Financial Analyst II

About WestEd

 As a community of over 900 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact—asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.  

 Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Please review our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Come and join us!

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience.  The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question.

The Opportunity:

The Financial Analyst II is a middle-level position and is responsible for financial and project management activities related to in-depth financial analysis. This position will support all three of WestEd’s Divisions with the analysis of portfolios of projects, reporting to Finance. The financial activities include data analysis, budgeting, financial modeling and reporting, accounting, cost control, and financial analysis. Generally, this position is responsible for project-level budgeting, planning, forecasting, variance analysis, spend down, and financial reporting. The Financial Analyst II will also contribute to ad hoc financial projects and financial management.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Agency and Division Senior Financial Analysts to optimize data analysis and financial reporting to support the agency’s strategic, operational, and financial goals.
• Design, create, prepare, and analyze project-level and division-level financial reports, including variance and trend analysis, consolidated reporting, and spend analysis.
• Provide key information to Agency and Division finance teams to drive business decisions, recognize issues, and identify opportunities for continuous quality improvement.
• Develop, oversee, and manage project budgets in collaboration with Project Directors/Content Area Managers.
• Responsible for monthly project budget review, forecasting, and spend downs, including meeting with Project. Directors/ Content Area Managers for detailed review of revenue forecasts and project spending trends.
• Track and monitor profit margins for project portfolios.
• Develop financial reports to highlight key metrics of interest that support WestEd’s business strategies and goals.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to streamline financial and informational reporting and provide. recommendations regarding transactional system changes or upgrades.
• Evaluate existing business processes and recommend improvements to increase accuracy, decrease processing time, and gain consistency across the divisions.
• Prepare financial and contractual information required for business proposals from inception to submission.
• Support and monitor execution of new contracts. Work with clients and the WestEd Contracts Department to ensure financial guidelines for spending and billing are clear.
• Responsible for supporting Project Directors to initiate and manage subcontracts, including reviewing invoices.
• Track submission of deliverables and work with Accounts Receivable to prepare invoices tied to project deliverables.
• Work with the WestEd Contracts Department in setting up project cost code structures.
• Become proficient with our Business Intelligence software, Cognos, and our budgeting/revenue planning system, Adaptive Insight.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in finance/accounting and 3-5 years of relevant work experience
• In-depth knowledge of and experience with financial analysis, financial modeling, financial reporting, managing financial databases, accounting, budget development/management, and financial systems/applications
• Strong fiscal management skills and experience, including reviewing and improving business practices and processes
• Ability to review and analyze financial information using various financial and audit tools
• Ability to structure and perform complex financial models and data queries to support strategic business planning, financial-based decisions, and practices with adherence to WestEd financial policies and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Must be accurate, detail-oriented, and yet be able to view financial information from a broad organizational perspective
• Demonstrated professional maturity and organizational political astuteness combined with tact, diplomacy, common sense, sound judgment and confidentiality
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work in a diverse work environment and various levels of management
• Must be a strong individual contributor as well as an effective team member and project leader.
• Must be a self-starter, an independent thinker, action-oriented and self-motivated
• Fluency and expert-level skill with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, including experience with formulas such as VLOOKUP and SUMIF, and functionalities such as Goal Seek, Find and Replace, Pivot Tables, and linking multiple files/worksheets
• Experience with database querying and report writing also desired
• Customer service attitude and approach to working with internal and organizational clients as well as external parties
• Interest in applying corporate business practices to the non-profit sector within an organization whose mission is to improve the educational systems that serve children and families
• Experience with Salesforce, Cognos, and Adaptive reporting and budgeting software a plus
• Familiarity and experience with federal contracts and contracting rules/regulations a plus
• Experience with fixed priced contracts budget development/analysis a plus

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Salary for this role is competitive, set at a WestEd level F and commensurate with experience. WestEd offers a very generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as Life, AD&D and Disability insurance.  We also offer various retirement plan options and Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare, and commuter expenses. WestEd offers generous paid holidays and paid time off (PTO), among other benefits.

Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of social and professional learning communities, such as Employee Resources groups, the Data Intelligence, Insights, and Innovation PLC, and the WestEd Parent Community, just to name a few.  We hope you’ll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more! #LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid