Finance & Admin Specialist: Procurement & Onboarding

Laseagrant; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Department of Animal Sciences seeks a Business & Finance Specialist to oversee procurement, support financial administration, and manage onboarding for department appointments.

The role includes end-to-end procurement, travel arrangements, post-award portfolio management, and departmental visa handling for international scholars, students, and staff. Strong accounting and ERP expertise are essential.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of sponsored research administration principles and sponsor requirements.
• Ability to learn University policies and procedures.
• Strong accounting and business practices.
• Knowledge of federal, state funding agency policies and codes.
• Detail-oriented, able to multi-task in a high-volume environment.
• Discretion, confidentiality and professional service.

Responsibilities

• Oversee procurement, support financial administration, and onboarding for department appointments.
• Manage post-award portfolio, reimbursements, and reporting with SPA and collaborators.
• Lead departmental visa processes for international students, faculty and visitors.
• Coordinate onboarding for grads, fellows, and teaching assistants; maintain training, timesheets.
• Develop processes, templates, and training materials to improve efficiency.
• Provide event support and handle departmental communications and logistics.

Skills

Sponsored research knowledge

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Independent work ethic

Customer service

Accounting principles

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration or related field

Tools

Banner

myResearch Portal

EDDIE

Proposal submission systems

Job description

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Department of Animal Sciences seeks a Business & Finance Specialist to oversee procurement, support financial administration, and manage onboarding for department appointments.

The role includes end-to-end procurement, travel arrangements, post-award portfolio management, and departmental visa handling for international scholars, students, and staff. Strong accounting and ERP expertise are essential.