Project Analyst, University Space Planning & Capital Budget

Project Analyst, University Space Planning & Capital Budget

Chicago, IL

Posted: 9/14/26
Deadline: 9/30/26
Salary: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00
Reference Number: JR35033

The University of Chicago

Job Summary

The Project Analyst will provide analytic and project management support to the Office of the Provost, with primary responsibility for campus space planning and capital budget administration. Reporting to the Associate Provost, the Project Analyst will work collaboratively with financial and operational experts throughout the University — including Facilities Services, Budget Office, Finance & Administration, IT Services, and academic and administrative units — to support informed decision-making, accurate record-keeping, and effective governance processes related to capital investment and campus space.
Responsibilities

Project Management

• Support planning for campus space allocation; participate in working groups and project meetings related to campus space planning, including needs assessments, feasibility reviews, scope development, and space utilization audits; track action items, document decisions, and ensure follow-through on assigned tasks between meetings.
• Maintain organized and current records of emerging campus space needs, pending space allocation requests, and potential opportunities for new space assignments to support ongoing planning decisions.
• Monitor project status across active space-planning initiatives; identify schedule or scope risks and elevate as appropriate to ensure timely resolution.
• Research institutional and peer-institution information related to campus space allocation, utilization trends, and capital planning practices to inform analysis and recommendations.
• Support routine data analysis and reporting for space planning, including accessing relevant systems of record, configuring and downloading data reports, and maintaining files in a centralized data repository.
• Work with campus partners to improve routine information-sharing, streamline project reporting, and contribute to the design and development of reports and data-dashboards that support space planning and capital planning decision-making.

Capital Budget Administration

• Serve as a primary point of contact and technical resource for University units submitting capital project proposals in UCPLAN (Oracle), providing guidance on system navigation, data entry requirements, and submission procedures.
• In collaboration with campus partners (e.g., Budget Office, Finance & Administration, Facilities Services), build and maintain tracking templates and spreadsheets using Excel and other tools to synthesize and summarize financial and other information.
• Develop presentation materials for the quarterly and annual capital budget review process, including financial summaries, project status reports, and supporting analyses for presentation to University senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
• Manage review and approval workflows in UCPLAN for Fiscal Year and Off-Cycle Capital Requests, ensuring accurate routing, timely processing, and appropriate documentation at each stage.
• Ensure UCPLAN accurately reflects final approved capital budget decisions; maintain detailed understanding of University governance policies and procedures for capital project approval; manage system updates to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the University’s capital project system of record.
• Collaborate with the Budget Office to facilitate review of submitting unit’s financial capacity to fund proposed work.
• Collaborate with submitting units and Capital Accounting to facilitate review and classification of capital versus operating expense for proposed projects, drawing on detailed understanding of project scope of…