Job Description

Working/Functional Title

MSU Extn Dir Office Business Analyst

Position Summary

Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive organization, which requires all staff to contribute towards a vision for success. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our work, regardless of title or position within the organization. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:

• We work together to ensure that programming is delivered to diverse audiences, produces equitable impacts for all participants, and demonstrates partnership and inclusion for all groups.
• We embrace that it is everyone’s job to create a culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and inclusive culture.
• We foster inclusion by recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives, skills, experiences, and work to create equal access to programming for communities.
• We commit to continuous learning for diversity, equity, and cultural competency, in order to achieve inclusive excellence.
• We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements to our work and are vital to the organizational culture and programmatic success of MSU Extension.
• We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching and feedback towards achieving a vision of success for the entire organization and its staff.
• Together we will achieve success and we commit to these goals in our work, continued education, and ongoing efforts.  

POSITION SUMMARY

Coordinates and assists in overseeing the operational activities of a service unit of limited size, budget, staff, and/or complexity. Performs office work directly related to the management or general business operations of the unit or its customers. Formulates, affects, interprets, and/or implements management policies or operating practices. The majority of duties performed must be related to at least two of three functional areas – human resources, finance, or general business operations.

MSU Extension (MSUE) has more than 700 employees in 83 counties spread across the upper and lower peninsula of Michigan. Working as a budget analyst in the MSUE Director’s Office, the position of the Administrative Business Analyst will be responsible for monitoring budgets against actual activities, SAP approvals, monitoring of agreement process, and invoice creation and payment tracking, while contributing to the success of our intricate organization.

MSUE has a complex budget that includes various sources of funding from state, federal, and local agencies totaling over $25 million. In this position, you will coordinate the memorandum of agreement (MOA) process that provides a significant investment in MSU Extension programming at the county level, including but not limited to, agreement preparation and execution, invoice distribution and tracking, and accounts receivable status. You will also monitor salary budget to actual activities throughout the fiscal year.

Your primary responsibilities will include working closely with staff, fiscal officers, and administrators on financial matters including budgets, accounting, and reporting. It is imperative that you are able to follow fiscal and financial standards, and procedures, including the preparation and timely distribution of materials to staff and administrators.

There will be space available for this position to work from the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

This position may be eligible to utilize a flexible work environment, however, there is an expectation to work from a MSU Extension campus office. The needs, responsibilities, and opportunities of an individual’s position and office location drive the ability and amount of work-location flexibility.

Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities

• Identifies ways to improve operational efficiency, provides process improvement recommendations, and generates and implements solutions within designated area of responsibility.
• Establishes and maintains internal and external financial accounts and related business records and facilitates the resolution of transactional conflicts by applying creative problem-solving techniques.
• Possesses operational/processing expertise for assigned tasks and leverages technology to research and solve business problems.
• Applies, interprets, and communicates policies and procedures to assist customers and provide potential solutions.
• Assembles, analyzes, and reports on critical information including data findings, metrics, Key Performance Indicators, market trends, and other business data points.
• Collects, analyzes, and synthesizes data using systematic methods such as research, surveys, focus groups, and other fact-finding methods to identify evidence based best practices.
• Maintains employee confidentiality throughout appropriate business processes and uses discretion when communicating sensitive information.
• Demonstrates awareness and appreciation for the global multi-dimensional and diverse perspectives of all, and makes decisions based upon experience, data, facts, and reasoned judgement in the organization’s line of business.
• Serves as a team/group lead for organizational initiatives and projects.

Financial Management (75%)

• Initiates cost redistributions in SAP for MSUE institutes and director’s office.
• Performs first level review and approval in SAP for MSUE institutes and director’s office positions.
• Responsible for monthly reconciliations of salary budgets for MSUE institutes and director’s office from various sources of funds (state, federal, and local).
• Generates and performs analysis on salary projections for a complex salary budget that includes federal, state, and local dollars.
• Generates annual salary budgets for MSUE director’s office.
• Attends and prepares salary materials for budget meetings with budget director and fiscal officer to discuss budgets and financial planning.
• Maintains financial tracking system for local county memorandum of agreements, including invoice creation, invoice distribution and invoice payment tracking.
• Researches and resolves irregularities, and handles complex problems as needed.

General Business/Other (25%)

• Assists with administration of financial procedures and maintains compliance with regulations, university policies and procedures, as well as adherence to Uniform Guidance rules and regulations.
• Serves as a liaison with the MSU Office of Sponsored Programs, as necessary.
• Responsible for day-to-day maintenance of local county memorandum of agreements, including the development of agreements, administrative reporting, and monitoring of agreement status.
• Works closely with administrators and colleagues to develop administrative planning, goals, and objectives.
• Works closely with administrators, fiscal officers, and staff on human resources, financial, or general business operations matters.
• Actively participate in professional development opportunities.

Minimum Requirements

• Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in a business-related field or in a field which corresponds to the particular department of employment.
• One to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in office procedures, or in performing responsibilities related to the operational activities of the employing unit.
• Experience with word processing, database, spreadsheet, presentation software and/or desktop publishing, and web page software.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience also considered. 

Desired Qualifications

• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability for accuracy and thoroughness.
• Solution-oriented approach and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of and proficiency working with the EBS system, including all financial system account and transaction e-documents, as well as cost redistributions.
• One or more years of related work experience in university account procedures, developing account controls, policies, and procedures.
• Grant administration skills, including certification in Essentials in Research Administration.
• Understand, support, and foster integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
• Prior experience supporting and communicating with remote staff.
• Proficiency in use of technology, including Zoom, TEAMS, Microsoft Office applications, EBS/SAP, and Kuali Financial.
• Experience and proven ability working productively with a team serving in both leadership and contributor roles.
• Self-motivated with demonstrated ability to work independently in an office or remote environment without daily supervision and/or coaching.
• Ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Other skills and/or abilities required to perform duties of the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Current resume/CV.

Cover letter.

Four (4) professional references including two (2) current or previous supervisors.

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

Bidding eligibility ends August 20, 11:55 PM

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

Connections working at Michigan State University

Job Tags

Work experience placement, Local area, Remote job, Flexible hours,

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