BUSINESS & FINANCE SPECIALIST

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) is a University administrative department that assists organizational units in meeting their responsibility to protect the environment and to provide a safe and healthful place for employment and learning.

Currently EH&S employs about 100 people across the Seattle campus. EH&S oversees University environmental and occupational health and safety program compliance and related services. This includes but is not limited to workplace injury and illness prevention; employee health and immunization programs; communicable disease outbreak response and prevention; food and water quality; environmental pollution prevention; chemical, biological, and radiological agent safety and management, occupational safety and health; safety training; fire safety and emergency evacuation; and research safety.

We have an outstanding opportunity for a Business & Finance Specialist.

This position sits within the EH&S organization and structurally reports to the Assistant Director for Planning & Administration, and serves as a key liaison to the Executive Office Business Operations team ensuring that local day-to-day finance and business operations of EH&S are in full alignment with the standard practices and policies of the Executive Office Shared Services team.

The Business and Finance Specialist will work in conjunction with EH&S Sections and the Executive Office Shared Services (EOSS) Business Operations team. A primary role of this position is to advise members of EH&S on all matters related to business, financial, sponsored programs support, and University policy issues; and to serve as EH&S’s liaison with UW central units on financial, business services, contracts, and other matters. Guidance and alignment with State, UW, Executive Office financial, budgetary and business operations policies and procedures, and best practices will be under the direction of the Executive Office and overseen by the Senior Director for Finance, Administration and Human Resources.

The successful candidate will support development, management and oversight of EH&S’s day-to-day financial business operations and functions.

NOTE: This position will serve a critical role in the Executive Office’s future “shared environment” in Workday Financial. As a result, this position will be expected to quickly come up-to-speed on new and evolving processes, workflows, functions, concepts, and terminology to serve as a local unit transactor specialist in the future system and to serve as key contact for unit members’ questions and requests for guidance.

This position supports the diverse needs of the EH&S department and individual sections over a wide range of business operations. The Business and Finance Specialist must be capable of managing multiple and competing priorities with frequently tight deadlines skillfully, reliably, accurately, and confidentially while demonstrating discretion and independent judgement in all areas of operation. Input and demand may come from multiple directions, people, sections. Managing this breadth and complexity requires an effective working relationship with EH&S executive and section leadership, members of their teams, and the Executive Office Shared Services leaders and staff.

This position works closely with the Assistant Director for Planning & Administration, EH&S Senior Director, the Executive Office Shared Services team, EH&S Business and Data Analyst, and EH&S managers and service providers to ensure proper oversight of the allocation, expenditure, tracking, reporting, and use of current and long-term financial resources in support of EH&S programs and operations. This position also works to ensure consistent and efficient financial tools and systems are developed and adopted across the EH&S department.

The Business and Finance Specialist monitors multiple fund sources, recharge centers, and internal and external agreements associated with funding for services provided by EH&S. The successful candidate will coordinate departmental revenues, expenditures and billing activities with vendors and University organizations. The ability to work independently and as part of a team is critical to success in this position.

This individual interacts with internal and external executive level stakeholders which requires diplomacy, confidentiality, professional, and an understanding of complex issues, roles, and functions. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic about contributing to the department’s mission, have excellent customer service and communication skills, and a focused attention to detail.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Management & Analysis

•  Apply generally accepted accounting principles, oversee the execution and tracking of all financial activities for EH&S; ensure accurate management and accounting of units’ expenditures, accounts payable/receivable, month-end reconciliation, and funding commitments to support planning and decision-making by the units.

•  Serve as a critical FT E2E Business Process partner who will coordinate and collaborate closely with the Executive Office’s future Shared Environment in Workday Finance. This position will be expected to quickly come up-to-speed on new and evolving processes, workflows, concepts, functions, and terminology to serve as transactor specialist on locally assigned end-to-end business processes and to serve as key contact for unit members’ questions and request for guidance related to Workday Finance.

•  Ensure timely and accurate billing of internal and external customers for units’ recharge and cost center services; and support development of financial reports to track revenue and expenditures and annual fee and rate proposals.

•  Ensure alignment with State and UW policy and procedural compliance; provide consultation and problem-solving options to units; work with vendors to explain procurement and accounts payables policies and procedures, triage and answer questions and establish relationships to ensure the best possible service and terms; and ensure that correct method of payments are applied accurately and in a timely manner.

•  Monitor performance in comparison to budget and projections, identify variances, determine cause, and recommend corrective action when necessary.

•  Verify, audit, and reconcile revenue and expenditure activity and resolve accounting problems.

•  Prepare, analyze, and distribute quarterly, monthly, and ad-hoc EH&S section and program financial reports for the Director, Assistant Directors, and program managers.

•  Support the department annual fiscal closing process, including coordination with sections, Executive Office Shared Services (EOSS), and UW departments and units as needed.

Finance & Business Operations: Policy Guidance/Consultation and Compliance

•  Serve as local expert for all finance and business operations matters. Directly advise members of the EH&S unit on current University and State of Washington policies and Executive Office best practices; make recommendations and provide guidance on budget expenditures and spending policies. Ensure EH&S implements and utilizes consistent procedures, tools, and processes.

•  Maintain a high level of professionalism and customer service in managing a high volume of inquiries from EH&S members. Apply independent judgement in coordinating responses or escalating as needed.

•  Develop, and support departmental financial transaction processing guidelines to assure compliance with UW administrative policies and procedures and acceptable accounting principles and practices.

•  Maintain all departmental financial files in accordance with Washington codes and University policies.

•  Provide technical support for purchasing, travel, equipment inventory, accounting, and similar functions to monitor compliance with UW, Executive Office, and departmental policies and procedures.

•  Support department audit coordination and response.

•  Proactively identify process improvement opportunities, propose changes, and in collaboration with EH&S staff and managers and the EOSS team, implement any subsequent actions.

Business Analysis For Planning and Development

•  Create, update, and monitor reports to track budgets, departmental personnel, salaries, expenditures, recharge activity, revenue, and other financial data.

•  Monitor, manage, and create reports for interdepartmental agreements, recharge centers, recharge and revenue generating activities, and EH&S budgets.

•  Use MS Office Suite, central financial systems, and other business intelligence (BI) tools (MS Power BI, Tableau, etc.) to track and report on budgets, projections, carryover estimates, merit allocations, and similar financial information.

Other duties as assigned Assistant Director of Planning & Administration.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

•  Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field.

•  Three years of finance, business operations, or and/or accounting experience, including familiarity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

•  Expert proficiency with Excel, Microsoft Office, and financial reporting tools

•  Ability to interpret and communicate complex financial information, procedures, and business practices in easy-to-understand language

•  Meticulous attention to detail and organization

•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills

•  Demonstrated ability to develop work products that are reliable and accurate

•  Exhibits meticulous record keeping capabilities

•  Ability to handle confidential information with appropriate discretion

•  Capable of successfully managing multiple priorities and projects with critical deadlines

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

•  Master’s degree in business, finance, informatics, or related field

•  Additional years of finance and/or accounting experience

•  Financial Analysis experience in a major academic or similar institutional setting

•  Understanding of UW fiscal systems (MyFD, Electronic Data Warehouse (EDW), Ariba, Grant Tracker and Workday, Financial Transformation)

•  Knowledge and familiarity with Tableau software

•  Experience developing new rate, fee, and budget proposals

•  Experience evaluating data and service provision alternatives and assessing cost structures and cost recovery methodologies

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

•  Opportunity for hybrid telework, subject to approval; Remote telework schedule will be consistent with UW, Executive Office, and EH&S policies and guidelines.

Application Process: 

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.