HRL Business and Finance Analyst

Department: University Life

Classification: Financial Services Specialist 1

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary range starting low $60k; commensurate with education and experience 

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Housing & Residence Life (HRL) is a self-supporting auxiliary organization within the University Life unit of George Mason University. HRL serves a highly diverse population of approximately 6,200 residential students, the majority of which are undergraduates living in traditional, suite, and apartment-style residence halls at three campuses within the vibrant Northern Virginia area. HRL employs over 170 full-time and graduate staff and over 350 undergraduate student staff. HRL is committed to provide a safe, well maintained student-centered environment that is innovative and inclusive of a global community. It is dedicated to creating a home that enriches the experiences of our students, faculty, and staff.

About the Position:

The Housing and Residence Life (HRL) Business and Finance Analyst (BFA) supports the HRL unit with daily financial and business functions attached to procurement, spending, reimbursement, reporting, reconciliation, and budget management of HRL’s operational expenses, from payroll to expenses to debt. The BFA also provides direction to HRL staff on Mason fiscal policies and processes impacting these expenses, and supports the HRL staff in finding solutions to financial/business questions. This position reports to the Associate Director of Finance and Business Services (AD-FBS), and is a hybrid position with two (2) days per week in the HRL office at Mason's Fairfax campus.

HRL is a self-supporting unit with George Mason University, and the BFA plays a critical role in the front end of managing expenses against revenue by assisting HRL staff with Mason fiscal policies and spending processes, and then ensuring that expenses are posted accurately and in a timely manner, ultimately leading to reliable financial data and statements.

Responsibilities:

Financial Analysis, Monthly Reporting, and Reconciliation:

• Develops and maintains a comprehensive understanding of HRL as an auxiliary unit at Mason, with particular focus on HRL’s expense structure, the multiple sources feeding those expenses, and budgeting nuances that influence annual spending. Applies this knowledge to work collaboratively with the AD-FBS in refining and updating financial reporting and operational processes for the HRL unit;
• Investigates and maintains proficiency with multiple Mason financial systems, leveraging these tools to refine/discover new sources of financial and business information for the HRL unit;
• Develops, maintains, and performs a monthly reconciliation of the HRL subsidiary ledger of expenses, which is the cornerstone to all HRL’s expense reporting, budgeting, and forecasting. The BFA also uses this ledger to develop and distribute a monthly expense report to the HRL Budget Owners;
• Generates and distributes monthly labor reports to HRL Budget Owners to provide payroll details for reconciliation processes;
• Analyzes HRL monthly expenses to identify anomalies. Collaborates with HRL Budget Owners and Mason units to investigate discrepancies and implement necessary adjustments or corrections;
• Partners with the AD-FBS to develop processes and reporting tools to accurately project year-end expenditures;
• Provides financial data and reporting support to the AD-FBS for audits and related inquiries as needed; and
• Assists the AD-FBS and/or Chief Housing Officer (CHO) with other financial reporting, analysis, and special projects as assigned.

Fiscal Services and Processes:

• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of Mason’s fiscal policies and processes by regularly reviewing online updates and communications from Mason Fiscal Services. Participates in internal and external professional development opportunities to expand/maintain financial expertise;
• Interprets and communicates relevant fiscal services information with th