Financial Analyst (5184C), Music #88279

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Departmental Overview

The Department of Music at Berkeley is one of the oldest and most prominent in the country, bringing together a renowned group of composers, scholars, and performers. For more than 100 years, UC Berkeley's Department of Music has championed professionalism, academic rigor, and the highest caliber of research. The department is dedicated to a liberal education in the Arts and Humanities, introducing students to a wide variety of music practices in performance, music composition and technology, theoretical and creative studies, and historical and cultural studies. The curriculum is responsive to the interests of a diverse student body and cultivates a broad expertise in the field.

The Department of Music boasts a roster of distinguished Bay Area artists offering individual musical instruction, a treasured collection of classical instruments, as well as four buildings: Hertz Concert Hall, the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library, the Center for New Music and Audio Technology and Morrison Hall. Through its courses and concerts the department reaches out to hundreds of students from other departments, to its many alumni, and to the general public.

Position Summary

The Financial Analyst supports an intellectually vibrant community of faculty, students, and staff in the Department of Music, and collaborates with the Department's Shared Services Region, as well as the Divisional Finance office. The primary focus of this position is to oversee day-to-day financial operations of the Department across multiple functional areas, including: operations, temporary academic support, the graduate program, gifts and endowment, faculty research funds, and public programming. Working closely with and under the direction of the Department Manager, but with a level of independence, the Financial Services Analyst will conduct financial reporting, maintain departmental budgets, audit payroll and payroll expenses, process reimbursements and other payments, oversee expenditures. They will assist various department members with finance-related needs including maintenance of research funds, programmatic budgets, purchases and reimbursements, and other finance support. In partnership with the Departmental Manager, they will also maintain compliance with all Division and Campus requirements.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is September 8, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Financial Services - 35%

• Processes and/or approves financial transactions including: BearBuy requisitions and vouchers; expense reimbursements; Position, Funding Entry, and Salary Cost Transfer requests in UCPath; bluCard purchases; SIS department award entries; Accounts Receivable invoices.
• Serves as liaison with SHARE Region and coordinate with: HR/Payroll Team and relevant department staff on Faculty, Staff, ASE, GSR, and Student Assistant appointments, for faculty summer salary requests, and payroll-related inquiries and issues; Purchasing Team on purchase order requests and invoice payments; RA Team for contracts and grants-funded faculty research projects.
• Effectively addresses difficult and complex customer inquiries.
• Develops and recommends improvements and modifications to streamline financial services operations.
• Implements quality customer service standards and procedures to affect various constituencies, including faculty, staff, and students, as well as external vendors and outside parties or individuals.
• Documents procedures for financial activities.
• Functions as a resource to faculty and staff on issues such as researching complex financial discrepancies, escalated customer service problems, and vendor concerns.
• Trains faculty, staff, and students when changes in business practice warrant new department procedures, and create an effective teamwork environment.

General Ledger and Financial Reporting - 25%

• Maintains the department's general ledger, ensuring that all departmental chartstrings are in good standing.
• Responsible for fiscal oversight of department's annual revenue including summer sessions, concurrent enrollment, and current-use gifts; and expenses including faculty and staff salaries, TAS, faculty start-up and retention commitments, and faculty and student research.
• Regularly runs financial reports, analyzes data, and identifies and resolves any discrepancies that may arise during the fiscal year.
• Initiates financial journals to allocate funds for programs and projects within the department or for other campus departments using the Commitments Database; transfer expenses and/or funds to clear deficits.
• Reconciles financial entries for monthly and fiscal close.
• Works with the Department Manager to conduct monthly and quarterly Key Financial Controls.

Budget - 25%

• Administers and maintains faculty research funds as well as the budgets for departmental programs/events (e.g. Performances; Events, Lectures, etc.) and student colloquia and working groups.
• Coordinates and implements programmatic budget allocations upon consultation with Department leadership and coordinators.
• Serves as a financial resource to staff, faculty and graduate students for their research funds, start- up and retention, performance and event budgets, dept colloquia, and all endowed chair funds.
• Tracks expenses and provides regular and ad hoc financial reports for these activities.
• Analyzes reports and identifies discrepancies to maintain the budgets.
• Advises faculty, staff, and students on current funding and spending.

Research and Analysis - 10%

• Utilizing university-specific systems and practices, prepares recommendations for the reconciliation of Music spending plan to actuals.
• Review trends to determine where expenses are controllable so that program and project budgets are within scope.
• Interprets finance and business policies so that the department can maintain compliance with all requirements.

Compliance - 5%

• Applies a wide variety of internal and external policies and regulations to ensure financial processes comply with federal and state requirements, as well as University, campus, and departmental policies and to mitigate risk.
• Develops and makes recommendations on internal policy and improvements and modifications to internal procedures in order to streamline financial operations.
• Employs a comprehensive knowledge of financial policies, procedures, and related systems to serve as subject matter expert for departmental faculty, staff, and students.
• Attends trainings and participates in working groups related to financial services to remain up-to-date on all current policies and to provide mentorship and information to finance colleagues.
• Provides guidance to less experienced team members on financial processing functions which may include accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, recharge billing, travel and entertainment, gift accounting, cashiering, and collections.

Required Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of and/or ability to learn departmental financial processes and procedures and UC Berkeley policies.
• Strong proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite and common desktop/web applications, spreadsheet, and database software.
• Strong interpersonal skills, analytical skills, service orientation, active listening, critical thinking, attention to detail, organizational skills, effective verbal and written communication skills, sound judgment and decision making; ability to develop original ideas to solve problems.
• Ability to function effectively as a member of a team.
• Ability to multi-task in a high volume environment, adapt to changing priorities, stay organized, manage competing deadlines, and prioritize work independently.
• Ability to present information in a clear and concise manner both in writing and verbally, to respond quickly to inquiries from faculty, staff, and other departmental constituents and/or partners, and to convey complex information to various audiences with tact and sensitivity.
• Ability to independently gather, organize, and perform financial analysis assignments.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of and/or ability to learn internal control practices and their impact on protecting University resources.

Preferred Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of and/or ability to learn financial data management and reporting systems, with ideal candidate having experience directly with UC Berkeley business and financial systems (i.e. BearBuy, BFS, CalAnswers, SIS, UCPath).

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. (Required)

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $79,000.00 - 104,000.00.

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This position is eligible for up to 3 days/week remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• This position is governed by the terms and conditions in the agreement for the Clerical & Allied Services Unit (CX) between the University of California and Teamsters Local 2010. The current bargaining agreement manual can be found at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/cx/index.html

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.