Job Description

The Division of Finance & Administration/Office of Budget & Finance at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) invites applications for the Financial Analyst. Reporting to the Director, Budget Operations, Planning, and Reporting, the Financial Analyst is responsible for performing and providing insightful analysis to drive management actions, strategic initiatives, and the university’s planning process. The position designs, develops, manages, updates, and improves upon financial reporting at the university and unit level. Engages and interacts with various levels of leadership and stakeholders, becoming a trusted advisor. Directs and oversees components of the university’s budget, consolidating information through models, allocating university resources, and supporting budget operations.

RCM Budgeting:

• Operates and manages the University's RCM Revenue Based Budgeting model and annual budget process.
• Develops and maintains related policies, documentation, governance, and change management; updates procedures impacted by the RCM model.
• Creates, maintains, and communicates budget/finance guidelines, procedures, tools, templates, and standard forms used by business units.
• Prepares and delivers presentations, and training, explaining budget concepts, assumptions, and outcomes to campus.
• Ability to translate complex financial concepts into clear, concise guidance to campus units.

Budget Operations and Financial Planning:

• Develops, monitors, and maintains operating budgets, forecasts, and multi-year financial plans.
• Translates budget and financial planning into financial statement results.
• Identifies key business drivers and explains how they impact accounts and overall financial performance.
• Solicits, complies and analyzes inputs in support of the University RCM budget.
• Collects, prepares, analyzes, reviews and approves budget adjustments, fund transfers and resource allocations.
• Maintains budgets in the university’s enterprise resource planning system.

Financial Reporting & Forecasting:

• Designs, builds, tests, implements, documents, and maintains reporting packages that inform and provide insight into the university’s budget.
• Designs, develops, prototypes, implements and maintains University-wide forecasting process to enhance decision making.
• Identifies questions, curates the sources of data, and builds the necessary tools and processes to institutionalize deliverables.
• Executes reporting and forecasting activities in accordance with established schedules.
• Synthesizes and communicates information in a timely manner.

Modeling & Analytics:

• Conceptualizes and conceives analysis/model designs which will efficiently and effectively answer questions.
• Develops, maintains, and documents models and templates.
• Tests and validates models and interprets model results.
• Identifies trends and drivers, investigate root causes, and highlight risks and opportunities.
• Performs variance analysis and recommends corrective actions aligned with university policies.
• Provides decision support to leadership through scenario modeling, projections, and alternative analyses.

Required

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Analytics, Accounting or other related field.

• Experience: 5 years of relevant, progressively responsible work experience of which 3 years experience involving financial analysis, budgeting, or modeling.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Advanced experience with Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Power Query and other data transformational tools and techniques; experience with large enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems (e.g., Oracle, Workday).

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred

•Education: Master's degree in Business, Finance, Analytics, Accounting or other related field of study.

•Experience: Experience with Responsibility Center Management (RCM) budget model environment; experience with cloud-based budget, financial planning and analysis software (e.g., Oracle, Workday).

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Power Query and other data transformational tools and techniques.

• Higher education, governmental or non-profit accounting or budgeting experience.

Work Location

• Knoxville, TN - in-person, on-site

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR13

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here.

Benefits include:

• Generous paid leave, accruing up to 24 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave annually, plus 14 paid holidays and administrative closing days.
• Education benefits for employees and their dependents at UT System campuses  Retirement and deferred compensation plans, including 401(k), 403(b), etc.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Employee discounts to attractions, services, and goods.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should submit an application with the following attachments:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

• List of 3 Professional References

• Any additional pertinent materials

About The College/Department/Division:

The Office of Budget and Finance provides support to university administrators in developing and implementing short and long-range financial plans for the Knoxville campus. The primary responsibilities include the preparation of the annual budget and the monitoring and tracking of the financial status of the Knoxville campus.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!