Financial Specialist Global School

Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Worcester (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness perks

Tuition assistance

Retirement match

Job summary

WPI in Worcester is seeking a Financial Specialist for the Global School to oversee budgeting, tracking, and auditing of study abroad program centers, collaborating with GEO staff, faculty program directors, and campus partners to ensure compliant financial operations.

The role supports a $7.5M portfolio, manages Workday workflows, payroll, travel, and vendor payments, and builds strong cross-department relationships to sustain international programs and accurate reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least two years of relevant experience.
• Experience with Workday and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to communicate across multiple departments.
• Detail-oriented with strong organization and time management.
• Interest in international education and study abroad operations.

Responsibilities

• Advise and guide study abroad program directors on the development of Study Abroad program budgets.
• Support 60+ project center directors in creating and managing individual program budgets.
• Guide program directors on fiscal policies, timelines, budgets, fees, and compliance.
• Provide fiscal trainings for new and returning advisors and directors (in person and virtual).
• Monitor spending and alert leadership to anomalies or cost-savings opportunities.
• Manage fiscal processes for Global School budget portfolio (~$7.5M).
• Manage Workday workflow, hiring paperwork, onboarding, timesheets, pay periods, payments.
• Reconcile payroll transactions and coordinate funds recovery by expense type.
• Process payments and monitor billing of international health insurance.
• Process travel-related payments including authorizations, reimbursements, and accounts.
• Authorize stateside spending for program expenses (cards, ACH, vendors).
• Review vendor contracts and ensure timely payments per procedures.
• Maintain financial records, spreadsheets, and analyses for reporting and forecasting.
• Process domestic and international travel transactions per WPI policies.
• Complete hiring paperwork and payroll processing for wage and student staff.
• Reconcile monthly credit card transactions and maintain records.
• Provide fiscal support for events, purchasing, supplies, and related admin tasks.
• Collaborate with Finance, Talent and Inclusion, Financial Aid, and other offices.
• Apply all relevant policies to ensure compliant fiscal activity.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Description Summary

This position is responsible for the budgeting, tracking, and auditing of our Global School project centers. The Fiscal Specialist will work closely with GEO staff, faculty program directors, campus partners, and university offices to support accurate, timely, and compliant fiscal processes. This role contributes to the successful planning and delivery of our Global Projects Program and the long-term sustainability of the centers.

JOB TITLE

Financial Specialist Global School

LOCATION

Worcester

DEPARTMENT NAME

The Global School

DIVISION NAME

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

Responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Advise and guide study abroad program directors on the development of Study Abroad program budgets:
• Share responsibility for supporting 60+ project center directors in the creation and management of individual program budgets, ranging from approximately $30,000-$200,000 in total costs.
• Provide guidance to program directors on fiscal policies, procedures, timelines, budget development, program fees, best practices, and compliance with federal, state, WPI, and Global School guidelines.
• Support financial trainings for new and returning advisors and directors in individual, group, and virtual settings.
• Monitoring spending and alerting leadership to any anomalies or opportunities for cost savings.

• Manage fiscal processes for Global School budget portfolio:
• Share responsibility for managing fiscal processes for an assigned portfolio of short-term and semester-long study abroad programs within a ~$7.5 million operation.
• Manage Workday workflow, hiring paperwork, onboarding support, timesheets, pay periods, and payments for study abroad faculty, program assistants, and student support.
• Reconcile payroll transactions and coordinate funds recovery based on expense types and allocations.
• Process payments for and monitor billing of international health insurance.
• Process study abroad travel, including travel authorizations, pre-approvals, transportation requests, reimbursements, and related account transactions.
• Authorize stateside spending for program-related expenses, including credit card, ACH, vendor payments, registrations, supplies, and other approved purchasing methods.
• Review vendor contracts and agreements and coordinate timely payments in accordance with university and Global School procedures.
• Maintain financial records, spreadsheets, documentation, and summary analyses for reporting, forecasting, and decision-making.

• Manage fiscal processes internal to the Global School:
• Process financial transactions related to domestic and international travel for the Global Projects Program in compliance with WPI travel policies and procedures.
• Complete hiring paperwork, PAPs, timesheets, and payroll processing for wage and student employees in the unit.
• Reconcile monthly credit card transactions, prepare financial documents, and maintain organized records.
• Provide fiscal support related to events and meetings, internal purchasing, office supplies, promotional items, mailings, and other administrative processes.
• Build relationships with internal partners, including Finance, Talent and Inclusion, Financial Aid, and other university offices, to support smooth processing of mission-critical financial functions.
• Apply federal, state, university, and Global School financial policies and procedures consistently to ensure fiscal activity is completed accurately and in compliance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum two years of relevant experience
• Fiscal, budget, accounting, procurement, travel, or reconciliation experience in higher education or a similarly regulated environment.
• Experience using financial, travel, purchasing, student information, or related business systems to support transactions, reconciliations, payroll, hiring, or other business processes.
• Ability to effectively and professionally communicate with partners across multiple departments in individual and group settings.
• Interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with broad groups of students, faculty, staff, and campus partners.
• Working knowledge of Workday and Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Attention to detail, resourcefulness, organization, and effective time management.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain accurate records.
• Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to apply policies, procedures, and guidelines consistently and use sound judgment when completing detailed administrative or fiscal tasks.
• Interest in international education, study abroad, global engagement, or financial operations in higher education.

Compensation

Salary: $60,-000 - $65,000 per year. Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity. WPI’s benefits package includes a robust retirement match, wellness perks, tuition assistance and more!

FLSA STATUS

United States of America (Exempt)

Equal Opportunity

WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making. It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.