Business Analyst

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third largest school district in the United States, serving over 360,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission we make three commitments to our students, their families and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership and continuous learning.

Nutrition Support Services is seeking a Business Analyst to join our group. The Business Analyst will support the NSS Finance Team, which is primarily responsible for managing all fiscal activities, managing business operations and overseeing the financial performance of the department.

This is a senior level analyst position that will play a key role in financial reporting and analysis along with developing, tracking and presenting key performance indicators and related trends to help guide business process improvements and inform strategic decision making with minimal oversight.

The Business Analyst will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Budget analysis, development, planning, monitoring and financial reporting;
  
  
• Revenue and expenditure forecasting and reporting;
  
  
• Financial transactions, cash reconciliation, and invoice audits;
  
  
• Tracking, reporting and analyzing vendor and departmental key performance indicators;
  
  
• Analytical and transaction support for financial and grant audits;
  
  
• Providing back-up support to the NSS Claims Analyst by managing data and submitting claims for various Child Nutrition Program grants as needed;
  
  
• Performing data entry, ad-hoc trend analysis and other administrative tasks, as needed.
  
  
• Prepare and present weekly and monthly financial and operational reports comparing original budget to actuals, forecasting overall financial performance and explaining variances in meal counts, revenues, expenditures and fund balances.
  
  
• Analyze and forecast meal counts, revenues, expenditures and other factors that are key to the management of school food operations in order to assist the NSS Business Manager with the annual budget development process.
  
  
• Perform financial transactions (e.g. purchasing, reimbursements, billing, receipting, budget transfers), cash reconciliations and invoice audits in support of daily operations.
  
  
• Assist the NSS Business Manager with the development, analysis and communication of key operational metrics and performance indicators, including creating and maintaining dashboards, business reports and presentations for senior leadership.
  
  
• Participate in maintaining the food service program's fiscal integrity by monitoring, tracking and auditing financial activities, recommending cost savings, identifying revenue-generating opportunities, and implementing sound fiscal activities and internal controls. Provide analytical and transactional support for financial and grant audits.
  
  
• Collaborate with Finance, Budget, Procurement and other CPS departments on all key initiatives.
  
  
• Help the NSS Finance team manage the district's inventory of cafeteria safes.
  
  
• Perform other administrative duties and ad-hoc analysis, as needed.
  
  

Type of Education Required :

• A Bachelor's degree (B.A or B.S.) in Accounting, Finance or a related field.
  
  

Type of Experience and Number of Years :

• 5-7 years of progressive finance or accounting experience in similar analytical roles.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

• Knowledge of key analytical concepts with the ability to conduct historical analysis and make future projections (e.g. volume, financial statements, economic data, consumer preference, headcount).
  
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to work with large data sets, conduct trend analysis, identify issues, mitigate risks and make sound recommendations with minimal oversight.
  
  
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence others without having formal authority.
  
  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write professional reports and business correspondence as well as draft and effectively present information to senior leadership.
  
  
• Project management skills, with experience successfully creating and modifying processes and a demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and interact with all staff levels, vendors, industry partners and the general public with a high degree of professionalism.
  
  
• Integrity and tact when dealing with confidential information and sensitive situations.
  
  
• A high proficiency with the use of computers and software including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word and PowerPoint) and Google applications.
  
  
• A wide degree of creativity and independent thinking with a demonstrated ability to follow tasks through to completion in a fast-paced environment.
  
  
• A flexibility / willingness to work evenings and weekends and travel to various CPS sites as needed.
  
  

• Familiarity with grant and/or contract administration, preferred, but not required.
  
  
• Knowledge of Oracle (e.g. Hyperion) and PeopleSoft ERP systems are a plus.
  
  
• Experience with cash collection and point of sale (POS) across multiple locations is a plus.
  
  

Residency Requirement: As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of his or her CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.