Financial Data Analyst in Alexandria, VA

Full-Time Position // $75-80k + Benefits // Strong Microsoft Excel Skills Required

Job Summary

The Financial Data Analyst reports to the Director of Budget for ACPS and performs a variety of duties and tasks to support the school division's requirements for financial planning and monitoring while adhering to standard practices, policies, and regulations in accordance with GAAP, GASB, VDOE, and the Alexandria City School Board. General functions include division-wide budget development, financial analysis and reporting, grants management, programmatic financial support, and financial modeling and forecasting.

The successful candidate will assist in the development and maintenance of budgets for all funding sources including the operating fund, capital improvement program (CIP), grants, and other special revenue projects. He/she will prepare student enrollment and staffing projections, develop expenditure and revenue forecasts, and create monthly financial reports. The candidate will work collaboratively with divisional units and senior leadership to review financial performance and communicate budgetary policies and issues effectively.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Planning & Budgeting:
  Fully support all financial aspects of long term financial planning and the fiscal year budget cycle. Prepare budget instructions and guidelines; develop and consolidate budget templates; and interpret, summarize, and upload budget information to financial systems. Administer and verify budget transfers and adjustments and provide budget assistance to all schools and departments. Maintain the division-wide chart of account structure and enter code changes in the financial system as required. Make recommendations for budget process improvement and support the implementation of enhanced budgeting systems.
• Financial Reporting:
  Develop monthly financial reporting tools for schools, departments, program managers and leadership teams providing summary and details for budget and actuals including revenues, expenditures, encumbrances, commitments, and fund balance. Research macro-economic data, analyze trends and projections and forecast student enrollment and federal, state, and local revenues. Develop and maintain financial reports for forecasting, trending and results analysis as well as Power Point presentations to communicate financial information to leadership and support staff. Assist with the creation and development of a standard financial reporting package. Support the implementation of new reporting software, ERP or integrated business system.
• Financial Monitoring and Analysis:
  Analyze and interpret financial data in order to determine historical and future trends and monitor annual performance. Interpret financial transactions and recommend corrective actions as necessary. Analyze budget variances, budget adjustments, outstanding requisitions, purchase orders, invoices, payment vouchers, and account balances. Perform analysis of data stored and reported in other departments (human resources, student services, transportation, facilities, etc) and their impact on budget development, forecast modeling and financial reporting. Support and review the financial internal controls and ensure that they are consistent with the school division's goals and objectives.
• Grants Financial Management:
  Support the Grants Officer and other programmatic grant managers with annual and revised budget submissions. Monitor grant spending and revenue and process budget adjustments as required. Assist with the annual planning for all grant funding, ensuring fiscal compliance and alignment with division objectives. Develop grant-specific financial reports as requested by leadership to enhance decision-making, compliance, and accountability.
• Budget & Financial Training:
  Provide training to relevant staff on budgeting and financial monitoring and reporting. Assist schools and departments in developing and interpreting financial reports. Effectively communicate best practices and budgetary guidelines and procedures. Provide financial system training as necessary.
• Documentation:
  Document budget system processes, planning procedures, and guidelines. Assist with the publication of final, comprehensive budget documents using Adobe InDesign. Create instructions on how to prepare/ run all financial reports provided by the Budget Office. Maintain monthly reporting binders for financial reports and other key documentation. Develop and maintain documentation audit trails, version tracking controls, and systematic electronic filing. Assist in the preparation of presentations. Prepare, maintain and coordinate the online posting of all documents as required. Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Information Systems, or Computer Science
• Minimum 3 years related work experience, specifically with financial reporting and process improvement
• Strong technical/computer skills
• Familiarity with fund accounting, GAAP, and GASB
• Strong MS Office skills, specifically Excel pivot tables, report creation using advanced Excel functions, charts and graphs, and Power Point presentations
• Ability to solve complex problems with strong analytical skills
• Ability to use and manipulate complex data from various sources and develop forecast models
• Ability to articulate complex budget problems and present financial performance data to senior management
• Ability to work proactively, with limited supervision, and successfully meet deadlines
• Ability to adapt and work effectively with functional teams across the organization
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Strong customer service orientation
• Attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• MBA strongly preferred
• Experience with Discoverer or Adobe InDesign
• Advanced or expert Excel proficiency; Visual Basic
• Database development and management

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