CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $90,000 - $103,500

Position Summary

The Senior Financial Analyst provides budget and financial analysis support for academic units (departments, centers, institutes and schools) within the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).  Under the direction of the Director, Budget and Financial Analysis, the Senior Financial Analyst assists units in preparing budgets, analyzes their submissions, helps identify potential issues and opportunities, and assists in preparing summaries in executive format for senior leadership review.  The Senior Financial Analyst tracks unit performance against budget and provides detailed and summary-level variance analysis and related reports.

Responsibilities

• Supports a group of academic units through CUIMC budget process, including annual budget submissions, quarterly estimate updates, and quarterly and year-end closes.  Works closely with units to ensure the successful preparation of annual budgets, inclusive of patient care, research, education, and administration activity.  Collaborates with specialists in patient care finance and other areas to ensure robust and nuanced financial forecasts for all budget components.  Assists in preparing summary reports for senior management.
• Tracks unit financial performance against budget.  Attends regular meetings with unit administrators to gain insight into the unit’s finances and to advise units on budget and financial issues.  Prepares and distributes financial reports on a regular basis which will enable units to identify trends.  In collaboration with the Director of Budget and Financial Analysis, recommends steps to correct any potential financial shortfalls. 
• Analyzes unit business plans and projections.  Review faculty recruitment and other hiring proposals to ensure consistency with budget.  Manages inter-departmental transfers between the central budget office and academic units.
• Works with departments to implement solutions to optimize budget development, analysis, and reporting.  A key initiative in this area is the CUIMC standards for accounting and reporting. This ensures that revenues and expenses are allocated properly to individual programs so that profit & loss and other reports can be created accurately and efficiently.  Offers training and technical advice on using university and campus financial systems and tools.
• Conducts ad hoc analyses to provide in-depth reports and forecasts as needed.   
• Responsible for special projects as required. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned/requested. Gains familiarity with complementary budgetary/financial functions, such as the central administrative budget, to assist with necessary analysis and understand the broader finance operation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, as well as at least four years of progressively comprehensive experience in budgeting and financial analysis, Experience in higher education, an academic medical center or hospital or in an equivalent environment, a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• The successful candidate will be a self-starter with a well-developed knowledge of quantitative analysis and capable of working with minimal oversight to solve a problem or meet a need. Demonstrated financial analysis skills required, including the ability to prepare detailed financial reports, analyze variances and their drivers, and explain complex financial information. Attention to detail is essential, as are excellent oral and written communication and customer service skills.  Expert-level computer proficiency (Microsoft Excel and Word) is required, including knowledge of spreadsheet functions and pivot tables. 

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.