Title:  Financial Analyst Journey

Purpose

To perform professional technical and analytical functions in a variety of financial areas including debt and derivative management, financial modeling, cash management, and planning and analysis. This position ensures that SMUD’s financing requirements are comprehensively met and that financial assets are strategically managed to maximize benefits to SMUD while adhering to legal and established policy constraints.

Nature and Scope

There are four (4) levels in this job classification series that have similar job content but with progressively more challenging degrees and levels of skill, responsibility, knowledge, experience, and qualification requirements:

Flex classifications (that permit progression from lower-level classes to higher level classes without examination based upon assessment of an individual's experience and performance) within the series:

• Entry: Incumbent acquires knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the tasks associated within the series but are not yet demonstrating these at the Journey level.
• Journey: Incumbent is demonstrating the required skills and knowledge to independently perform the full scope of the job.

Non-Flex classifications (that promote from lower-level classes to higher level classes and require an examination, such as an interview, based upon individual experience and performance) within the series.

• Senior: Advanced journey level resource who is responsible for advanced assignments, as dictated by the work needing to be performed; may serve in a lead and/or supervisory capacity.
• Principal: Subject matter expert/lead/supervisory level and is responsible for leading the most advanced work, as dictated by the work needing to be performed.

Entry to Journey: Incumbents at the entry level are required to successfully “progress” to the journey level within 60 months of appointment to remain within the job series.

Seniors and Principals must be hired through a promotional process and do not automatically progress from lower levels in the series.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Supports SMUD's financial management by providing assistance in the following areas: developing and implementing financial plans; performing financial analysis; managing and reporting of SMUD's investment portfolio; issuing and refunding tax exempt bonds; identifying trends; projecting future income and expenses; developing or modifying financial strategies; assisting with the timely completion of financial data and analysis; and assisting with internal and external financial presentations.
• Supports the management of SMUD’s cash assets to ensure prudent oversight that maximizes investment earnings while minimizing risks, service fees, and other costs.
• Assists in forecasting short-term cash flows, managing and tracking bank accounts, recommending banking structures, performing in-depth analyses of banking services and associated costs, resolving complex operational problems, developing and monitoring escrow contracts, maintaining adequate liquidity for all disbursement requirements, and ensuring rigorous compliance with federal arbitrage regulations to include participating in negotiating the purchase of investments, conducting detailed reviews and interpretations of credit analyses for new and existing issuers and instruments, evaluating investment risks, executing daily commercial paper trades, interpreting bond covenants and legal restrictions, and creating and maintaining extensive investment databases.
• Plays a pivotal role in developing and implementing SMUD’s financing strategies to include supporting the department’s process of issuing and refunding tax exempt bonds; producing meticulous financial analyses and forecasts; identifying trends in capital markets; projecting future income and expenses; and coordinating collaboration with bond underwriters, consultants, and other stakeholders to navigate complex tax and financing issues.
• Works on evaluating complex financial proposals, including derivatives, to effectively manage interest rate risks and optimize debt structures.
• Fosters robust relationships with the financial community by maintaining and disseminating comprehensive financial information to both the community and internal stakeholders.
• Responds to inquiries and concerns from investors, performs management analysis, generates detailed financial reports, and communicates significant changes related to SMUD's financial position
• Develops long- and short-range financial models, ensuring the collection and thorough analysis of financial and budget information is efficiently incorporated into cash flow forecasts to include cost-benefit analysis, developing and updating models to support SMUD’s strategic goals under prevailing economic conditions, as well as creating pro-forma financial models for capital budgeting, project financing, and corporate finance and program proposals.
• Assists in planning, reviewing and conducting work activities and researching required project information associated with department internal/external projects in accordance with established task objectives and schedule as outlined in the project plan/contract, supporting a collaborative and cross-trained environment within the department to enhance collective skills and overall departmental capabilities.
• Performs other related duties as needed; schedules, hours and locations may fluctuate based on business needs.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree majoring in Business or Public Administration, Finance, Economics, Accounting, or related field from an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience.  If no relevant degree, seven (7+) years of relevant experience is required.

Required Experience Qualifications

Three (3+) or more years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in financial forecasting, analysis and modeling, cash management, and/or debt management.

Knowledge Of

• Standard operating procedures for modern office equipment including a computer and applicable software;
• English grammar, punctuation and vocabulary standards;
• Methods and techniques for report preparation and writing;
• Fundamentals and practices of various analytical approaches;
• Techniques and practices for cost benefit analyses;
• Fundamentals, procedures and practices related to financing and cash management;
• Methods and techniques for record keeping;
• Techniques and practices for problem research and resolution;
• Concepts and practices of general and governmental fiscal control and reporting;
• Terminology used in public financing and accounting;
• Fundamentals and practices used to develop financial projections and models;
• Techniques of financial analysis and modeling;
• Basic budgeting techniques;
• Techniques and practices for negotiating.

Skills To

• Utilize a personal computer and/or computer terminal, systems relevant to the job;
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing internally/externally;
• Establish and maintain working relationships internally/externally;
• Compile and prepare technical, statistical and/or analytical reports and presentations;
• Express ideas/facts clearly and concisely one-on-one or to groups, taking into account the audience and nature of the information;
• Apply applicable laws, codes and regulations;
• Gather data from appropriate sources and identify relevant factors;
• Generate a number of viable alternatives to problems;
• Prepare a business case to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action;
• Interpret, assess and apply pertinent policies, procedures, regulations, and requirements;
• Assist in budget preparation and administration;
• Schedule and prioritize own work assignments to meet expected timeframes;
• Prepare financial analysis and forecasting;
• Evaluate budgets;
• Develop and implement cash flow, banking and investment record keeping systems;
• Maintain computer models and operations;
• Communicate complex financial concepts clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
• Compile and prepare comprehensive analytical reports and presentations;
• Gather, assess and interpret data to generate viable solutions and prepare accurate financial forecasts.

Desirable Qualifications

• Project financing
• Advanced computer spreadsheet analysis
• Cash management
• Investing, and/or accounting work experience within a Treasury operation
• Relevant experience at a municipal utility or public sector organization

Physical Requirements