Senior Financial Analyst; Division of Business Services

Senior Financial Analyst; Division Of Business Services

Reporting to the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), the Senior Financial Analyst is a core member of the Business Services FP&A and Finance organizations. This role is responsible for independently owning and managing budgets for multiple operating units and serving as a senior financial partner to operational leaders across the Division. The Senior Financial Analyst leads key elements of the monthly and quarterly financial close and reporting processes, including journal entries, variance analysis, and performance monitoring. The position develops operating budgets and forecasts, evaluates existing and proposed programs or investments, and builds financial and analytical models to support strategic and operational decision-making. This role partners closely with the Business Services Controller's Division to ensure a strong controls environment, execute financial transactions, and maintain appropriate checks and balances for assigned areas of oversight. The Senior Financial Analyst also supports Divisional leadership by producing consolidated financial reporting and analysis for internal and institutional stakeholders, including financial statements, projections, operating and human capital metrics and dashboard, capital expenditure reporting, and ad hoc strategic analyses. This position plays a key role in advancing continuous improvement within their assigned areas of Business Services. The Senior Financial Analyst is expected to approach core FP&A responsibilities through a transformation lensidentifying process inefficiencies within their areas of support and oversight, helping define scalable financial and operational metrics, and partnering with finance and non-finance leaders to implement improvements that enhance efficiency, transparency, accountability, and decision-making. The position requires regular interaction with finance and operational leaders and demands strong judgment, accountability, and the ability to clearly communicate complex financial information. Successful performance requires advanced proficiency with University financial systems, including Oracle General Ledger, Hyperion Planning, Workday, Business Objects, and Microsoft Office.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary financial business partner to assigned operational units, providing financial leadership through budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, internal controls, continuous improvement of financial and operational processes, capital and technology investment projects, and audit consultation.
• Lead financial and operational analyses that assess performance, identify risks and opportunities, challenge assumptions, and support data-driven business decisions across a diverse portfolio of operations.
• Consolidate, analyze, and report Divisional financial results in support of monthly close, reforecasting, and the annual budget cycle.
• Oversee reporting and variance analysis of human capital activity, including staffing changes and salary modeling; integrate Workday data into budgeting, forecasting, and planning processes.
• Support monthly reporting of operational metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), partnering with departments to ensure data accuracy, timeliness, and continuous improvement of reporting processes.
• Partner with the Business Services Controller's Division to execute financial transactions, ensure alignment with University policies, and maintain appropriate checks and balances.
• Develop and maintain advanced proficiency in University financial systems and reporting tools, including Business Objects, Hyperion Planning, Workday, Oracle GL, and Microsoft Office.
• Follow established policies and procedures and recommend improvements to strengthen controls, efficiency, and transparency.
• Leverage automation, reporting, and data visualization tools to improve the scalability, usability, and insightfulness of financial and operational reporting for assigned areas.
• Translate complex financial and operational data into actionable insights that inform decisions, highlight tradeoffs, and support prioritization of resources and initiatives within supported portfolios.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting.
• 57 years of progressively responsible experience in financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, or financial management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial reporting, data analysis, and financial modeling including strong proficiency with Microsoft Office and advanced Excel skills.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize complex data sets across multiple business lines.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles, internal controls, and financial governance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial and operational information into clear, actionable insights for non-financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrated accountability, stewardship, discretion, and confidentiality in managing institutional resources.

Preferred

• Experience with University or large, decentralized financial systems.
• Advanced experience with Oracle GL, Hyperion Planning, Workday, Business Objects, or similar enterprise systems.
• Demonstrated experience using automation, data visualization, or business intelligence tools (e.g., Power BI or similar platforms) to enhance financial and operational reporting, performance metrics, and decision-making in a complex environment.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Business Services

Pay Range

$77,330.00 - $92,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.