Senior Business and Reporting Analyst

Department
 

F&A Quality Management & Training

About the Department
 

Finance and Administration represents a committed group of people who serve the University in a variety of areas including Financial Services, Information Technology Services, Risk Management, Internal Audit, Compliance, Human Resources, and Shared Services.
The goal of our division is to provide the services and support needed to foster an environment of academic and research excellence at the University of Chicago. Our team is dedicated to collaborative partnerships with our colleagues and customers that lay the foundation for an exemplary service delivery process. Finance and Administration is fully aligned with the strategic and academic priorities of the University, and each of the units within our division is tasked with implementing the processes necessary to achieve lasting excellence.
The F&A Knowledge and Optimization Organization within F&A has three teams: Operational Excellence (OpEx), the Knowledge and Support Center, and the Training and Change Center. The OpEx team mission is to maintain service consistency to campus constituents across administrative functions, through data-driven business process improvement efforts. The team ensures coordination between ITS Oracle Solutions, administrative functional staff, and internal department teams. Operational Excellence ensures current work and new initiatives best meet institutional goals for excellence in client service and process efficiency. Additionally, the OpEx team will lead ERP governance, including enhancement and defect prioritization.

Job Summary
 

The Senior Business and Reporting Analyst reports within the Operational Excellence team of the F&A Knowledge and Optimization Organization. The advanced data expertise, logical thinking, and process orientation of the team’s analysts allow the team to meet its mission.
The Senior Analyst will use data and analytical models to identify trends to improve service delivery and process improvement. By embodying a collaborative and helpful client services approach in partnering with university staff and the community, the analysts ensure the Knowledge and Optimization team addresses any service delivery issues and incorporates feedback into team operations.
The Senior Analyst will be responsible for monitoring service performance of the Knowledge and Support Center, as well as administrative functional centers, proactively identifying opportunities for continuous improvement through data analysis and by soliciting improvement ideas from OE colleagues, business partners, and the university community. The Analyst manages the service performance and evaluation process via aggregating data from source systems (i.e., Oracle, Workday, ServiceNow, Concur, Orbit), collating, compiling operational metric data into key performance indicator (KPI) operational reports, analyzing data to identify trends and root causes for performance issues, and summarizing findings into an executive summary.
The Senior Analyst solves problems and anticipates evolving business requirements to identify, design, and implement appropriate process improvements, systems alternatives, and/or enhancements to current systems. The Analyst will work with team leadership to advance continuous improvement projects by developing value propositions, creating implementation plans, and collaborating with stakeholders throughout the project. The analyst will apply project management techniques to ensure common understanding of a project’s critical path, stakeholder requirements, milestone dates, resource needs, concept creation and evaluation methods.
The Senior Analyst performs business analysis, gathers requirements, leads ongoing reviews of business processes and develops optimization strategies. The Senior Analyst will conduct ongoing virtual and in person stakeholder meetings, presentations and workshops to share ideas and findings, as well as to identify, analyze, and document business requirements. Through partnerships with ITS colleagues, the Analyst will stay up-to-date on the latest process and IT advancements to automate and modernize systems; collaborate on system testing, defect management and remediation.
The Senior Analyst is a University expert in reporting from financial, HR, and service delivery systems. The Analyst will use knowledge of the finance and HR technologies to design and develop reports needed by campus users and University leadership. The analyst works with ITS technology reporting experts for Oracle and Workday to ensure report creation practices are consistent across the teams, and in line with product recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Proactively communicates and manages relationships with central and academic administrative leaders, including face-to-face meetings, to ensure service expectations are met and/or identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Partners with team leaders to ensure Service Delivery Network Governance bodies are convened and activated to make process and service delivery decisions that optimize administrative efficiency and effectiveness. Staffs governance meetings and ensures decisions are translated into action plans, leading to intended outcomes.
• Monitors and tracks organization-wide, team, and individual staff metrics to evaluate process and service performance, and coordinates with OE team leaders to identify, implement, and track remediation actions.
• Develops analytical models to identify trends to improve the customer experience, and helps to ensure/improve the overall quality of OE service delivery.
• Manages ongoing review, audit, and reporting process of service delivery performance.
• Solicits improvement ideas from OE leadership, OE staff, and other University stakeholders.
• Develops project charters outlining the value proposition for each continuous improvement project, prioritizes and creates implementation plans, and seeks approval through OE established governance committees.
• Develops optimization strategies.
• Ensures solutions meet business needs and requirements.
• Coordinates with OE teams, and central and academic divisions, throughout the lifecycle of each improvement initiative.
• Manages staff temporarily assigned to support the improvement projects from initiation through project closure.
• Creates basic business reports from Oracle, Workday, Orbit, Concur, ServiceNow and other applications that provide insight into key data points.
• Partners with IT teams and functional leaders to establish data-driven policies and strategies across the organization.
• Designs business analysis, process improvement and data recording systems for use throughout the department.
• Regularly examines data reports to locate and resolve mistakes throughout.
• Accurately analyzes and collects data for various types of business reports.
• Communicates the results of data analysis in written and verbal form to leadership.
• Designs, builds, and maintains basic functional visualizations (reports and dashboards).
• Profiles data and document objects, business rules, and caveats.
• Performs and documents data analysis, data validation, and data mapping/design.
• Participates in requirements analysis for campus client and functional center specialist data needs.
• Provides report creation governance. Coordinates campus financial reporting resources and ensures functional team decision making, and oversight over teams owning creating and disseminating reports.
• Analyzes operational, performance, and compliance reporting in order to create process improvements.
• Implements systems of sustained continuous improvement. Has a high level of authority to update established business processes and metrics.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• A college or university degree in business, analytics, policy, management, administration or a related field.
• Graduate degree in data science, statistics, public policy, business, analytics or a related field.

