Senior Financial Analyst - 133219

Advance marine science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography as a Senior Financial Analyst in our Ship Operations and Marine Technical Support (SOMTS) department. This role combines high-level financial analysis, oversight, and strategic planning to support our complex and mission-critical operations.

About the Department

SOMTS provides operational and scientific support to Scripps' research fleet, including specialized vessels. Our team manages a significant funding portfolio ($50-$75M annually) across federal, state, private, and grant sources to advance research and educational initiatives in oceanography. SOMTS is complex and diverse due to the unique nature of sea-going business and administrative activities within an educational institution.

Position Overview

As Senior Financial Analyst, you will be at the core of our financial strategy, providing essential expertise in budgeting, analysis, and fiscal oversight. Working closely with SOMTS leadership, you will support decision-making processes through comprehensive financial analysis, identifying trends, forecasting future needs, and ensuring effective resource allocation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Financial Analysis & Forecasting: Analyze complex financial data, identify trends, and develop forecasting models for ship operations and technical support activities.

• Use Rate Development: Create and present use rates for internal budgeting and external funding proposals, ensuring our rates align with best practices and institutional requirements.

• Supervision & Fiscal Oversight: Lead the fiscal services support team, overseeing ledger reconciliations, fund monitoring, and financial reporting. Manage cost estimates, budget projections, and accounting for various funding sources, including technical support and research vessel operations.

• Strategic Recommendations: Anticipate budgetary challenges, formulate strategies, and recommend solutions to support efficient financial management across SOMTS.

• Process Improvement: Identify and implement process enhancements to streamline operations, reduce costs, and optimize financial controls.

  What You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, accounting, or related field, with seven years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Strong analytical skills and ability to manage diverse data sets to inform budget planning and strategic financial management.

• Proven experience in supervising fiscal operations and managing financial reporting for large-scale operations.

• Familiarity with use rate development, budgeting, and cost modeling.

• Thorough knowledge of finance policies, practices, and systems. Significant knowledge of finance, general accounting practices and principles, budgeting, business management, fund accounting, cost accounting, internal control standards and financial audit concepts and recharge activities, full-charge bookkeeping. Strong proven accounting skills. Thorough knowledge knowledge of financial mathematics, statistics, capital budgeting and cash flow assessment techniques.

• Experience using spreadsheet and database software for complex financial analysis, fiscal management, and financial reports. Thorough knowledge of computer applications and technologies (specifically: Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe PageMaker, Internet browsers, outlook e-mail) in a multi-platform environment. including web-based technologies, query tools for a variety of uses including accounting, financial reporting, database management, and workgroup communication.

• Ability to independently gather required information to organize, and perform financial analysis assignments. Proven ability to independently research, review and analyze highly complex financial information, extract pertinent data, compile, analyze and present data effectively; proven ability to prepare accurate financial reports, budgets, analyze spending patterns and communicate budget concerns.

• Proven ability in making oral and written reports, using presentation systems such as PowerPoint and database management systems, to explain and to make persuasive arguments to various levels of faculty and administration. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including tact, diplomacy, and flexibility. Proven ability to compose documents and communicate verbally using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

• Proven interpersonal skills with peers throughout the organization; strong service orientation and critical thinking skills; and attention to detail. Proven ability using organizational skills to multi-task in a high volume environment. Proven ability to work effectively under pressure and to re-direct efforts to meet operational needs, requiring frequently changing and balancing competing priorities; must be able to function at a high level in a team environment.

• Ability to function as a member of a team. Strong leadership, organization, planning, and management skills, including the ability to meet deadlines, self-direct, and self-motivate. Experience supervising and coaching staff for success.

• Thorough knowledge and understanding of internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources. Proven ability to anticipate and administer new procedures, processes, and practices that adapt to a changing environment. Proven experience conducting compliance and procedural reviews. Advanced understanding and knowledge of internal controls, auditable procedures and practices (i.e., fiscal controls, cash controls, high risk transactions, and internal review).

• Proven ability to interpret government regulations and contractual arrangements, such as Federal Demonstration Partnerships, Expanded Authority and federal flow-through subcontract and cooperative agreements. Ability to review, decipher and examine governmental and contractual language in detail and assess carefully terms and conditions that govern the award.

• Thorough knowledge knowledge of and ability to interpret Uniform Guidance and other federal regulations governing contracts and grants.

• Proven ability to maintain strict attention to detail, accuracy, clarity, and confidentiality; ability to protect the integrity of secured information, facilities, etc.

• Occasional evenings and weekends may be required.

• Willingness and ability to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from the US Transportation Security Administration.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.

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