Financial Specialist III

University of Wisconsin; United States; Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking a Financial Specialist III to provide transaction processing support, financial reporting, and policy guidance within the School of Medicine and Public Health. You will join a team of accountants supporting multiple departments and may work onsite or remotely as needed.

Responsibilities include reviewing complex transactions, reallocating expenses, drafting reports, answering fiscal questions, and training staff.

Qualifications

• Two years of professional experience in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
• Experience with double-sided accounting entries and accrual-based accounting.
• Experience using Microsoft Office, especially Excel, to maintain accurate financial records.

Responsibilities

• Reviews and approves complex transactions and assigns funding codes in accordance with rules and policies.
• Reallocates expenses to appropriate funding strings.
• Drafts communications and reports and maintains organized records for administrative support within a unit.
• Answers complex fiscal questions based on set materials and standards.
• Reviews transaction processing internal controls and recommends policies and procedures.
• Serve as a unit liaison to leadership providing financial advice and status updates.
• May train staff on financial processes and best practices.
• Monitors financial transactions and fund balances and generates and reconciles complex reports.

Skills

Accounting

Analytical thinking

Communication

Financial reporting

Education

Associate's Degree

Tools

Workday

Excel

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: Financial Specialist III

Job Summary

Under the direction and supervision of the SMPH Associate Director of Finance, the Financial Specialist provides transaction processing support for SMPH departments. This position serves as the primary initiator for departmental activities related to financial reporting, transaction processing, and providing expert guidance on UW-Madison's financial policies. The incumbent will be part of a team of accountants supporting multiple departments within SMPH. 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.

Success in this role requires the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Accounting Expertise Ability to effectively apply core accounting principles, including double-sided accounting entries and accrual-based accounting.
• Analytical Thinking & Problem-solving Ability to problem-solve or Escalate to appropriate parties based on severity, complexity, or urgency of a situation.
• Communication & Customer Support Effective written and verbal communication skills to serve as a consultative point of contact and advise on financial policies and procedures. Ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others and maintain them over time.
• Financial Reporting & Process Management Strong attention to detail to ensure accurate recording and reporting of financial transactions. Adaptability to effectively manage individual workload through shifting priorities to meet deadlines.
• Transaction Processing and Compliance Ability to interpret and apply UW policies and procedures for accurate and compliant transaction processing.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Reviews and approves complex transactions and assigns funding codes in accordance with established rules, regulations, and policies
• Reallocates expenses to appropriate funding strings
• Drafts communications and reports and maintains organization of varied records to provide administrative support within a specified work unit
• Answers complex fiscal questions and provides information based on set materials and standards to various audiences
• Reviews transaction processing internal controls and recommends policies and procedures
• Serve as a unit liaison to leadership providing financial advice, recommendations, and financial status updates
• May train staff on financial processes and best practices
• Monitors financial transactions and fund balances and generates and reconciles complex reports and statements in accordance with established rules and regulations

Department: School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Administration – Fiscal Affairs. The Office of Fiscal Affairs provides fiscal and administrative support to more than 50 departments, centers, institutes and administrative units within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The office also provides assistance for a variety of funding types, including school funding, grants, gifts and recharge funds.

Compensation

The starting salary for the position is $55,500 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 the campus benefits webpage and the SMPH FAASLI Benefits Flyer 2026.

Required Qualifications

• At least two years of professional experience in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
• Experience with double-sided accounting entries and accrual-based accounting.
• Experience utilizing Microsoft Office software, specifically Excel and/or other comparable financial management technologies, to maintain accurate and compliant financial records.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience processing financial transactions and/or reports in Workday.
• Experience working with WISER, UW purchasing and other UW financials systems.

Education

Associate's Degree Preferred

References will be requested from final candidates.

University Sponsorship and Work Eligibility

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. The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.

Contact Information

Aisha Liebenow, [e-mail] Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

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.

Work with purpose, make an impact, and grow your career. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is committed to equity, inclusion and employee well-being as we proudly work to improve the lives of people in Wisconsin and beyond. UW–Madison offers a wide range of professions that cover various interests and skill levels. We employ everything from accountants to arborists, chefs to custodians, editors to electricians, graphic designers to groundskeepers, HR associates to HVAC technicians, librarians to locksmiths, mechanics to medical assistants, painters to police officers, web designers to welders, and absolutely everything in between! No matter what you are looking for professionally, chances are you will not only find it but will thrive at it while working at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.