines strong financial and administrative operations knowledge with technical aptitude to ensure systems support organizational objectives while aligning with OSUF technology, data, security, reporting, and governance standards.

Responsibilities

• Financial Systems Functional Administration & Optimization (45%)
  • Serve as the functional administrator for financial and related systems, evaluating, optimizing, and ensuring system effectiveness, integration, and alignment with business needs.
  • Conduct ongoing analysis of financial systems and related platforms (e.g., CRM, financial system integrations, fund accounting systems, budgeting applications, procurement systems, cash management, investment management, reporting tools) to identify redesign, improvement, and efficiency opportunities.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and software solutions to improve financial and administrative operations; participate in software selection, implementation support, configuration, testing, and adoption activities.
  • Assess system configurations, workflows, and integrations to ensure optimal performance and alignment with organizational objectives.
  • Lead or support system enhancement initiatives in partnership with Information Strategy, including requirements gathering, testing, implementation support, and post-implementation review.
  • Serve as the primary liaison between Finance and Accounting, Gift and Record Management, Advancement Operations, Information Strategy, and external vendors to troubleshoot issues and support solution implementation.
  • Partner with Information Strategy to ensure business requirements, technical solutions, system integrations, and data structures align with administrative and financial standards and priorities.
  • Ensure financial and business system controls, data integrity, and audit readiness are maintained across platforms.
  • Lead or support cross-functional administrative projects focused on process redesign, system integration, and operational scalability.
• Business Process Analysis, Design & Continuous Improvement (35%)
  • Drive cross-functional process improvement initiatives by translating administrative services needs into scalable, efficient, and compliant workflows.
  • Map and maintain current-state processes across finance, gift and record management, facilities, and related administrative functions; identify gaps, redundancies, and control risks.
  • Facilitate stakeholder discussions, document business requirements, develop process maps, and translate operational needs into functional specifications.
  • Evaluate manual and resource-intensive processes to identify automation, streamlining, and modernization opportunities through system capabilities, workflow tools, reporting solutions, AI, and emerging technologies in areas such as:
    • General ledger processes
    • Budgeting processes
    • Financial reporting processes
    • Accounts payable workflows
    • Payroll workflows
    • Investment and endowment reporting workflows
    • Gift and pledge administration workflows
  • Design and implement future-state processes that improve efficiency, strengthen internal controls, and enhance user experience.
  • Ensure all processes align with IRS, GAAP/FASB, CASE standards, and internal policies.
  • Track and measure process improvement outcomes (efficiency gains, error reduction, cycle time improvements).
  • Develop and maintain administrative system documentation, process workflows, and configuration standards.
  • Monitor administrative and financial system performance metrics and proactively identify and resolve inefficiencies or risks.
• Financial Data Analytics, Reporting & Business Decision Support (15%)
  • Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and analytical models to support Finance and executive leadership in collaboration with the Business Intelligence team.
  • Analyze financial, operational, and system data to identify trends, risks, and business opportunities.
  • Support forecasting, budgeting, and long-range planning through data analysis and scenario modeling.
  • Partner with stakeholders to define business reporting requirements and ensure data accessibility and usability across administrative platforms.
  • Ensure consistency and reliability of data across administrative and leadership reporting processes.
  • Support audit, compliance, and external reporting requirements through accurate and timely data analysis.
• Other Duties (5%)
  • Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Education & Certifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Business Analytics, or related field required.
  • CPA, CMA, PMP, CBAP, systems certification, or comparable professional credential preferred.
• Experience & Business Functional Skills
  • Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in financial systems administration, business analysis, process improvement, or financial technology support.
  • Demonstrated understanding of accounting operations, budgeting, financial reporting, payroll, investment accounting, or non-profit fund accounting processes.
  • Experience working with financial or non-profit accounting systems, CRM platforms, and reporting tools preferred.
  • Experience leading or supporting software selection, implementation support, upgrades, or business transformation initiatives.
  • Experience with system implementations, upgrades, or integrations.
  • Proven ability to analyze complex data, identify issues, and implement solutions.
  • Strong understanding of accounting principles, internal controls, and nonprofit compliance (IRS, FASB, CASE).
• Technical Skills
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft applications including Teams, Excel, Word, CoPilot or other AI platforms, and other financial/data analysis tools.
  • Experience with reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, SQL preferred).
  • Familiarity with enterprise systems (CRM, fund accounting, integrations, APIs).

Skills

• Core Competencies
  • Critical analytical thinking and problem-solving.
  • Strong attention to detail and data integrity focus.
  • Ability to build trusted relationships across business, advancement, and technical teams.
  • Effectively communicates financial and administrative business needs to technical stakeholders and shares technical solutions or opportunities with business and advancement stakeholders.
  • Identifies opportunities to modernize processes through technology and automation.
  • Guides organizational change through collaboration and relationship building.
• Organizational Competencies
  • Effective Communication: Proactively ensures effective communication throughout the organization; makes relevant contributions to discussions and meetings, giving clear and concise explanations; chooses language and communication method to suit the audience; reframes and articulates to help others understand; asks questions to check understanding when disseminating information.
  • Execution & Initiative: Motivates self and others to achieve the best results; displays energy, drive, and a desire to succeed; enlists the support of others as necessary to overcome resistance; supervises cross-functional project team execution on tasks to meet stated objectives; helps others gain the skills and experience they need to contribute; proactively outlines milestones, outcomes, and deliverables and effectively communicates them to stakeholders.
  • Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Develops and nurtures relationships with a wide circle of people beyond current activities; encourages collaboration among colleagues, departments, and the entire organization to achieve results; compromises, handles conflicts, seeks common ground, and articulates goals; stays focused on positive win-win outcomes; seeks input on leveraging existing processes to improve the donor experience; translates ideas into action.
  • Problem Solving/Judgment: Gains understanding of how to apply approved policies and procedures; knows when and why to escalate issues and to whom; communicates decisions and desired outcomes; anticipates the outcome of decisions; recognizes problems in advance, systematically gathers information to define root causes, breaks down complex information, develops alternatives, seeks input, and selects the best solution.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility: Embraces complex or first-time problems as learning opportunities; flexes style based on immediate needs; accepts responsibility for implementing change; evaluates and manages resources needed to implement change; personally supports organizational direction and change agenda.
  • Courage & Conviction: Takes responsibility for individual and project outcomes regardless of success and learns from all results; encourages candid responses, feedback, new ideas, and conflicting opinions.
  • Donor Centered: Actively learns about stated needs by asking questions, exploring how to unite donors’ and the university’s passions and priorities; anticipates customer needs and proactively makes recommendations.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and via video conferencing.
• Requires frequent repetitive motions when operating computers, telephones, and standard office equipment.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer or attending meetings.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull materials weighing up to approximately 20 pounds.