Financial Associate: Supply Chain Management, Haslam College of Business - UTK

Financial Associate

The Haslam College of Business (HCB) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, invites applications for a Financial Associate (Full-time, Non-Exempt) to join our Supply Chain Management department. Under leadership of Department Head (DH) and Assistant Department Head (ADH), this role functions as a vital member of the department's administrative team, serving as an accounting manager for the department's financial processes and as the unit-level financial reporting and analytics lead. The role is responsible for management of all department financial processes and transactions, budget preparation and forecasting, and real-time monitoring of account balances and funding sources, providing the DH and ADH with relevant, accurate, and forward-looking financial analysis. As part of the department's administrative team, this role also includes duties to assist in general administrative tasks to ensure the efficient functioning of the department.

Responsibilities

• Financial Management and Reporting
• Provides expert guidance and detailed budget status to department leadership, possessing a deep and broad understanding of the department's financial situation at all times
• Performs in-depth analysis of budgets, expenditures, revenues, and forecasts to support strategic and operational decision-making.
• Identifies trends, risks, and variances; prepare clear explanations and recommendations for leadership.
• Develops department-specific dashboards, reports, scorecards, and analytical views that extend institutional dashboards.
• Prepares annual department budgets in coordination with Financial Information Office (FIO), with consistent monthly reporting of actuals for monitoring and evaluation of adjustments; aligns reporting with resources provided by HCB and/or FIO leadership
• Creates and presents detailed summary budget reports after the close of the fiscal year to support analysis of previous year's performance
• Compiles financial data, monitors and balances accounts, prepares detailed financial reports, and resolves discrepancies
• Manages payroll reconciliation and reporting per policy, including payroll check registers
• Proactively identifies and informs Department Head of potential budget/financial issues, recommends solutions, and oversees implementation
• Processing/Entry of Financial Transactions
• Processes and audits financial transactions for department, including but not limited to invoices, travel, payroll, procurement card reconciliations, scholarship authorizations, and petty cash reimbursements
• Coordinates financial transaction requests and exceptions to policy with FIO as needed
• Records revenue and processes deposits
• Provides coordination and support for procurement processes in partnership with FIO, including informal bids, requisitions, contracts, and internal account transfers
• Monitors and reconciles all departmental ledgers, creating and updating department procedures as necessary and ensuring compliance with fiscal policy
• Assists faculty, staff, and students with financial procedure questions
• Records Management
• Organize and accurately maintain office files, supporting primary use of electronic files
• Keep current on policies regarding record retention/storage/destruction to ensure department complies with Federal, State, UTK and HCB guidelines
• Initiate and coordinate process for any records that need to go to Records Retention or that need to be shredded/destroyed; retrieve historical records information as needed
• Continuing Education/Training/Professional Development
• Must participate in all HCB training and professional development, including but not limited to regular trainings/seminars by FIO and TIS.
• Complete all required UTK training modules via View email address on click.appcast.io and other delivery platforms.
• Proactively seek and actively participate in professional development/educational/training opportunities, with approval from DH/ADH. Resources may included LinkedIn Learning, View email address on click.appcast.io, UTK Learning and Organizational Development, or external professional organizations.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma required
• Experience: Minimum of 4 years of relevant, progressively responsible experience with general bookkeeping, accounting, or financial administration, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Knowledge of financial, bookkeeping, and general accounting principles
  • Knowledge of financial policies and procedures
  • Knowledge of PowerBi and ability to create and analyze department reports
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Advanced computer skills including ability to quickly learn new software systems
  • Ability to work independently with limited supervision
  • Excellent knowledge of Excel, Word, and other Microsoft based products
  • Excellent written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituents internal and external to university
  • Ability to gather data, compile information, analyze information, and prepare reports accurately
  • Ability to compare information and apply critical thinking skills to recognize/resolve discrepancies
  • Ability to use tact and discretion when dealing with a variety of issues
  • Ability to prioritize competing responsibilities and assignments
  • Ability to protect and maintain confidential information.

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 or Bachelor's preferred in accounting, business, or related field
• Experience: Minimum of 4 years of relevant, progressively responsible experience with general bookkeeping, accounting, or financial administration, including some in higher education environment.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Experience in higher education environment
  • Intermediate to advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables
  • Experience with building dashboards with Power BI or similar tools

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 7
• 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
• List of 3 Professional References

About The College/Department/Division

The Department of Supply Chain Management strives to positively impact society by leading in knowledge creation and dissemination across the entire supply chain disciplines.

We are driven by innovation – from our entrepreneurial spirit in developing curricula and new programs to encouraging ground-breaking research that is theoretically rich and data-driven. We are a department that thinks strategically so as to chart its way to a successful and sustainable future.

We take pride in assuming a leadership position within the college, university, state and global business community. Our faculty take leadership roles through publications, outreach, curriculum development and guiding top professional organizations.

We believe that while rigor is a given in all we do, relevance is equally important to direct our endeavors. Our curricula provide students with tools and critical thinking skills that can be directly applied to help advance their organizations, and our research remains rooted in real-world problems.

We value and foster collegiality and mutual respect; this entails embracing varied perspectives and a generally constructive attitude when presented with opportunities and challenges.

We follow a shared governance model for decision-making. A shared governance orientation provides transparency and allows each participant to have an equal voice in discussions. This fosters an environment of openness and full participation.

About Us

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the