A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Resource Planning and Management unit in the College of Engineering seeks an experienced Senior Finance Analyst with opportunities for growth into a lead-level position to support the Director of Budget and Financial Operations and the Dean's Office.

RPM Finance Team seeks a Senior Budget Analyst, eager to grow and develop, to join our team and support strategic budget planning and financial stewardship through budget monitoring, commitment tracking, recurring funding administration, and financial analysis. This individual will be responsible for monitoring and analyzing budget activity, processing and tracking commitments and recurring allocations, preparing budget reports and projections, supporting forecasting and scenario planning, and partnering with stakeholders to ensure sound budget administration and informed decision-making. 

Budget Administration & Planning Support

• Serve as a key member of the budget team supporting the development, implementation, and maintenance of the College's annual operating budget.
• Support the administration and monitoring of budget activity, recurring funding allocations, commitments, and transactions to ensure accurate financial stewardship and timely decision-making.
• Prepare and maintain budget tracking tools, reconciliations, forecasts, and analyses to support annual planning, recurring budget cycles, and resource allocation decisions.
• Monitor recurring budget formulas, annual allocations, and funding distributions; process adjustments and ensure accurate application across units.
• Process budget transfers, funding reallocations, and related transactions in accordance with College and University policies.
• Compile and communicate budget information, allocations, and funding activity to support planning, projections, year-end activities, and recurring reporting.
• Identify opportunities to improve budget processes, workflows, tracking tools, and operational efficiency.

Budget Monitoring, Reporting & Analysis

• Monitor, reconcile, and analyze budget and accounting activity, comparing actual results to budgets, forecasts, and historical trends to identify variances, discrepancies, and emerging issues.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc financial analyses, reports, dashboards, and supporting materials for operational and strategic decision-making.
• Maintain accurate records of budget balances, recurring funding, commitments, transfers, and related financial activity.
• Query University and College systems to retrieve, analyze, reconcile, and validate financial and budget data for reporting and analysis.
• Identify discrepancies, funding concerns, or emerging risks and elevate issues and recommendations as appropriate.
• Support forecasting and scenario analysis by identifying trends and assisting with modeling, projections, and budget planning activities.

Commitments & Funding Administration

• Review faculty offer letters and other funding commitments to evaluate budget implications, funding requirements, and timing considerations.
• Administer and track financial commitments, including faculty start-up, salary support, recurring funding, and other College, Provost, or unit commitments; coordinate transfers, monitor
• balances, and maintain documentation.
• Maintain commitment tracking records to monitor funding utilization, balances, and status updates.
• Coordinate with College and University stakeholders to administer commitment-related funding, transfers, and recurring allocations.
• Process and communicate annual formula funding and other recurring or non-base allocations to College units.
• Monitor commitment utilization and identify funding concerns, unused balances, or potential overages requiring follow-up.

Budget Systems, Controls & Operations

• Support the development and improvement of budget tracking tools, databases, reporting solutions, and operational processes.
• Maintain data integrity through reconciliations, quality assurance reviews, and routine monitoring.
• Conduct reviews of financial and budget activity to support compliance with University and College policies, internal controls, and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Document budget processes, assumptions, procedures, and workflows to support continuity and consistency.
• Provide endowment support, forecasting, and related analyses as assigned.

Other Duties

• Perform additional duties, analyses, and special projects as assigned.
• Stay informed of developments in budget administration, financial planning, and analysis, incorporating new methodologies and technologies, including AI, to enhance financial processes, reporting, and outcomes. 

• Educational/Professional Background:
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to interpret financial information, identify trends and variances, and support data-informed decision-making.
  • A bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field is required.
  • A minimum of 5-8 years of higher education professional experience in financial analysis, business analysis, or a similar role at the senior level. 
  • Progressively responsible experience in budgeting, financial analysis, accounting, financial operations, higher education finance, or related business functions.

• Technical & Analytical Skills:
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to interpret financial information, identify trends and variances, and support data-informed decision-making.
  • Experience monitoring, reconciling, and analyzing financial or budget activity with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Experience preparing reports, analyses, and financial materials for operational or leadership decision-making.
  • Demonstrated proficiency with spreadsheets, financial systems, databases, and reporting tools, including advanced experience with Microsoft Excel.
  • Ability to retrieve, analyze, validate, and synthesize data from multiple systems and sources.
  • Demonstrated commitment to accuracy, continuous improvement, strong internal controls, and responsible stewardship of financial resources.
  • Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and work independently while escalating issues appropriately.

• Communication and Presentation Skills:
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain financial and budget information clearly to a variety of audiences.
  • Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships and provide excellent customer service across multiple stakeholders.

• Project and Organizational Skills:
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
  • Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage complex information, maintain documentation, and monitor multiple ongoing activities simultaneously.
    
     

• Educational/Professional Background:

  • A Master's degree in Finance, Business Administration, or a related field is required.
  • Experience working in a complex, decentralized organization, preferably within higher education.
  • Demonstrated interest in professional growth and development into increasing levels of responsibility in budget planning, financial analysis, or financial operations.

   

• Technical & Analytical Skills:
  • Experience with budget development, forecasting, scenario planning, or financial modeling.
  • Knowledge of University financial systems, reporting tools, policies, and procedures.
  • Experience supporting commitment tracking, recurring funding, transfers, or resource allocation processes.
  • Experience with large data sets, dashboards, reporting tools, or business intelligence applications.
     
• Experience identifying process improvements and implementing operational efficiencies.

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.

A higher salary may be considered for an extraordinarily qualified candidate.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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