Financial Assistant

 This position reports to the Business Manager of the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS). The role requires close collaboration with multiple departments, including Accounts Payables, Accounting, Purchasing, Bursar, Human Resources, Sponsored Program Accounting, Procurement Card Administration, Faculty Administration, and the Office of Research Services to ensure compliance with best practices and financial policies.

Budget Management:

• Generate monthly budget vs. actual variance reports for various accounting units, including operating, gift, grant, endowment, startup, and carry forward accounts.
• Provide guidance to departments and programs on planned expenditures and adherence to financial procedures.
• Track and monitor expenditures within accounts managed by the Dean's Office.
• Support special financial projects as assigned.

Business Operations:

• Review purchase order and expense reimbursement requests for compliance with university policies.
• Assist with data entry and processing of financial paperwork, including deposits and transfers.
• Ensure all approvals, forms, and justifications are properly documented and obtained.
• Analyze monthly procurement card charges to ensure compliance with university regulations.
• Support the development and planning of various budgets, including operating, gift, grant, endowment, carry forward, faculty start-up, and capital budgets.
• Ensure departments adhere to budget compliance and proactively seek cost-saving opportunities.
• Possess a comprehensive understanding of financial, budgeting, payroll, or similar administrative systems in a multi-disciplinary institution.
• Identify and interpret complex financial situations to make informed decisions in a dynamic environment.

Administrative Support:

• Prepare part-time faculty contracts in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and ensure compliance with non-tenure track faculty requirements.
• Gain in-depth knowledge of the CBA’s impact on processes and operations related to non-tenure track faculty.

Faculty Startups:

• Oversee annual startup fund allocation.
• Provide training to new faculty on how to manage their startup resources.
• Approve expenditures, including payment requisitions, purchase requisitions, and expense reimbursements.

Grants Management:

• Assist principal investigators with inquiries related to policy and spending on externally funded awards.
• Help process payments and prepare documentation to support grant objectives.
• Track faculty course buyouts and process supplemental salary requests.

Training and Support:

• Provide training for department administrators, faculty, and staff on fiscal processes and budget management.
• Offer expertise in running and interpreting financial reports and statements.
• Be prepared to take on a variety of other duties, including scholarship allocation and managing class capacity.
• Offer high-quality customer service in person and over the phone, addressing standard questions related to requests, policies, procedures, and paperwork completion.
• While most work will occur during regular hours, the position may require flexibility to meet deadlines or adapt to changes in work requirements outside of standard working hours.

Minimum Education and/or Work Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field.
• 1 to 4 years of experience in financial support, budgeting, business operations, account reconciliations, or related areas.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least two years of experience in financial, budgeting, business operations support, and/or account reconciliations preferred.