Senior Finance Analyst - Financial Services

* Forbes named Mesa Public Schools in their list of Best Employers in Arizona for multiple years.

* East Valley Tribune names Mesa Public Schools as Best Place to Work in East Valley for multiple years.

Employment Type:

Full-time (40 hours per week)

Base Hourly:

$28.85

Class/Calendar:

C41, 12 months

Benefits:

Vacation, sick leave, holidays, retirement matched through the Arizona State Retirement System, health, and life insurance

Performance Pay:

Available annually

New Hire

Experience:

1% of the base hourly rate granted for each year of verified like experience (within ten years) beyond the requirement, up to a ten-year maximum

New Hire

Education:

1% of the base hourly rate awarded for an AA or higher degree if not required for the position

Job Summary:

To serve as the primary financial and operational support resource for assigned schools and departments by providing guidance on budgeting, requisitions, budget control management, financial reporting, and the effective use of district financial systems. Coordinates budget monitoring activities, supports school leaders with fiscal decision making, ensures compliance with district financial procedures, promotes transparency through the use of Open Gov and other financial reporting tools, and identifies opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting accuracy, operational efficiency, and customer service for schools and departments

Key Responsibilities:

* Perform financial analysis and modeling

* Support district wide and site based budget development activities through budget preparation, monitoring, forecasting, and financial analysis. Develop budget to actual forecasting models and provide recommendations to schools and departments regarding financial performance.

* Provide guidance and training to principals, assistant principals, and school administrative staff regarding district financial procedures and budget management.

* Assist schools with budget planning, expenditure monitoring, and budget adjustments throughout the fiscal year.

* Assist school staff with purchase requisition creation, approval workflows, and account coding accuracy.

* Monitor personnel allocations and salary budgets to ensure alignment with approved staffing plans.

* Monitor school budgets and proactively identify potential budget variances, funding concerns, and compliance issues.

* Research to determine needs versus wants; analyze spending to determine reasons for budget variations; report on expenditures versus budget on a timely basis; review budget data with schools and departments

* Verify account codes according to Chart of Accounts when inputting new code string into system

* Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives related to school financial operations, budgeting, requisition processes, personnel allocations, and financial reporting to improve efficiency, accuracy, transparency, and customer service.

* Assist other personnel as may be required for the purpose of supporting them in the completion of their work activities

* Assists with other assigned duties as appropriate to the area of assignment and Mesa Public Schools

Required Qualifications:

* High School degree or equivalent

* Five years' budget and accounting experience required

* Experience with computer software, ERP's and financial queries

Preferred Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics or related field preferred

* Experience with public school accounting and School ERP Pro software preferred

* Experience working with K-12 public school finance budget environment

Skills &

Competencies:

* Models the attributes and skills of the MPS Portrait of a Graduate

* Demonstrates commitment to the MPS Promise that every student is known by name, served by strength and need, and graduates ready for college, career and community

* Demonstrated ability to provide consultative financial support to school and department leaders.

* Strong customer service orientation with the ability to translate complex financial information into practical guidance for non financial users.

* Ability to perform high volume detailed work with accuracy; to assume responsibility; to independently make sound fact-based decisions for daily tasks; to maintain confidentiality

* Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written) and establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with district and school personnel of all levels, general public and outside agencies

* Sound understanding of fund accounting; working knowledge of budgeting

* Ability to develop accounting procedures and design financial systems

* Ability to organize, prioritize and meet deadlines with an accurate attention to detail while working with frequent interruptions and minimum supervision

* Computer proficiency to include advanced skill level of basic software applications (Microsoft Word and Excel, Google Docs and Sheets, etc.)

* High proficiency in typing, data entry and 10-key by touch with accuracy; excellent test battery; high math aptitude; skill in…