Senior Financial Analyst

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $95,000 - $105,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.


Position Summary


The Senior Analyst, Residential & Admin Services Finance reports to the Director, Residential & Admin Services Finance and is a core member of the finance team supporting Columbia Residential and the Administrative Services units within Columbia University's Facilities and Operations (CUFO). The portfolio includes 150+ residential buildings and four Administrative Services units (Transportation, Print Services, Student Mail, and Central Mail), with a combined annual operating budget of approximately $[TBD]. This role is central to the financial intelligence infrastructure that supports the combined vertical.


This is a high-ownership role that combines rigorous financial analysis with hands-on operational build work across a large, complex residential asset portfolio and a set of operating Administrative Services units. The right candidate brings both the analytical depth to model and report on portfolio performance and the operational instinct to translate occupancy, vacancy, turnover, building-level operating expense patterns, and unit-level cost and revenue dynamics into accurate financial outcomes.


Responsibilities

• Leads the development and preparation of site-level and portfolio-wide operating budgets across the residential portfolio and the Administrative Services units
• Builds and maintains financial models and projections that support budget planning and operational decision-making, incorporating occupancy assumptions, turnover rates, lease-driven revenue, and building-level operating expense structures. Conducts variance analysis tracking actuals against budget across all properties and units; identifies emerging shortfalls, financial risks, and performance trends. Prepares variance reports and budget performance summaries for the Director
• Develops and maintains operational dashboards and financial reports using current and emerging tools, including Power BI, RTMS, ARC, and AI-assisted platforms. Designs, builds, and documents scalable reporting frameworks and data visualizations covering portfolio performance, budget tracking, and variance analysis
• Creates queries against departmental data to proactively identify discrepancies and variances. Develops and improves tracking tools to analyze, project, and record financial results at the site and portfolio level
• Produces standard monthly financial reports and delivers clear, actionable insights to the Director and finance leadership
• Builds and maintains strong working relationships with property management, operations, and administrative stakeholders across the residential portfolio and Administrative Services units; serves as a financial resource for building-level staff and operational teams on budget questions, reporting needs, and variance explanations
• Manages data integrity across ARC, RTMS, Maximo, Unifier, and other University and residential systems. Monitors, audits, and validates financial data accuracy; investigates discrepancies, identifies root causes, and implements corrective workflows
• Maintains site-level operating expense tracking across 150+ residential buildings and unit-level expense and revenue tracking across the Administrative Services units; ensures GL accounts and P&L reporting are aligned and accurately categorized at the property and unit level
• Reconciles financial activity including payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and billing. Participates in month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, including reconciliations, journal entry support, preparation of accruals, and overhead expense allocation. Reviews and approves invoices and financial transactions up to the DAF approval level of $75,000. Ensures financial policies and procedures are followed in accordance with University and departmental accounting standards
• Directly supervises and develops two Financial Analysts. Sets clear priorities, reviews output for accuracy and completeness, and ensures timely delivery of all team deliverables. Conducts performance reviews and supports career development planning for direct reports. Mentors staff, identifies growth opportunities, and builds a team culture oriented toward analytical rigor, continuous improvement, and effective use of technology
• Conducts research to identify best practices and benchmarking data at peer institutions and within the residential property management and operating services industries. Stays current on emerging AI tools and applications relevant to finance to inform pilots and implementation within the team. Translates research findings into actionable recommendations for the Director and finance leadership
• Prepares ad hoc financial analyses and reports as requested
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, or a related field; or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in financial analysis, reporting, or business intelligence in a large, complex institutional environment
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling, data transformation, and complex formula construction
• Working knowledge of ERP systems, general ledger structures, and account coding
• Experience building financial models, dashboards, and reporting frameworks
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent platforms preferred
• Experience auditing and reconciling financial data across multiple source systems and implementing corrective workflows
• Experience in property management finance, including site-level operating budgets, building-level expense tracking, and how occupancy, vacancy, and turnover affect financial performance preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and meet hard deadlines without close supervision
• Genuine commitment to learning an applying AI-assisted tools for financial reporting, forecasting, and analytical workflows

Preferred Qualifications

• Higher education or large institutional finance experience preferred
• Prior experience supervising or directing the work of others preferred
• Familiarity with ARC, RTMS, Maximo, or Unifier a plus
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent platforms preferred
• Experience with month-end and year-end close processes preferred
• Prior experience with AI in a finance context preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran


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