Experience:

• 5 - 7 years of work experience in a related job discipline, including positions requiring extensive data and process analysis.
• Working with multiple administrative or support functions within a complex organization, especially an academic setting.
• Background and/or education in a financial environment or field.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Oracle Fusion Cloud Financials reporting and data structure.
• Workday HCM, Payroll, Time and Applicants.
• Oracle, Workday, object-oriented cloud systems and other data analysis programs.
• Analytical skills that allow for the basic development of data-driven reports.
• Microsoft Excel, Tableau, SmartSheet or similar tools to create pivot tables, graphs and charts.
• Understanding of chart of accounts, general ledger, financial reports, accounts payable, accounts receivables, budgeting and grants.
• Skills in process mapping / business process reengineering.
• Proficient in the analysis of financial, human capital, and business process data.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively relate data to coworkers.
• Excellent critical thinking skills to help solve business problems and make decisions.
• Demonstrate close attention to small details that could impact results.
• General knowledge of business operations, objectives, strategies, process and information flow.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time and prioritize projects to meet deadlines.
• Listen and accurately capture others' expectations, ideas, and concerns.
• Raise issues and push to ensure that the 'right thing' is done despite potential consequences.
• Analyze client needs through soliciting, evaluating, and acting upon client feedback.
• Coordinate with other internal units to deliver seamless service to clients.
• Develop close working relationships with clients (e.g., trusted advisor).
• Keep the end in mind when dealing with differences in perspective.
• Manage individual and team assignments to deliver a defined outcome.
• Manage competing priorities, work simultaneously on multiple initiatives, and meet deadlines.
• Participate as a team player and positively influence a group.
• Generate clear/realistic estimates, plans and schedules that helps others understand what needs to be done.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize spreadsheet software and analyze data.
• Interpret financial data, produce reports, and present statistical information.
• Adopt methods and tools or reuse proven work to improve productivity and quality.
• High comfort level with performing quantitative analysis, including accuracy and attention to detail.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, adaptability to change, and deadline driven orientation.
• Work independently, as well as part of a team.
• Foster collaboration and partner with others.
• Proven record of acting on guidance or recommendations to improve service quality.
• Clear focus on client service.
• Successfully complete initiatives supported by rigorous analytics.
• Proven record of working independently, exercising sound judgment, and taking ownership and initiative with minimal direction when needed.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Customer Service & Sales

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.