Application Open:
Full-Time
Job Purpose:
The Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Specialist serves as a subject matter expert, supporting the Business Partners for Academic Division and Academic Services, under the Assistant Director of FP&A. The Specialist will engage with stakeholders across the university. The role delivers advanced financial analysis, strategic insights, and leads the financial modelling and analytical components of multi-year financial planning for Academic Division and Academic Services, grounded in a strong understanding of FP&A and business operations. Leveraging data-driven expertise, the Specialist strengthens financial governance, supports decision-making, and addresses evolving research funding needs. Strong financial acumen and the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights are essential. The role serves as the analytical and modelling backbone of the FP&A function, ensuring that all financial plans, forecasts, and strategic initiatives are supported by robust, data-driven insights.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Insights
- Acts as the FP&A expert for the Academic Division and/or Academic Services, providing strategic financial insights and recommendations to support the Business Partners and research leadership in decision-making.
- Manages the development of multi‑year financial models and scenarios to support Academic Division and Academic Services growth, sustainability, and funding diversification.
- Translate institutional strategy and priorities into long-term financial plans and resource allocation frameworks.
- Identify potential financial risks, funding gaps, and efficiency opportunities, and support the development of mitigation and optimization actions.
Advanced Budgeting & Financial Planning
- Drives and supports end-to-end multi-year budgeting process for the Academic Division and Academic Services (manpower, OPEX, CAPEX).
- Support the development and ongoing refinement of budgeting methodologies, cost drivers, and allocation models.
- Coordinate and support annual budget submissions, revisions, and reallocations, ensuring alignment with approved institutional budgets.
- Prepares and updates quarterly forecasts for Academic Division and Academic Services, tracking spend against budget and forecast and highlighting key variances with clear explanations. Works closely with Business Partners and stakeholders review and validate forecast assumptions, ensuring reports are accurate, consistent, and insightful for management decision-making.
Financial Analysis, Insights & Decision Support
- Support the preparation of financial analyses, reports, and dashboards and governance forums.
- Assist with analysis of cost structures, funding utilization, lab economics, and research investment performance.
- Help maintain financial data accuracy and consistency across research units, systems, and reporting outputs.
- Prepare and summarize financial information for presentation to academic and administrative stakeholders to support decision-making.
Budget Management & Reporting
- Support the development and enhancement of financial reporting standards and templates in line with institutional policies and governance requirements.
- Provide assurance on financial data quality, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of research related reporting.
- Perform analysis of financial performance, trends, and key drivers, translating findings into actionable insights for management.
- Work closely with departments to support consistent, transparent, and decision useful reporting practices.
- Play a key role in the annual budget cycle, supporting departments through guidance, review, and consolidation of submissions.
- Support annual budget reviews and revisions, assessing assumptions and alignment with approved budgets and funding availability.
- Monitor budget utilization, identify emerging risks or pressures, and escalate issues with supporting analysis.
- Review financial reports and variance analysis prior to submission to senior FP&A leadership.
- Ensure timely delivery of recurring financial and budget reports for the Research Services and FP&A Office.
- Stay informed on evolving financial management practices and regulatory requirements, incorporating relevant improvements into FP&A processes.
- Act as a point of support and subject matter resource within the team, reviewing outputs and contributing to capability building.
Other Duties
- Carry out all other duties as reasonably directed by the line manager that are commensurate with these functional objectives.
Academic Qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting or a related field.
- A postgraduate degree will be preferred.
Professional Experience:
Essential
- Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in FP&A, with significant exposure to research, higher education, or complex matrix organizations.
- Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial planning, multi-year budgeting, and advanced financial modelling.
- Strong experience advising senior stakeholders and informing decision-making.
- Proven ability to design financial frameworks, governance standards, and analytical methodologies.
- Advanced proficiency in financial systems, ERP platforms, and data analytics tools.
- Experience in grant management and research funding administration.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
- High level of autonomy, judgment, and problem-solving capability.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- English working proficiency.
Preferred
- Experience in UAE’ s higher education or academic environment, understanding the unique budgeting challenges and needs.
- ERP implementation experience and working knowledge of finance/budgeting software.
- Experience in applying AI, automation, or advanced analytics in FP&A.
