Financial Manager

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 74,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health/dental/vision insurance

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin–Madison seeks a Finance Manager to serve as the primary financial leader for central campus units reporting to the Chancellor and Provost. You will oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning, ensuring compliance with university policies while guiding leadership on complex financial decisions.

You will manage transactions, strengthen internal controls, and coordinate worktags in Workday to support accurate reporting and efficient operations across multiple

Qualifications

• Experience using ERP systems and financial workflows.
• Advanced Excel with ability to interpret and summarize data.
• Experience guiding stakeholders through complex financial decisions.
• Knowledge of diverse funding sources and implications.
• Experience presenting financial reports to executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Recommends and implements unit-focused fiscal policies in line with rules and guidelines.
• Identifies, verifies, audits charges, credits, and authorizes payments.
• Serves as a subject matter expert to leadership on operations, status, and reporting.
• May supervise 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees.
• Analyzes financial information and makes recommendations to leadership.
• Plans and directs financial operations for multiple areas and manages data and reporting.
• Participates in the development and monitoring of automated financial systems.
• Prepares and approves financial transactions and payments.

Skills

ERP experience

Advanced Excel

Stakeholder guidance

Funding structures knowledge

Financial reporting

Education

Associate's degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

Workday

Worktag management

Job description

Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Financial Manager

Job Summary

This position serves as the primary financial manager for a portfolio of central campus units reporting to the Chancellor's and Provost's Offices. The role provides strategic financial leadership, guidance, and operational oversight to ensure sound fiscal stewardship, compliance with university and foundation policies, and effective management of financial resources. Working closely with unit leadership, the Finance Manager develops financial strategies, provides analysis and recommendations, and supports decision-making through comprehensive budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning. The Finance Manager oversees financial operations across assigned units and serves as a trusted advisor on complex financial matters. This includes monitoring financial activity, entering, reviewing and approving transactions, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial data, and implementing processes and internal controls that support efficient, compliant, and effective financial management. Key responsibilities include overseeing Foundation gift and discretionary fund administration; preparing, analyzing, and communicating budget, forecast, and financial performance reports; and partnering with leadership to align financial resources with organizational priorities and operational needs. The position also provides consultation and guidance to departmental staff regarding financial policies, procedures, and transaction processing requirements. The Finance Manager coordinates accounts receivable and customer invoicing functions, oversees cash handling and deposit activities as needed, and ensures compliance with applicable financial and accounting standards. The role is responsible for establishing and maintaining strong internal controls and serves as the Department Property Administrator for designated units, overseeing inventory management and asset accountability. In addition, the position manages financial structures within Workday, including serving as the Worktag Manager for assigned units. Responsibilities include approving, creating, modifying, and inactivating worktags, maintaining financial data integrity, and supporting accurate financial reporting. The Finance Manager also oversees complex financial transactions, including budget transfers, revenue transfers, payroll accounting adjustments, and other financial activities, while identifying opportunities for process improvements and operational efficiencies. Through collaboration with campus partners and departmental leadership, this role promotes sound financial management practices, supports strategic initiatives, and ensures the effective stewardship of university resources.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Recommends, interprets, disseminates, and implements unit-focused fiscal policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with established rule, regulations and financial guidelines
• Identifies, verifies, and audits financial charges, credits, and authorizes payments
• Serves as a subject matter expert to unit leadership regarding financial operations, status and reporting, and recommends process improvements
• May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees
• Analyzes financial information and makes recommendations to unit leadership
• Plans, directs, and engages in financial and/or accounting operations for multiple areas; coordinates data management, budget preparation and management, and financial reporting efforts
• Participates in the development, maintenance, and monitoring of automated financial information systems
• Prepares and/or approves financial transactions and payments.

Department

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (VCFA)

Madison Budget Office (MBO)

Compensation

Well qualified applicants can expect to earn between $74,154 - $137,925 with final salary based on experience and qualifications. In addition to salary, this position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf.

Required Qualifications

• Experience processing financial transactions in an enterprise financial or ERP system with automated workflows.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills with an ability to interpret, analyze, and summarize financial data
• Experience consulting with and guiding stakeholders through complex financial situations and decision-making processes.
• Knowledge of diverse organizational funding structures and the financial management implications associated with different funding sources
• Experience developing and presenting financial reports to executive leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of the Universities of Wisconsin system financial policies and procedures related to purchasing, billing, cash handling, and other financial operations.
• Experience interpreting, applying and communicating complex financial policies and procedures.
• Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders and balancing competing priorities in a complex organizational environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with a customer-focused approach to supporting campus units.
• Demonstrated experience managing large, complex budgets
• Experience in advising departments and leadership in a variety of financial matters.

Education

Associate's Degree Preferred Minimum Or Equivalent Work Experience

Institutional Statement on Diversity

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 Opportunity Employer.

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 backgrounds and 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.

Contact Information

Daniel McCusky, HR Generalist

[e-mail]