Essential Duties - Under administrative direction, serves a primary role in facilitating the development and implementation of annual all-funds budgets for assigned administrative and academic units.
- Performs work related to strategic planning, budget variance analysis, commitment analysis, revenue and expense forecasting, what-if scenario analysis, program evaluation, performance management, and other efforts that support administration decision-making. Evaluates critical cost pools and works with assigned units to identify cost saving measures, including utilities, employee benefits, debt service, and other general operating expenses.
- Builds, maintains, and updates financial models and associated financial analysis. Performs financial account reconciliations, statement analysis, and transaction research. Participates in the development of less complex mid and long range predictive enrollment, space, staffing, and financial models that support strategic planning efforts and executive decision-making.
- Supports preparation of strategic planning documents.
- Supports analysis of complex proposals led by senior departmental staff.
- Develops data-driven solutions and technical guidance to solve financial, operational, or strategic issues facing assigned units.
- Develops a strong understanding of the core functionality of Adaptive Planning, the University’s enterprise-wide budget and planning software; capable of providing technical guidance to assigned units to enhance their use of the software for budgeting, forecasting, and reporting needs.
- Ensures financial compliance with University/Board policies and procedures and applicable legal rules and regulations.
- Compares data from a variety of sources to ensure accuracy using judgment, and relying on knowledge of subject material.
- Gathers information; identifies analysis methodologies; and prepares, develops, and submits written and graphic results of the evaluation of data under the supervision of senior staff.
- Represents the department with academic and administrative units. Performs other duties upon request.
Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in a related field and two (2) years of experience in financial or budget analysis or strategic planning; OR, any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved. Desired Qualifications - Evidence of a Master's degree in related field, such as Business Administration, Public Policy/Administration, Finance, Economics, or Higher Education Administration.
- Three (3) or more years of relevant work experience, preferably in higher education.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, concepts, and practices in government and university governance involving fiscal control, budgeting, strategic planning, information analysis, forecasting, reporting, and assessment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of strategic and financial planning/modeling principles, methods, and practices.
- Experience in developing forecast and tracking models that integrate disparate statistical and financial information.
- Experience in performing analysis of financial forecasts, budgets, and econometric trends and of the factors/items therein.
- Experience in evaluating a variety of fiscal policy, economic, or political factors affecting strategic planning and budgeting needs, problems, and plans.
- Experience in effectively synthesizing large amounts of complex detailed materials for presentation and review to varying audiences.
- Experience in identifying appropriate data sources, extract and manipulate data from multiple and diverse database sources by designing, refining, and running complex data queries.
- Experience in using effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including the ability to speak and write with clarity and precision to obtain and convey information related to job responsibilities; comfortable in regular interactions with mid- level administrators of the university.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Cultural competency skills to effectively engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Experience in planning and organizational skills, including the ability to successfully manage multiple, complex projects on deadline, often working with interruptions, a changing workflow, and potentially competing priorities.
- Demonstrated knowledge of decision tools for budgetary analysis, such as weighted score tables, decision trees, cost-benefit analysis, activity-based costing, and sensitivity analysis. Ability to work independently on routine tasks and with limited, but appropriate, direction on more complex matters.
- Experience in researching, analyzing, interpreting, explaining, and applying policies, rules, and procedures appropriately; experience in determining compliance with existing policies and established guidelines.
- Experience in taking initiative, and demonstrating resourcefulness, and displaying a sense of urgency in fulfilling commitments.
- Experience in taking personal accountability for achieving results.
- Experience in promoting innovative thinking by bringing different perspectives and approaches together, combining them in creative ways to solve problems.
- Experience in delivering a high-quality work product, free of material error, by showing concern for all aspects of the job with a high attention to detail.
- Experience in building effective working relationships and building trust by communicating in an open manner, and following through on commitments.
- Experience in handling conflict and difficult situations in a professional way, working toward consensus.
- Ability to accept new ways of doing things.
- Experience in accurately following established procedures for completing work tasks. Ability to offer customer service by actively listening, and validating others’ viewpoints. Ability to respect the confidentiality of others.
Department Statement The Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) is responsible for facilitating the development and management of the University’s annual planning and budgeting processes. This includes resource planning, modeling, allocations, tracking, forecasting, and reporting, as well as decision support analysis for unit and enterprise-wide leadership. In addition, OPB handles external reporting requirements and information requests from the State’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) and its Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting (OSPB), and the Arizona Board of Regents |
