Financial Coordinator

University of Wisconsin; Madison, Northern (WI, KY); Hybrid; USD 56,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin—Madison is seeking an Accountant I to support the UW Population Health Institute's fiscal operations, focusing on post-award needs across sponsored contracts. You will monitor expenses, provide budget updates, generate reports for sponsors, and coordinate travel and purchasing activities.

The role requires strong communication, organization, and detail orientation, with responsibilities spanning reconciliations, budgeting, and financial reporting within an automated

Qualifications

• Two years of prior administrative, operational, or fiscal experience, preferably in an academic setting.
• Experience with Outlook, Word, Excel, and Google Suite (eg. Google Sheets and Google Docs)
• Post-award financial management experience within an academic institution (preferred)
• Experience creating and maintaining complex budgets and spreadsheets

Responsibilities

• Assists with accounting and reviewing reconciliations, journal entries, schedules, and reports
• Prepares and analyzes financial data, reports and records, identifies discrepancies, investigates, recommends, and implements basic solutions as needed
• Assists in preparing budgets and financial projections
• Answers questions and provides accounting related information to internal and external stakeholders according to established policies and procedures
• Prepares and/or approves financial transactions and payments
• Organizes, prepares, and updates basic financial statements, monthly and year-end journal entries, accounts, ledgers, and reports for various financial needs within an automated financial system to ensure accurate recording and reporting of financial transactions

Skills

Administrative experience

Fiscal experience

Education

Associates degree preferred

Tools

Workday

ShopUW+

GAAP

UW System software

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Accountant I

Job Summary:

The Financial Coordinator will be a key part of the UW Population Health Institute (UWPHI) fiscal operations team, with a primary focus supporting post-award fiscal needs across a diverse set of sponsored contracts and grants. This includes:

• Monitoring expenses and providing budget updates and projections
• Financial reporting and providing detailed information to sponsors
• Purchasing support, including holding a UW purchasing card (p-card), coordinating UW employee and non-employee travel, and assisting with reimbursement requests
• Reconciling transactions (p-card, post accounting adjustments, etc.)

The Financial Coordinator is responsible for understanding and adhering to complex guidelines, policies, and procedures for travel reimbursement, procurement, grant management, and other accounting functions.

• 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.

Successful candidates for the position will possess the following skills and attributes:

• Customer service orientation with the ability to provide responsive, accurate support to internal and external partners, often liaising between the two
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Effective organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to multitask and independently determine priorities

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Assists with accounting and reviewing reconciliations, journal entries, schedules, and reports
• Prepares and analyzes financial data, reports and records, identifies discrepancies, investigates, recommends, and implements basic solutions as needed
• Assists in preparing budgets and financial projections
• Answers questions and provides accounting related information to internal and external stakeholders according to established policies and procedures
• Prepares and/or approves financial transactions and payments
• Organizes, prepares, and updates basic financial statements, monthly and year-end journal entries, accounts, ledgers, and reports for various financial needs within an automated financial system to ensure accurate recording and reporting of financial transactions

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Population Health Institute

The UW Population Health Institute (UWPHI) works to improve the health of all people in Wisconsin and beyond by conducting research and providing technical assistance to policymakers, practitioners, and communities. UWPHI works toward a world where we value each other, honor our connectedness, and build communities where everyone can thrive.

Compensation:

The minimum salary for the position is $62,000 annually, 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 campus benefits webpage.

SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026

Required Qualifications:

• Two years of prior administrative, operational, or fiscal experience, preferably in an academic setting
• Experience with Outlook, Word, Excel, and Google Suite (eg. Google Sheets and Google Docs)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous post-award financial management experience within an academic institution, preferably within the UW System
• Experience creating and maintaining complex budgets and spreadsheets
• Experience with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Experience using UW System specific financial software such as Workday (e.g., financial reporting, initiating costing allocations, submitting expense reports) and ShopUW+
• Experience with UW Madison travel and purchasing policies and procedures

Education:

Associates degree preferred; focus in business or finance is preferred

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.

Contact Information:

Brittany Brown, [e-mail], 608-265-2978

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

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 OpportunityEmployer.

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 backgroundsand 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.