Budget and Financial Planning Analyst Senior

Competitive salary available based on qualifications, experience and education of the selected candidate.

Information and Technology Services (ITS) at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is seeking a Budget and Financial Planning Analyst to join the ITS Finance team. ITS supports the university's academic, research, and administrative missions by delivering secure, innovative, and reliable technology services across Ann Arbor, Michigan Medicine, and the Flint and Dearborn campuses.

We are looking for a highly adaptable, customer-focused financial professional who is skilled in building and managing budgets, developing forecasts, and partnering with department leaders to support sound financial decision-making. This role requires strong Excel skills, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to guide non-financial stakeholders through budget planning, actuals review, forecast changes, and financial tradeoff decisions.

This position is well-suited for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment and enjoys working directly with customers, building practical budget tools, explaining financial information clearly, and helping leaders manage resources responsibly in a nonprofit or higher education environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Serve as the primary finance partner for ITS general fund units, including budget development, forecasting, variance review, and financial guidance; provide supplemental support for other funding sources as needed (e.g., designated/recharge/auxiliary, grants).
• Build, maintain, and update Excel-based budgets and forecasts in partnership with department customers.
• Review actual financial activity against budget, identify changes or concerns, and recommend forecast adjustments.
• Help non-financial leaders understand budget status, cost drivers, funding constraints, and available options.
• Partnering with business units to understand customer needs and align financial strategies accordingly.

This position reports directly to the Director of Finance and Human Resources.

• Serve as a trusted finance partner to the Finance Director, ITS leaders, and department customers by providing budget guidance, financial stewardship, and practical recommendations.
• Build, maintain, and manage annual budgets and multi-year forecasts using Excel and university financial systems.
• Work directly with assigned departments to understand business needs, funding sources, planned spending, staffing assumptions, service needs, and financial risks.
• Monitor actual revenue and expense activity against budget and forecast; identify variances, explain drivers, and recommend timely adjustments.
• Update forecasts throughout the year as actuals come in, priorities shift, or new financial information becomes available.
• Guide non-financial stakeholders through budget planning, financial results, spending decisions, and tradeoff discussions using clear, accessible language.
• Demonstrate a high customer-service approach by supporting departmental stakeholders with responsive guidance, clear communication, and appropriate expectation-setting to ensure excellent service and strong financial stewardship.
• Participate in annual budgeting and forecasting processes, including development of budget assumptions, review of planned expenses, risk/opportunity identification, and alignment with available funding.
• Partner with ITS leaders to develop business cases for initiatives, investments, staffing changes, service needs, and operational changes.
• Strengthen financial stewardship through accurate transaction review, reconciliations, internal controls, and audit-ready documentation; resolve discrepancies and ensure timely corrections.
• Interpret and apply university financial policies and guidelines; advise teams on compliant, practical, and efficient financial processes.
• Identify, quantify, and track efficiency opportunities, including process improvements, vendor/license optimization, cost management, and improved use of available resources.
• Collaborate across ITS to improve budget accuracy, forecasting reliability, financial processes, and customer understanding of financial responsibilities.
• Lead or contribute to cross-functional projects, aligning financial recommendations with ITS strategy, customer needs, and organizational priorities.
• Apply big-picture thinking to connect budget decisions with broader ITS strategies, service commitments, and customer needs.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or a related field with a strong foundation in accounting and financial principles
• Five (5) or more years of progressive experience in financial analysis, accounting, budgeting, and forecasting (including fund accounting or similar experience)
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining financial budgets, forecasts, or financial models in Excel.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams and build trusted working relationships with department customers.
• Excellent verbal and…