The Financial Associate performs a wide range of responsibilities that support the financial management, procurement activity, and human resources processes and administrative operations of the department. The position serves as a key resource for department personnel by providing guidance on university procedures and ensuring compliance with applicable policies and regulations. The position ensures accurate processing of financial transactions assists with sponsored project support oversees personnel document workflows supports recruitment and onboarding and provides guidance to faculty staff and visitors regarding fiscal and human resource policies.

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The Financial Associate performs a wide range of responsibilities that support the financial management, procurement activity, and human resources processes and administrative operations of the department. The position serves as a key resource for department personnel by providing guidance on university procedures and ensuring compliance with applicable policies and regulations. The position ensures accurate processing of financial transactions assists with sponsored project support oversees personnel document workflows supports recruitment and onboarding and provides guidance to faculty staff and visitors regarding fiscal and human resource policies.

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Required Qualifications

• Education: High School diploma or GED
• Experience: Two years of relevant accounting and human resources experience

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Knowledge of basic accounting principles.

  • Excellent communication customer service and organization skills.

  • Ability to multitask and work independently.

  • Ability to prioritize a heavy workload.

  • Excellent organizational and time management skills.

  • Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks based on time sensitive deadlines.

  • Ability to work independently and with a team.

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:

  • Associate's degree in a related field.

  • Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

  • Other Licenses/Certifications related to accounting, business, or HR

• Experience:

  • Experience in an academic environment.

  • Experience hiring foreign nationals and communicating with non-native English speakers.

  • Human resources experience related to recruiting hiring or employee relations.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Knowledge of State and federal contracts and grant financial requirements.

  • Working knowledge of UT fiscal and HR policies and procedures.

  • Knowledge of financial / personnel management applications such as Oracle/Huron/DASH

  • Knowledge of personnel maintenance processes incl. hiring, I-9 e-verification, and USCIS (visa) processes.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR06
• Anticipated hiring range: $45,000 - $51,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume

• Cover Letter

About The College

The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success, including adding over 30 new faculty to the college over 4 years as part of ambitious hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. New facilities include the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex, the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN-MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building now under construction that will house UTK’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF).

TCE currently has 203 tenure/tenure track and 79 non-tenure track faculty in its nine academic departments and offers 11 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD/DE degree programs. Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the UT Space Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. The college is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 4,300 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, the college sits 29th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 29 early career awards (NSF, DOE, DARPA, AFOSR, and ARO) since 2016. In FY24, the college had annual research expenditures of $113.6M.

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Financial responsibilities include serving as backup for cash handling, submitting cash receipts, and processing journal entry transactions to record allocations and corrections that align with Chart of Accounts guidelines. The position processes account payable, accounts receivable, procurement card activity, travel documentation, and assists with documentation required for sponsored projects. Research and resolve financial discrepancies. The Financial Associate reconciles departmental accounts such as scholarships startup accounts and fee for service accounts reviews labor distribution and effort certification data prepares non labor cost transfer forms evaluates the allowability of funding changes and assists faculty with purchases related to sponsored projects. The role supports setup and management of labor distribution schedules.

Human resources responsibilities include coordinating all personnel documents including hiring packets, terminations, retirement forms leave of absence requests, faculty development leave packets and final paycheck checklists. The position ensures compliance with I-9 E-verification requirements, serves as the hiring manager for recruitment activities, supports job posting and candidate file management, manages job offer transactions and oversees onboarding scheduling. The Financial Associate manages Net ID requests guest traveler entries pending employees and visiting scholar processes responds to personnel inquiries and collaborates with College HR Campus HR and CIE staff to maintain compliance with university policy. The position also facilitates H-1B and J-1 requests works closely with CGE to ensure accurate visa documentation evaluates departmental positions for Actual Wage Certification confirms financial support when required monitors work authorization expirations and ensures foreign nationals complete required check in processes and orientation. The role also processes additional work payments service awards and assists with faculty searches faculty development leave cases and promotion and tenure cases.

Procurement responsibilities include supporting purchases for equipment, office supplies, laboratory supplies, chemicals and classroom materials, obtaining appropriate approvals, confirming delivery and setup needs, preparing requisitions contracts and non-competitive justification submissions, and ensuring compliance with university purchasing policy. The Financial Associate oversees departmental asset listings, ensures annual inventory compliance, assists with procurement card transactions, completes required P Card and T Card training tracks, procurement purchases, reconciles receipts manages procurement card audit requests, communicates with campus personnel regarding fraudulent activity, oversees receiving and distribution and maintains procurement records.

Administrative responsibilities include timetable entry, maintaining files for active and closed departmental accounts, monitoring record retention, supporting students, faculty and staff, answering phone calls, greeting visitors assisting with departmental events and performing other tasks that support daily departmental operations. Support special projects and other duties as assigned.