Financial Analyst

Urban3 is an economics and data visualization consulting firm located in Asheville, NC.

Urban3 views the world through a lens of information equity. With each project, we aim to inspire communities to think differently about development, land use, and public policy. This work helps demystify the complexities of tax codes, government jargon, and municipal finance data, allowing people to clearly understand the economic impact of land development through data-driven storytelling.

GENERAL SUMMARY:

The Financial Analyst role uses experience in government finance and budgeting to dive into local data, organize, process, and visually communicate findings. The core service you will provide is demystifying the way we fund our civic services. This process will include collaborating with the entire Urban3 team and working directly with clients on most engagements. This may require a blend of simple tables and charts or more complex databases and detailed budgets to sort out how money flows through a local government. If you love charts and graphs, math jokes, and find complexity and nuance with numbers a thrilling challenge, this might be just the place for you.

This is a Full-Time, salaried position with a starting pay range of $70k-$90k, with opportunities to grow responsibilities and compensation.

Ideally, this is a hybrid position based in our Asheville, NC office. However, remote opportunities will be considered for qualified candidates.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collecting and interpreting local published budgets and resources like ACFRs, Citywide and Departmental Budgets, Capital Plans, Municipal Financial Statements, etc
• Correlating and checking local financial reports with tabular and spatial data
• Collaborate with analysts to map financial data
• Communicate effectively and simply within our team and external teams
• Conducts analytics and create graphics to evaluate and communicate local financial and physical realities
• Create simple explanations and working visuals to explain how money flows through a government
• Collaborate with the team to produce high quality written, visual, and data results for communities
• Other duties as assigned

● Additional Growth Responsibilities may include:

Project Management, Process Refinement, R&D, and Leadership

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Fluency in a range of low to high sophistication data tools (excel and access to code and more serious databases) to assemble and verify financial datasets (raw tax records, budgets, capital expenses, multiyear financial data like TIF or abatement programs)
• Apply a growth mindset to identifying and hurdling barriers
• Embracing ambiguity and variation in each new engagement, including learning how money flows, into, through, and out of governments all over the US
• Possess an analytical mindset with the ability to dissect complex problems and communicate solutions
• Apply creativity in problem solving and communication

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Undergrad or Graduate Degree in Economics/Finance/Public Administration or similar combined with significant experience (3-5 years) in the budgetary and/or policy workings of a local government
• 3-8 years of experience in local government; previous titles may have included “Financial
• Analyst”, “Budget Analyst”, “Finance Specialist”, etc...
• Demonstrated experience in preparing or analyzing a range of financial data throughout a city (i.e. Annual Budgets, Capital Plans, Bond Programs, ACFRs, etc.)
• Familiarity with relevant industry software and tools i.e. Excel, Google tools, some code/database tools, and visualization tools.

TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Limited, 1-3 times/year, opportunity for more travel

Work Environment/Physical Demands

Work is performed mostly in-office (preferred in Asheville) with remote flexibility. This position may include long periods of sitting at a computer.

Physical requirements of this position include the following:

● Lifting up to 25 lbs.

EEO STATEMENT:

Urban3 provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.