Senior Financial Analyst (7710U), Graduate Division Ops - #79393

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

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We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

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Departmental Overview

The Graduate Division works to guide and assist students from the moment of application for admission, through the various milestones of their progress, to the completion of their degree requirements. We provide academic, personal, and professional support services that are vital to the everyday well-being and life-long successes of Berkeley master's, professional, and doctoral students.

As the authoritative resource and chief advocate for graduate education, the Graduate Division ensures the equitable administration of policies governing graduate studies across Berkeley's 14 schools and colleges. As the administrative arm of the Academic Senate's Graduate Council, we partner with the faculty and staff of each program and the deans of each school and college to maintain the world-renowned quality of Berkeley's graduate education.

The Graduate Division is committed to expanding the diversity of Berkeley's student body, and supporting students from all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups, in their academic, personal and professional journeys. We're here to help you build community and make our campus your new home. Read about our Anti-Racism Initiatives here.

Our overarching vision in the Graduate Division is to not only expand the diversity of the graduate student body at Berkeley, but also to ensure that our Black and other underrepresented graduate students have the tools, resources, and community of support they need to thrive in their graduate studies.

Learn more at grad.berkeley.edu

Position Summary

Supports the Graduate Division's Budget Office with operational and budgetary matters as well as the Student Funding Team to provide student financial support and fellowships to graduate students. Involves developing, interpreting and implementing financial concepts for financial planning, resource planning (dollars), and control of organizational budget. Will Analyze and prepare recommendations for financial plans, including annual resource allocations, future requirements, and operating forecasts.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 07/14/2025.

Responsibilities

Budget Oversight, Development & Compliance

• Formulates/develops and monitors the Graduate Division's annual fellowship budget (>$80M in university funds, >$20M in contracts and grants). Works with Vice Provost and Associate Deans to set funding priorities and make recommendations on how to maximize fund allocation and usage within the fellowship budget.
• Works with the Director of Business Operations & Divisional Finance Leader to incorporate fellowship budget into the Graduate Division's annual budget process using proper SRECNA format.
• Uses data analysis and modeling to predict uncertain expenses; proposes possible solutions to budget problems and advances new opportunities.
• Coordinates and implements the Graduate Division's budget allocations, conceives of and maintains the department's chart of accounts or other data management tools, and related business processes.
• Analyzes funds and submits quarterly key controls for auditing purposes, identifies any issues and provides potential resolution.
• Develops fellowship budget plan with program directors and, every month, completes spending projections and makes recommendations on spending patterns, fund sources/swaps to ensure no negative balances on Graduate Division funds.
• Conducts annual reserve analysis, endowment payout calculations, and Graduate Fellowship Matching Program (GFMP) matching calculations.
• Inputs and updates (OQFEL) budget in CalPlanning.

Student Funding

• Assists the Associate Dean, Chief Administrative Officer, and Director of Graduate Student Funding on graduate student funding structures, policies, systems, and processes, providing analytical leadership in this area.
• In partnership with Student Funding and Appointments units, processes fee remissions, answers and troubleshoots fee remission questions from students and departments and attends regular SIS Meetings to serve as campus expert in this process.
• Coordinates with other campus departments, including FASO, BPS and SIS during the cutover phase to ensure smooth implementation of fee remissions for graduate students.
• Oversees the fee remission collection and reconciliation processes to charge off the fee remission balances directly to the hiring unit's chart-string.
• Evaluates existing practices and policies, both within the Graduate Division and across campus, to identify/resolve administrative and systems weaknesses and to pursue opportunities for improved efficiency and better allocation of funding resources.
• Interprets, monitors and analyzes information regarding funding-related policies and procedures and provides consultative services to department leaders.
• May participate in campus-wide groups to provide input on student funding initiatives and strategies.
• Makes recommendations on maintaining and strengthening internal controls to protect university resources.
• Provides ongoing support to the Multi-Year Funding (MYF) system to ensure all department funding sources are reflected in the system.
• Serves as the Business Operations team's primary resource for the testing, implementation, & training of MYF.
• Applies graduate student funding expertise and provides input into MYF fund management and fund sources integration and provides support to campus units to implement.
• Creates and approves transfer journals for department review.

