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Job Category:
University Staff
Employment Type:
Terminal (Fixed Term)
Job Profile:
Financial Specialist I
Job Summary:
The Financial Specialist I provides comprehensive financial and research administrative support to ensure the accurate, timely, and compliant management of departmental resources. This role supports core financial and operational functions essential to departmental stability, including pre‑award budget development; assistance with NIH biosketches, CVs, and other proposal materials; routine post‑award budget monitoring; personnel‑related financial tracking; administrative support for meetings, reconciliations; and internal financial reporting across multiple funding sources. Responsibilities also include processing purchasing and payments, supporting purchase order activity, tracking equipment and assets, and assisting with research and administrative staff onboarding and offboarding. The position provides responsive fiscal guidance to faculty, researchers, and administrative staff within assigned program areas, supporting effective financial stewardship and service delivery. Through accurate transaction processing, administrative coordination, and adherence to UW policies and sponsor requirements, the Financial Specialist I strengthens internal controls, reduces operational risk, and contributes to efficient, compliant, and sustainable departmental operations.
This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.
Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00a.m.- 4:30p.m.
This position has the possibility to be extended or converted to an ongoing appointment based on need and/or funding.
Key Job Responsibilities:
- Assist with pre‑award grant activities to support accurate and timely submission of grant applications
- Audits, monitors, organizes, and updates fiscal records, reports, and affiliated materials
- Provides support for continuity of operations for procurement activities and for tracking of equipment and assets
- Drafts basic communications and reports and maintains organization of varied records to provide administrative support within a specified work unit
- Audits or reconciles original purchase documents with payments
- Audits or processes transactions and assigns funding codes in accordance with established rules, regulations, and policies
- Answers general fiscal questions and provides information based on set materials and standards to various audiences
- Provides support for research and administrative staff onboarding and offboarding, including undergraduate and graduate students
Department:
School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Dermatology, Research Administration.
The Department of Dermatology, within the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, is a nationally recognized leader in clinical care, education, and research. The department conducts state‑of‑the‑art basic, clinical, and translational research focused on skin biology, dermatologic diseases, and cancer, with faculty supported by funding from the NIH, VA, and other federal and private sources. With a strong culture of collaboration and innovation, UW Dermatology advances scientific discovery while improving patient care and training the next generation of dermatology professionals.
Compensation:
The starting salary/hourly wage for the position is $21 per hour; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage.
Required Qualifications:
At least one year of experience supporting financial or accounting processes
Experience processing financial transactions and maintaining financial records
Proficiency with Microsoft Office or similar tools
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in higher education or public sector finance
Familiarity with Workday, or similar financial systems
Education:
Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent experience.
How to Apply:
For the best experience completing your application, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox as your web browser.
To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.
Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area.
• Cover letter preferred
• Resume
Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected.
University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.
The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.
Contact Information:
Beth Reuter, ejreuter@wisc.edu, 608-263-3680.
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.
To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.
Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including 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. sec. 19.36(7).
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.