Financial Administration Specialist

Indiana University Bloomington; Bloomington (IN); On-site; USD 53,000 - 55,590; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical and dental insurance

Tuition subsidy for employees and family members

Generous paid time off plans

Job summary

Indiana University Bloomington is seeking an administrative and financial operations lead to oversee budgeting and compliance activities within the College Finance Office.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in finance or related fields, along with two years of relevant experience. Responsibilities include managing payroll and financial activities while ensuring compliance with university policies.

The role offers comprehensive benefits and a salary range of $53,000 - $55,590 annually.

Qualifications

• Two years of relevant administrative work experience, preferably in a higher education environment.
• Ability to clearly present materials to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrates flexibility to work in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversight of personnel transactions and financial activities.
• Management of instructional budgeting and financial compliance.
• Monthly reconciliation and financial reporting for College accounts.

Skills

Proficient communication skills

Time management

Problem-solving

Advanced Excel skills

Accounting skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, business, or a related field

Advanced education in finance, business, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

HRMS

KFS

SIS

Job description

Department‑Specific Responsibilities

• Serves as a key administrative and financial operations lead within the College Finance Office.
• Responsible for overseeing personnel transactions, instructional budgeting, and financial compliance activities across the College.
• Ensures accuracy and adherence to University and College policies through the review and approval of faculty, staff, and hourly appointment transactions, while actively managing instructional budgets and supporting faculty hiring and recruitment processes.
• Plays a central role in Budget Construction, financial reporting, and account reconciliation, partnering closely with other departments in the Executive Dean's Office, College Enrollment Management, and staff to align resources with academic needs.
• Supports strategic financial planning efforts and contributes to the development and implementation of College policies, procedures, and systems.
• Oversees and approves academic faculty, staff, and hourly appointment transactions, ensuring accuracy and compliance with university and College policies and practices.
• Manages payroll processing for Dean's Office units, including biweekly timesheet audits, voucher approvals (biweekly/monthly), payroll adjustments, and employee support to resolve timesheet errors.
• Serves as backup payroll processor for all other College units as needed.
• Monitors instructional budgets using enterprise and College-specific systems, auditing faculty FTE, leaves, course buyouts, and non-core instructional appointments.
• Leads coordination of Visitor, Adjunct, and Academic Overload budgeting, partnering with Enrollment Management to align hiring and instructional needs with funding.
• Serves as fiscal officer for a limited portfolio of accounts, monitoring transactions, reviewing financial activity, and assisting with budget tracking.
• Partners with the Dean's Office and departments on general fund faculty hiring, including position setup, budgeting, and tracking of recruitment activity.
• Monitors and manages financial compliance activities, including NIH Summer Salary Cap tracking, course buyouts, and related fund transfers.
• Performs monthly reconciliation and financial reporting for College accounts, generating auxiliary reports to support leadership decision‑making.
• Manages shared communications (COLLBUD) and contributes to the development of policies, procedures, and financial systems.

General Responsibilities

• Applies knowledge to accepted procedures and standards, performing financial and administrative tasks related to managing the daily and long‑term financial and/or administrative operations of an organizational unit or an academic, research, and teaching department within a school or college.
• Makes recommendations on policies and guidelines for division/department activities.
• Monitors expenditures and statement of accounts to ensure regulatory compliance and fiscal integrity.
• Manages general appropriation, endowment, federal and non‑federal grants and contracts, and gift funds.
• Develops, plans, and makes recommendations on special projects, including space allocations, staffing, equipment purchases, and long‑range plans.
• Prepares operating and project budget drafts independently and/or in coordination with other finance staff, regularly explaining financial concepts to non‑financial employees.
• Monitors division/departmental budgets and resolves or recommends resolutions for any significant deviations from approved budgets.

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, or a related field.

Preferred Education

• Advanced education in finance, business, or a related field.

Work Experience

• Two years of relevant administrative work experience, preferably in a higher education environment. Fiscal or accounting experience is also a plus.

Skills

Required

• Proficient communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority‑setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Intermediate understanding of technology; experience using electronic platforms to perform various tasks.
• Demonstrates experience solving problems with independent thought.
• Proficiency in computer systems, including standard Office software; advanced Excel and database skills, including familiarity with complex formulas and Pivot Tables.
• Ability to use standard office equipment such as phone, fax, scanner, etc.
• Experience managing workflows, processes, and/or data entry.
• Intermediate accounting skills; ability to spot obvious errors; ability to develop a budget.
• Demonstrates ability to interpret and apply concepts and policies to daily work functions.
• Ability to clearly present material and make it accessible to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to interpret financial documents from an accounting, policy, and practice perspective.

Preferred

• Knowledge of IU policies, procedures, and systems, including HRMS, KFS, SIS, IUIE, ELVIS, ELVIRA, PeopleAdmin, etc.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Attention to detail, the ability to set priorities, and excellent problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for working collaboratively and strategically within a shared space.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of business operations and process improvement.
• Ability to train, present, and explain financial information and processes to non‑financial audiences; capable of leading and managing multiple departmental projects concurrently, managing competing priorities and deadlines.

Location: Bloomington, Indiana

Salary: $53,000 - $55,590 annualized wage (paid monthly)

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long‑term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU‑sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring.