Finance Associate

State of South Carolina; South Carolina; On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of South Carolina Finance Associate role reports to the Business Center Manager and handles financial transactions across travel, procurement, AP/AR, accounting, and asset management for the Center’s departments.

Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with state regulations, maintaining records, producing routine reports, and supporting budget and Banner Finance queries while providing accurate, detail-oriented service.

Qualifications

• High school diploma and four years of finance experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of finance and payroll terminology.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws and guidelines related to business practices preferred.
• HIPAA and FERPA confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Process travel, procurement, AP/AR, accounting and asset transactions.
• Ensure compliance with institutional, state and federal policies.
• Handle procurement procedures, vendor setup and P-Card reviews.
• Assist with routine financial reporting.
• Maintain and organize financial records.
• Support budget reviews and Banner Finance questions.
• Produce routine, standardized reports.
• Serve as backup for other Business Center members.
• Create and maintain procedural documentation.

Skills

Excel

Communication

Organization

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Time management

Learning agility

Confidentiality

HIPAA FERPA knowledge

Education

High school diploma with 4 years finance experience

Tools

Banner or similar system

Adobe

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

SharePoint

P-Card software

Job description

Job Responsibilities

Reporting to the Business Center Manager, the Finance Associate processes financial transactions related to travel, procurement, accounts payable and receivable, accounting and asset management for the Center’s assigned departments, ensuring accuracy and compliance with all applicable institutional, state and federal regulations, policies and procedures.

Procurement

• Determines and executes the appropriate procurement procedures for routine purchases, including referrals to Information Technology for technology procurement, institutional software contracts and purchase order support.
• Ensures a complete W-9 is on file for all vendors, vendor profiles in Banner are complete and accurate, and vendors have been reviewed for independent contractor/employment classification.
• Ensures independent contractors have a current contract.
• Reviews requisitions for potential fixed-asset implications and notifies the appropriate functional offices.
• Reviews and reconciles purchasing card (P-Card) transactions for appropriate funding, policy compliance and completion.
• Maintains financial records and files.
• Assists in preparing routine, standardized reports.
• Responds to department questions regarding P-Card use and escalates complex procurement processing concerns.

Travel

• Assists employees and students in submitting travel authorization requests, including recording commitments in Banner.
• Reviews and processes routine employee, student and group travel authorization requests.
• Reviews and processes requests for and reconciliation of travel-related cash advances and out-of-pocket expenses, including those processed on a P-Card.
• Retains financial records and files according to adopted naming conventions, organization and record retention protocols.
• Assists in preparing routine, standardized reports.
• Fields employee questions and escalates complex travel processing concerns.

Accounts Payable

• Reviews and routes invoices from third-party vendors and completes or routes change order requests.
• Reviews routine check requests to ensure they are complete and comply with policy.
• Reviews requests to pay independent contractors and determines whether they meet IRS regulations.
• Retains financial records and files according to adopted naming conventions, organization and record retention protocols.
• Assists in preparing routine, standardized reports.
• Fields employee questions and escalates complex concerns to the appropriate person.

Budget

• Addresses or routes budget-related inquiries.
• Addresses or routes user questions related to Banner Finance and related modules.
• Reviews initial budget submissions for compliance with guidelines and mathematical accuracy.
• Retains financial records and files according to adopted naming conventions, organization and record retention protocols.
• Assists in preparing routine, standardized reports.

Accounting

• Assists in preparing routine, standardized reports.
• Fields employee questions and escalates complex concerns to the appropriate person.

Other Duties

• Creates and maintains procedural documentation.
• Performs other related duties as required, including serving as backup for other members of the assigned Business Center.

Minimum And Additional Requirements

• High school diploma and four years of finance experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of finance and payroll terminology and practices.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws and guidelines related to business practices preferred.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships within and outside of reporting lines.
• Willingness and demonstrated ability to learn new hardware and software systems.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality in compliance with rules and regulations, including HIPAA and FERPA.
• Proven ability and dedication to meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work with accuracy and attention to detail in a high-volume environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Adobe and Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Experience working as part of a service team.
• Experience with Banner or similar integrated software system.
• Relevant experience at an institution of higher education.

Additional Comments

Travel/Overtime Requirements: Occasional work outside normal business hours.

Telecommuting: Employees are not eligible for telecommuting/remote work during their 12-month probationary period. After that time, certain positions may be eligible for telecommuting/remote work at the discretion of the supervisor and in accordance with Winthrop policies.