Financial Analysis

• Leverages comprehensive knowledge of graduate student funding structures and practices throughout campus to analyze and propose changes to new and existing programs and policies in this area; analytical projects are pursued both upon request and on own initiative.
• Responsible for providing analytical support for highly complex budget, financial, and resource projects dealing directly with major department managers and/or outside constituents.
• Identifies available data resources and information as the basis for analysis, evaluating potential budgetary implications, systems-related impacts, and multi-faceted campus-wide effects (academic, financial, etc.).
• Prepares data for financial statement reporting concerning graduate student financial support and for responses to internal and external requests for data and analysis related to graduate student financial support.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of Graduate Division awarding practices by analyzing past patterns of financial award usage, funding sources/award terms, other relevant data to student funding at UC Berkeley and services by leveraging data from campus information systems.
• Tracks multiyear trends and identifies key factors in determination of graduate financial award usage to drive policy considerations including university fellowship programs.
• Performs advanced analysis techniques using graduate student financial award data and present data to a variety of stakeholders.
• In consultation with managers, refine or adapt methodologies to adjust to changes to student aid programs and the affect those changes will have on awarding policies.
• Evaluate the fund balances for Departmentally Restricted (DR), non-DR, and Graduate Fellowship Matching Program (GFMP) funds through various reporting mechanisms, such as the Fund Income and Allocation report, the Fund Balance and DR Award reports.
• Researches, gathers, analyzes and summarizes information for research projects with a broad range of internal and external and/or current and historical information. Uses a wide array of complex data from the Cal Answers Financials, Campus Solution (CS), Student Information Systems (SIS), Payroll (UCPATH), Cyber Source, and other information sources to provide analyses and summaries of student and student financial data.

Purchasing/Approvals

• Oversees the purchasing processes of the Graduate Division by partnering with the Facilities Manager to ensure that purchases are processed correctly, to the correct chart of accounts, and within budget, leveraging campus systems including BearBuy, bluCard, Travel & Entertainment, Connexxus, etc.
• Reconciles credit card and other purchases on a regular basis, reviews and approves travel and entertainment reimbursements, and processes transactions through Bear Buy.
• Ensures that campus financial policies and procedures are being followed.
• Creates and approves financial journals as needed.

Special Projects

• Provides department support in the areas of business process analysis and design, system or procedure testing and implementation, documentation, security, workflow, and customer feedback.
• Assists Graduate Division Information Systems Unit business analysts and Graduate Division Fiscal Management team by producing periodic reports.
• Participates in Graduate Division staff meetings, retreats and professional development.

Other duties as determined by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of finance policies, practices, and systems.
• Can quickly learn UC campus systems.
• Ability to identify, collect, and analyze information from multiple sources, including numerous UC campus systems: (Berkeley Financial System (BFS), CalAnswers, UC Path, Student Information System (SIS), and Berkeley Regional Services (BRS)) or similar systems from a comparable organization.
• Knowledge and ability to successfully utilize campus systems including Berkeley Financial System (BFS), BearBuy, CalAnswers, UC Path, and Student Information System (SIS) or similar systems from a comparable organization.
• Advanced ability to effectively present complex finance related information both verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner.
• Knowledge of Graduate Student funding practices, including fulfillment of funding packages, funding sources, and programmatic resources.
• Advanced ability to effectively present complex finance-related information both verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner.
• In-depth ability to use multiple spreadsheet and database software tools to gather information for specialized, complex financial analysis, fiscal management, and financial reports.
• Advanced interpersonal skills at all levels within the organization; advanced service orientation and critical thinking skills; and attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to function as a member of a team.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources.
• Advanced degree in related field such as finance or accounting and/or equivalent experience/training.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $110,000 - $141,500.

• This is a full-time (40 hours/week), career position that is eligible for UC Benefits.
• This is an exempt monthly-paid position.

How to Apply

• To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity.
• This position is eligible for up to 60% remote work. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

SB 791 and AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.