Senior Financial Systems Analyst

About the role

Job Summary The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is seeking a collaborative, solutions-oriented Senior Financial Systems Analyst to help advance our financial and sponsored research operations through expert use of Workday Financials, Workday Grants Management, and Workday Financials Reporting. This is a high-impact role for an experienced Workday professional who enjoys partnering with Finance & Accounting, Grant and Contract Services (GCS), and Research Administration stakeholders to design intuitive systems, strengthen compliance, and improve how data and processes support scientific discovery. The Senior Finance Systems Analyst serves as a functional leader and trusted advisor, helping guide WHOI through ongoing Workday optimization while ensuring systems align with the unique needs of a complex, grant-funded research institution. The role spans implementation support, post-production optimization, reporting and analytics, and continuous process improvement across finance and sponsored research. Job Description Essential Duties and Functions Lead Workday Financials & Grants Management Solutions Serve as a functional lead for Workday Financials and Workday Grants Management, partnering closely with GCS, Research Administration, and Finance & Accounting in a higher education and research environment Analyze, design, and optimize WHOI's Financial and Grants Management systems and processes, leveraging Workday best practices Partner closely with GCS to ensure Workday configurations support sponsor terms, institutional policies, and regulatory requirements Support the full sponsored research lifecycle in Workday, including award setup, budgeting, amendments, cost sharing, F&A, billing, revenue recognition, and closeout Support core financial management processes across General Ledger/Financial Reporting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Procurement, Assets, Cash Management and Financial Planning & Analysis ensuring alignment with institution accounting policies and best practices Collaborate with Finance & Accounting leadership and business process owners to design, optimize, and govern Workday Financials configurations and controls Act as a key functional lead and trusted advisor during Workday implementations, enhancements, and optimization initiatives Design and Improve Business Processes Collaborate with Finance & Accounting, GCS, Research Administration, Information Systems, HRIS, and other institution partners to design efficient, compliant, and user-friendly processes Lead requirements gathering, business process mapping, and future-state design for financial and grants workflows Translate complex operational needs into clear functional requirements and Workday configurations Evaluate current-state processes, identify improvement opportunities, and guide stakeholders toward best-practice solutions Coordinate and support system testing, user acceptance testing, and issue resolution in partnership with business and technical teams Support integrations between Workday and other institutional systems and tools Reporting, Analytics & Insights Design and maintain Workday Financials and Grants reports, including standard, custom, and composite reports Develop dashboards and metrics that support research administration, financial management, grants oversight, audit readiness, and leadership decision-making Partner with Finance, FP&A, GCS, and Research Administration leadership to define reporting standards, data governance, and analytics priorities Provide ad hoc reporting and analysis to support operational and strategic needs Support, Stewardship & Continuous Improvement Support, Stewardship & Continuous Improvement Provide ongoing functional support to Finance & Accounting, GCS & Research Administration, and the broader WHOI Workday user community Coordinate system enhancements, upgrades, documentation, and end-user training Develop clear user guides, training materials, and process documentation tailored to a research environment Support internal and external audits, compliance reviews, and sponsor inquiries Proactively identify opportunities to improve system usability, productivity, and user experience Contribute to a culture of service, collaboration, and continuous improvement Required Skills & Experience Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field At least 7 years of experience supporting financial systems, with increasing responsibility and scope At least 5 years of hands-on experience with Workday Financial Management, including implementation, configuration, administration, and support Demonstrated experience with Workday Grants Management and sponsored research business processes Strong experience developing Workday Financials and Grants reports, including custom and composite reporting Experience working in or closely with higher education, research institutions, or other grant-funded organizations Proven

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