Continuing Education: Financial Specialist Senior

POSITION: A full-time university staff position is available in Continuing Education beginning June 1, 2023. The working title for this assignment is Financial Specialist Senior with an official title of Financial Specialist II.  This is an expected-to-continue assignment which requires a six-month probationary period. The expected hourly hiring salary will be commensurate with experience. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Must have knowledge of cash handling standards and practices
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) necessary
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Ability to learn new systems, software, and processes quickly
• Ability to use Excel to import data from databases, as well as create and maintain spreadsheets
• Ability to use databases to export data, enter data, and prepare reports
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with diverse groups and individuals 
• Ability to remain adaptable and flexible to different situations and changes and work under pressure
• Must have the mental and visual ability to read, interpret, and manipulate MS Excel, Word and Outlook files on a daily basis
• Have the physical ability to operate office equipment (such as phone, computer, and printer) used to perform essential job functions on a daily basis 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Coursework and/or experience in accounting, finance, or related field is preferred
• Accounts receivable and accounts payable experience is preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.

 DUTIES: Provide a full range of accounting and finance services for the UWEC Continuing Education Unit, which includes areas within Masters and Bachelor’s degrees, credit programs, grant–funded programs, noncredit programs and conference. These services include, but are not limited to, budgeting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, records management, cash handling, providing customer service, as well as support for the CE registration area, UW-Extension reporting, and special reporting tasks as assigned by the Director and Operations Manager of Continuing Education. The Financial Specialist II functions as the lead and sole worker in all fiscal responsibilities and assists with various administrative operations. This position reports to the Operations Manager. 

Fiscal Operations – 60% 

1. Provide reporting and support functions for all budgets and budget categories including budget development, implementation, monitoring, analysis, reports, projections, and initiating transfers as appropriate. 
2. Provide financial analysis of accounts and advise the Assistant Director of Continuing Education regarding accounts to be established, reorganized, merged and deleted as necessary. 
3. Signatory decision making authority and coordination of all accounts. These accounts include 104, 132, 133, 136, 144, 150, 189, and all others as established. Currently responsible for over 40 accounts. 
4. Develop, prepare, and perform UW-Extension budgeting functions. Determine needs by analyzing past year budgets and future year goals. Assign allocations accordingly to individual areas and provide all supporting documentation; provide all supporting functions including monitoring, analyzing, and reconciling budgets; prepare reports and initiate transfer throughout the year. 
5. Serve as the lead worker to train all Continuing Education staff and students in appropriate department policies and procedures related to all functions of this position including budgets, invoices, purchase orders, encumbrances, cash handling, travel, etc. as designated. 
6. Provide training and guide staff in appropriate procurement card and travel guidelines of department and UW System for the travel procurement card and/or corporate card. Assist employees with the completion of their electronic log when needed, adhering to all UW-System policies. 
7. Advise University Accounting regarding transfers that are needed to balance year end accounts for Continuing Education and UW-Extension reporting. 
8. Monitor and review procurement card transactions to ensure appropriate use of card and expense transactions. Re-assign expenses to alternate funding strings as necessary. 
9. Charge back monthly vehicle and graphic use to appropriate program account. 
10. Prepare encumbrances for large purchases; evaluate and process annual purchase orders for blanket order services. 
11. Audit all program final summaries. 
12. Compare projected and final program budgets to determine projections and future program improvements. 
13. Provide training and guide staff in purchasing functions. 
14. Review all company, partnership, and colleges MOU’s to ensure all criteria for financial program obligations are stated correctly in order to follow University policy and ensure program meets “program costing guidelines.” Ensure these MOU’s are followed and met in a timely manner. 
15. Provide training and guide staff in the University WISER system. 
16. Respond to staff questions regarding Continuing Education fiscal operations. 
17. Serve as primary liaison for Extension and campus audit activities. 
18. Provide training and guide staff in CampS database related to all financial needs. 
19. Monitor University Foundation account.

