"Alerted.org

Financial Specialist Senior

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Job Summary

Michigan Engineering Online & Professional Education (ME-OPE) at Michigan Engineering offers professional educational programs on campus, online, as well as through collaborative learning environments in locations throughout the world. ME-OPE courses offer a broad array of interdisciplinary technical professional certificates, short courses, webinars, and custom programs that are taught by faculty from across campus and experts from industry. Michigan College of Engineering is ranked among the top tier-one universities in the United States in engineering programs and online education.

This position involves a broad range of financial responsibilities, primarily focused on reporting, budgeting, and transactional execution. Key tasks include preparing statements, conducting trend analysis, and generating revenue and enrollment projections. The role requires a dynamic multitasker who is comfortable evaluating and interpreting financial data, maintaining internal accounting records, troubleshooting procurement issues, and overseeing depository and credit card processing. A high level of coordination with department leadership, other departments, and external partners is essential to ensure accurate reporting and compliance. Primary activities and decision-making authority are predominantly performed independently, affecting business operations to a substantial degree. This position reports to the Business Administrator.

The ideal candidate for this position will demonstrate experience analyzing and compiling data to create revenue and enrollment reports, financial statements, trend analysis, etc. This role requires an individual who possesses strong analytical, organizational, and time management skills, an ability to multitask, and enjoys working within a fast-paced team environment. Knowledge of Wolverine Access, MPathways, Emburse Enterprise, and other University software is desired but not required.

Who We Are

Michigan Engineers are world-class educators, researchers, students and staff who strive to build a people-first future. As part of a top national public research institution, Michigan Engineering's mission is to provide scientific and technological leadership to the people of the world, develop intellectually curious and socially conscious minds, create collaborative solutions to societal problems, and promote an inclusive and innovative community of service for the common good.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

+ Generous time off

+ A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting

+ Many choices for comprehensive health insurance

+ Life insurance

+ Long-term disability coverage

+ Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

+ Maternity and Parental Leave

Responsibilities*

Reporting, Budgeting, and Business Intelligence (50%):

+ Prepare financial statements, trend analysis, revenue and enrollment projections, break-even analysis, and key managerial dashboard metrics regularly.

+ Analyze benchmarking studies and requests for metrics. Develop queries to answer routine and ad hoc requests for financial, payroll, and human resource information

+ Analyze and monitor accounting, budgeting, and billing activities associated with online credit and professional education budget lines; Identify misalignments and opportunities for improvement with course and program-level budgets.

+ Evaluate and provide interpretation of financial analyses to department administrators; meet with them on a regular basis to review accounts and provide a complete outlook of financial portfolios

+ Reconcile expenditures and revenue in M-Reports and the statement of activity; review expenditures, investigate, and resolve discrepancies

+ Proactively anticipate changes in effort and gaps in funding

+ Compare budget allocations, including base funding, review financial statements, and other compliance reports

+ Assist with the preparation of the annual budget document.

+ Analyze, compare, and evaluate various courses of action with authority to make independent decisions within the scope of responsibilities, with little oversight or direction from Business Administrator

+ Work with Financial Managers and RPM Department Administrators as needed for department reports, budgets, and financial commitments

+ Collaborate with other departments and the College of Engineering regarding accounting matters

Internal Financial Support and Documentation (35%)

+ Review travel and expense reports, verify accounts payable documents, sole source justifications, invoices, instructor compensation, etc., before items are sent to theBusiness Administrator for final approval.

+ Monitor and process royalties and interdepartmental transfers.

+ Interpret, monitor, and communicate University, College, and departmental financial policies and procedures.

+ Efficiently process procurement transactions, resolve issues, and assist units with procurement processes, utilizing the Online Purchasing System (OPS) and leveraging high-level knowledge of UM procurement.

+ Possess a thorough understanding of all fund types and balances at UM, proactively resolve balance issues, address concerns with leadership, and clean up account balances for the fiscal year-end close.

+ Assess revenue allocations, commitments, and projections, and procurement policies with a proactive approach to fund balances and fiscal year-end preparations.

+ Utilize M-Reports, M-Pathways, Business Objects, and Tableau to initiate and process financial activities

+ Troubleshoot procurement and vendor payment problems

+ Oversee depository and credit card processing

+ Maintain confidential customer records and agreements for custom noncredit courses, including delivery fees and billable expenses.

+ Prepare the Aging Accounts Receivable report and the Deferred Income report at year-end.

+ Maintain internal records tracking revenues and expenditures for each noncredit and third-partycourse offering; support program managers with course-level financial tracking.

+ Monitor compliance with policies and procedures; share best practices and resources.

+ Ensure staff comply with internal controls.

+ Submit requests to add, modify, or delete shortcodes and project grants.

Administrative and Process Improvement Support (15%)

+ Work with the department's administrative team to enhance internal reporting systems, increase productivity and efficiency, implement appropriate business processes, etc.

+ Lead annual gap analysis review and submission based on required documentation.

+ Support ongoing efforts to automate financial business processes using AI-enabled tools and business process improvement.

+ Manage procurement contracts and assist staff with the competitive bid process.

+ Collaborate with senior staff to enhance financial automation and AI-enabled workflows.

+ Participate in business process improvement efforts for recurring financial tasks.

Required Qualifications*

+ Bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, or other related field and 4+years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience

+ Extremely detail-oriented with the ability to recognize and investigate data anomalies

+ Ability to work independently with little direction and daily supervision

+ Demonstrated interpersonal skills

+ Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively

+ Excellent oral and written communication skills

+ Demonstrated ability to visually present data and information

+ Ability to translate information into concise summary documents

+ Demonstrated strong analytical skills

+ Excellent computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite programs, i.e., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and utilizing Google tools, i.e., sheets, forms, etc.

Desired Qualifications*

+ Demonstrated experience with the University's financial systems (Business Objects and M-Reports). Knowledge of University policies and procedures, including business travel and hosting guidelines, financial management, internal controls, and procurement

+ Minimum of 4+ years of high-level financial experience in a UM financial support role

+ Advanced experience with the University of Michigan administrative data systems

+ Advanced knowledge of University policies, procedures, and systems

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about thework modes (https://hr.umich.edu/working-u-m/my-employment/ways-we-work-resource-center/ways-we-work-implementation-group/modes-work) .

This position will be hybrid with a minimum of 1-2 days per week in the office.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Job Detail

Job Opening ID

263971

Working Title

Financial Specialist Senior

Job Title

Financial Specialist Senior

Work Location

Ann Arbor Campus

Ann Arbor, MI

Modes of Work

Hybrid

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

FLSA Status

Exempt

Organizational Group

College Engineering

Department

Michigan Eng Online & Prof Edu

Posting Begin/End Date

5/23/2025 - 6/06/2025

Salary

$75,000.00 - $80,000.00

Career Interest

Finance