Finance and Administration Specialist

Finance And Administration Specialist

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind.

Job Summary

The Finance And Administration Specialist reports to the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and will help coordinate analysis and reporting for the Law School's operating, endowment, gifts, capital, and other internal budgets. This role will support the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis by providing budget, financial, and analytical input and by assisting with special projects. This role will also provide administrative support for the Law Human Resources department.

Responsibilities

• Assists and provides support to prepare annual budgets, create internal tracking mechanisms, ensure compliance with policies, procedures and leadership's expectations, and perform research, reporting and analysis as directed.
• Acts as a resource and provides general training to faculty and staff; assists internal units with University financial systems, as needed.
• Oversees monitoring of all procurement activities, including approval of purchasing and expenditure activities. Assists staff with transactions in Oracle, Concur, and Workday, and provides guidance on University procurement policies.
• Manages all graduate and undergraduate student employment for the Law School. Works with faculty and Law School colleagues to ensure GSU compliance and resolve any student employment issues.
• Performs all related accounting functions required to maintain the general ledger, such as monitoring accounts, preparing financial projections and/or reports, and account creation, reconciliation and closing, in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and University policies and procedures.
• Reconciles monthly financial data, assists in the preparation of monthly variance reports and annual effort reports, supports the yearend close process.
• Makes deposits, tracks gifts, payments and pledges to ensure proper allocation, reconciles stale dated checks and monthly wire transfers.
• Submits journal entries and expense transfers in Oracle as needed.
• Processes payments to vendors as needed, assists with account set-up for vendors and independent contractors, advises internal unit administrators on the procurement process.
• Provides administrative support to the Human Resources team as needed.
• Helps to prepare monthly reports, conducts and corrects errors in accounts using existing procedures that are in place, and provides advice on the financial impact of human resources and academic affairs decisions.
• Works with other administrators on the procurement process, allocates expenditures for authorization, and advises in communications regarding funding agencies, subcontractors, and others at the instruction and direction of others.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through less than 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in finance or related field strongly preferred.

Experience: Experience with Oracle Cloud ERP and/or chart of accounts strongly preferred.

Technical Skills or Knowledge: Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred Competencies

• Strong financial and analytical skills.
• Communicate accounting and financial information clearly and concisely.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Develop strong working relationships with internal units and University-wide offices.
• Think strategically and translate into operational objectives.
• Independently develop and analyze alternative solutions and make recommendations.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and tact.
• Time management skills and the ability to handle multiple, concurrent tasks within deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact professionally and diplomatically with individuals across the division and university.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to changes in workflow and procedures.
• Ability to work independently and complete projects on time and accurately with minimal supervision.

Working Conditions

• This position is available for partially remote work based on business needs of the Law School.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions. When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Pay Range

$30.00 - $35.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call View phone number on click.appcast.io or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.