Accounting – 25% 

1. Execute balancing, editing, posting, and bank deposits to customer accounts and University accounts totaling approximately $2,000,000 per year. 
2. Direct final reconciliations for all accounts and reports. 
3. Design and update fiscal operations to create efficiency between Continuing Education and UWEC. 
4. Interpret policy application to all new programming as it is initiated within Continuing Education. 
5. Process all invoices and receipts for all Continuing Education customers. 
6. Supervise the closing of programs, ensuring that all revenues are collected. 
7. Supervise and monitor accuracy of deposits; identify and correct discrepancies as needed. 
8. Develop internal audit controls to ensure accuracy. 
9. Supervise and establish billing and payment schedules. 
10. Audit credit card charges with accounting reports and monthly credit card statements.
11. Analyze and direct processing of miscellaneous checks to appropriate accounts. 
12. Prepare and process refunds according to program cancellations, overpayments, and other transactions as needed according to University policy. 
13. Audit and verify refunds on monthly statements for credit cards and budgets. 
14. Process transactions from one fiscal year to another and/or one account to another account. 
15. Respond to questions, concerns and complaints from customers that involve Continuing Education fiscal operations. 

Administrative – 10% 

1. Submit reporting for all existing entities (UWEC, UWEC Continuing Education, UW-Extension) as well as new collaboratives. 
2. Document and update policies and procedures for fiscal operations for UWEC Continuing Education. 
3. Conduct training of all Continuing Education staff to ensure staff understand and follow fiscal policies and procedures. 
4. Maintain inventory of computers, printers, scanners, and software for Continuing Education in collaboration with Continuing Education’s IS Data Services Senior. Process annual upgrades in accordance with established technology replacement rotation.
5. Monitor annual charges for technology and network services. Work with appropriate UWEC staff/department to reconcile all discrepancies. 
6. Oversee procedures for permanent property inventory of capital equipment/purchases made by the Continuing Education Unit. Initiate preparation and processing requisitions for services, supplies, and permanent property. 
7. Arrange for all resale of supplies and equipment to ensure UWEC and UW Systems policies are followed.
8. Communicate effectively within the Operations Team and suggest fiscal process improvements to create and/or improve efficiencies. 

Other duties as assigned by UWEC Continuing Education Operations Manager or Director – 5% 

THE UNIT: The mission of Continuing Education at UW-Eau Claire is to fulfill the “Wisconsin Idea” by serving our communities with UW-Eau Claire-quality educational resources.  Accordingly, the Continuing Education (CE) unit is entrusted with establishing supportive and collaborative relationships among UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff, UW-Extended Campus, and a wide variety of external audiences. 

The Continuing Education unit offers a collaborative work environment and teammates, a forward-thinking and improvement-based mindset, and the option of some remote work. 

UNIVERSITY and EAU CLAIRE COMMUNITY: UW-Eau Claire, an institution of approximately 11,500 students and 1,400 faculty and staff, is consistently recognized as a top comprehensive university in the Midwest and is widely known as a leader in faculty-undergraduate research and study abroad. We strive for excellence in liberal education and select graduate and professional programs through commitment to teaching and learning and dedication to our core values of diversity, sustainability, leadership, and innovation. To learn more about UWEC, visit https://www.uwec.edu/humanresources/employment-opportunities/why-uwec/.  

The City of Eau Claire, situated at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, is at the center of a metropolitan area of approximately 100,000 people located 90 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul. The area features beautiful parks and trails, strong public schools, a vibrant arts scene and local food culture, and abundant recreational opportunities.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applications are submitted electronically. Please follow instructions found on the following UW-Eau Claire Website: https://www.uwec.edu/job-postings/.  You must create an account and login before you can apply.  If you have not yet registered, click on the "Click here to Register" link to begin the registration process. If you are already a registered user, input your "User Name" and "Password" and select "Login."  Click the link to the Financial Specialist II position (Job ID #19554) and then click the "Apply Now" button to submit your application electronically.  Your application will not be considered complete until all required documents are attached and all required fields are completed.  Please be sure you have included the following in PDF format:

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vita
• Names and contact information for three references  

Please direct requests for additional information to: Kelsey Nowaskey; nowaskek@uwec.edu  

To ensure consideration, completed applications must be received by April 20, 2023. However, screening may continue until position is filled.

The UW-Eau Claire Police Department is dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure environment for learning and working. Although crime at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is limited, the University Police want students, faculty and staff to be aware of crime on campus and the area surrounding the campus. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose annual information about campus crime. Visit Campus Security and Fire Report. Also visit our Campus Security Authority(CSA) policy.

UW-Eau Claire is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disability employer dedicated to enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The University reserves the right to contact additional references with notice given to the candidates at an appropriate time in the process. Employment will require a background check. Employment will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding past conduct related to sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).