Financial Analyst at The Aspen Institute in Washington, DC

Job description

• The Financial Planning & Analysis team provides support for annual budgeting, ongoing forecasting, grant reporting, monthly financial reviews, and ad-hoc analyses for all Aspen departments.
• The Financial Analyst will be responsible for providing budgetary and financial support to a portfolio of Aspen programs, as well as responsible for accounting compliance and analysis of these programs, under the leadership of the Financial Manager. Major services include areas in grant accounting, budget facilitation, & financial analysis. The Financial Analyst routinely interacts with the financial manager and key staff members in each program who are responsible for departmental accounting functions. Frequent interaction with program administrators, business offices, and accounting operation within the Aspen Institute.
• This position reports to the Financial Manager. The Salary range for this position is $65,000 - $80,000. The expectation is for this role to be in our DC office a minimum of 2x a week to collaborate with colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Budget, Grant, & Reporting
• Collaborate with programs to ensure preparation of proposal and program budget and submission in Planful.
• Support program staff in use of Planful.
• Process grant documents and maintain grant data in the accounting and budget systems to ensure accurate data input.
• Work with program staff to maintain updated forecasts based on material changes throughout the year.
• Assign new accounting codes in accordance with Institute’s program classification and NetSuite coding structure using Project Request Forms.
• Investigate and report to programs/manager any inconsistencies or improprieties; research and resolve programs inquiries, in consultation with managers.
• Allocate project expenses and process journal entries related to program revenues and expenses in the assigned functional areas.
• Update funding and budget data, as needed, to assist with the preparation of financial materials for senior management.
• Prepare funder reports and financial reports to meet funding terms and the diverse needs of individual programs.
• In collaboration with, and with final approval of the grant manager, review and process grant agreements through internal approval process to ensure compliance with grant accounting policies and U.S. government regulations, if applicable. Review sponsorship agreements and ensure submission to Ironclad for due diligence review. Update NPSP with grant information.
• Obtain training on all financial systems: Planful for forecasting, NetSuite for accounting, NPSP for grant management, UKG for payroll reports. Also become familiar with Tipalti for invoice processing and Concur for expense processing.
• Financial Analysis
• Provide timely, relevant and accurate reporting & analysis against historical, budgeted, and forecasted data to identify and manage any financial issues.
• Take part in a monthly review of financial performance with programs, helping with both meeting preparation and subsequent follow-up.
• Work with programs to ensure funding compliance and proper accounting procedures have been followed for reporting to the funders.
• Monitor allocated costs such as fringe, interest, and overhead charges for accuracy and sound logic.
• Review proposal budgets generated by the programs.
• Use reports in Planful for tracking, monitoring, and understanding actuals, budget and projection.
• Provide supporting materials for yearend audit and/or any other grant audit requirement, as needed.
• Maintain and develop various financial models and standard templates distributed for use by all during the proposal, budgeting, and reporting processes, ensuring quality, accuracy and perform analytic review of preliminary materials.
• Perform ad hoc analyses in response to emails, your own research, meeting discussions
• Perform other duties and reconciliations as assigned.

Requirements

• BA/BS in fields of business administration, accounting or other related fields or relevant work experience; A background in a non-profit, research or academic setting is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience in grant management, donor reporting, financial analysis, and budget forecast. Strong verbal and written communication, organizational and planning skills, excellent analytical skills.
• Excellent Excel and other Microsoft Office skills.
• Working knowledge of accounting principles and program implementation in non-profit organizations are essential.
• Familiarity with standard accounting and budgeting systems is highly desirable; knowledge of database software is helpful.
• Attention to details; proven ability to work efficiently under pressure.
• Independent worker and analytical thinker with ability to conduct research, data analysis and resolve complex problems.

Skills

Required

• Strong verbal and written communication
• Organizational and planning skills
• Excellent analytical skills
• Attention to details
• Independent worker

Preferred

• Knowledge of database software

Benefits

• The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.