Financial Analyst

Overview
Job Summary
Under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer, the position is responsible for financial analysis and management of all state and federal appropriations provided by the State of New Jersey to the NJEDA. This position will work with the Accounting and Financial Reporting (A&FR) department and NJEDA product staff to ensure proper management of resources pursuant to all state and federal rules and regulations.
$76,184 - $95,230
Note: The NJEDA currently offers a hybrid work schedule for up to 2 days of telecommute work from home. To participate, you will be required to have high speed home internet access and a managers approval. This program does not supersede the "New Jersey First Act", which requires newly hired NJEDA employees to establish and then maintain, principal residence in the State of New Jersey.
Responsibilities
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain communication with State of New Jersey stakeholders (Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Governor's Disaster Recovery Office (GDRO), etc.)
• Assist management in development of the annual NJEDA state and federal budget request
• Assist management in addressing Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and Legislative inquiries related to budget matters and state and federal resources
• Create/improve financial forecasting and reporting models to support management decision-making
• Assist A&FR with annual fiscal plan preparation and management financial reporting
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and communicate improvements to NJEDA management
• Assist the NJEDA Accountability Officer to ensure compliance with federal rules and regulations
• Support development of NJEDA product Board Orders funded with state and federal appropriations
• Provide trend analysis of spending on various loan and grant products
• Assist in identifying risk associated with spending patterns for various loan and grant products

Specific Responsibilities

• Responsible for coordination of the annual EDA budget submission to the State of NJ Office of Management and Budget
  • Coordinate the annual EDA planning document and State budget request
  • Serve as the EDA's point of contact with State budget on all budget related matters
  • Coordinate with A&FR and product owners to draw down appropriations
  • Support management with OPRA requests and legislative questions
  • Ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations
  • Serve as the relationship manager with product ownership to ensure continuity of information and accuracy of reporting
  • Create and maintain crosswalks of NJEDA Board approved products and state/federal fund sources
  • Help develop product administrative budgets, tracking resources/expenses, and reporting on available balances
  • Work with staff to develop Board Orders for products funded from state and federal appropriations to ensure federal and state cost recoveries are accurately reflected in Board Orders
  • Track product success to determine if all Board approved funds will be expended as reflected in Board Orders. Work with product owners to determine if products are expiring and with A&FR staff to determine if any funds need to be returned to the State.
• Interact with GDRO, DCA and Office of Emergency Management (OEM) staff as needed to obtain necessary data and information required for reporting and for NJEDA compliance with federal regulations
  • Work with the EDA Accountability Officer as necessary.
  • As required, work with assigned EDA staff to ensure timely and accurate upload of program and administrative spending data to DCA or OEM for federally funded products
• Assist in ensuring that all employees are properly tracking time spent on federally funded products. Assist in developing and implementing changes to processes to ensure maximum compliance.
• Work with A&FR to track federal administrative caps
• Management of financial reporting as it relates to EDA's state and federal appropriation funded products
  • Review current processes in place to request, deposit, record, spend and report on all resources at the appropriation and product level
  • Review current processes in place and determine if changes are necessary to improve timeliness and accuracy of reporting at the appropriation and product level and to maximize allowable recovery for administrative and indirect costs
    • An improved process should include but not be limited to:
      • Easy to understand crosswalk of EDA Board approved products to state and/or federal fund source
      • Clear and concise determination of allowable overhead and administrative costs
      • Timely and accurate financial information by product to support management decision making
  • Recommend changes to the current processes
  • Implement changes and improvements
  • Responsible for ownership of new processes and procedures including reports coordination
  • Responsible for updating all financial tracking models
• Respond to inquiries and ad hoc requests from program and executive personnel
• Promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer-focused work environment among division, EDA staff, and external customers
• The EDA currently operates in a hybrid office/remote environment. Individuals work with their teams and supervisors to agree on operating protocols and expectations. Please note, as with most hybrid office/remote models, there will be times or peak periods that may require a greater proportion of in-office activity to achieve key objectives.
• Must complete annual and semiannual self-assessment, as required
• Perform other duties and work on assigned projects, as required

Qualifications
Required Skills and Abilities

• Must possess a thorough knowledge of financial accounting and financial systems/data
• Ability to prioritize workload, must be highly organized, detail-oriented, handle various tasks simultaneously and work independently within limited time constraints with little or no supervision
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; proficient in grammar, spelling and editing; foster communications with various business professionals and EDA staff
• Able to interact with other departments to convey and solicit financial information, data, and reporting needs
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality and deal effectively and diplomatically with various business professionals and EDA staff
• Demonstrates respectful behavior and promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer-focused work environment among division, EDA staff, and external customers
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) and accounting and reporting systems. Must possess the ability to learn and master new software systems and solutions.
• NJEDA utilizes Microsoft as the core application platform and proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite is preferred.

Required Qualifications
Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. MBA preferred.
• At least seven years in government service, preferably in a field of budget, finance and/or accounting working in one or more of the following areas or their equivalent:
  • Budget Operations
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Fiscal Operations
• Strong familiarity with the State of NJ and federal government appropriation process
• Proficiency with financial modeling and data analytics
• Strong familiarity with federal guidelines for allowable federal costs
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work with senior management
• Proven problem solver
• Ability to work alone and to work in teams

Physical Demands

• Minimal
• Ability to work outside normal business hours, as needed

Travel

• As necessary to events, meetings, etc.

Certificates and Licenses Required

• License: Staff are required to possess a valid driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essentials duties of the position

Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job description. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope, general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.
Your employment at NJEDA is voluntary and subject to termination by you or NJEDA at will, with or without cause, or with or without notice, at any time. Nothing in this job description shall be interpreted to conflict, eliminate or modify the employment-at-will status of NJEDA employees.
This position is considered exempt and is excluded from minimum wage, overtime regulations, and other rights and protections afforded nonexempt workers under the FLSA.
NJEDA reserves the right to amend/revise this job description as necessary to meet current and changing business needs.
Equal Opportunity Employer
NJ SAME Program
Position Requirements

• Foreign degrees/transcripts must be evaluated by a reputable evaluation service at your own expense and must be submitted prior to a start date. If this cannot be provided within 21 days of an offer the offer will be rescinded.
• Must comply with the "New Jersey First Act" which requires employees hired after September 1, 2011 to reside in New Jersey. Non-New Jersey resident employees must relocate to New Jersey within one year of their date of hire and provide proof of residency to Human Resources.
• Must complete an Outside Activity Questionnaire (disclosure of outside office or employment) on an annual basis.
• Must review the required NJEDA Ethics Guidelines.
  • The guidelines can be found here:
    • https://www.nj.gov/ethics/docs/ethics/plainlanguage2021.pdf
    • https://www.nj.gov/ethics/docs/ethics/2022_uniformcode_april.pdf

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