Job No. 158276
- Job Title:
- Financial Specialist Senior
- Employer:
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University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Location:
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Ann Arbor , MI
- Posting Date:
- 16-Apr-2026
- Description:
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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.
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 the Business 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-party course 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.
Process and monitor Tuition Assistance Paperwork.
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.
- Contact information:
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Ann Arbor, MI 48109
- United States
- Employer's Website:
-
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