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Position Title:

Financial Specialist

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Financial Specialist III

Job Duties:

Reporting to the Director of Business Services, this position will provide a variety of complex financial transactions, reconcile transactions, maintain multiple individual program financial records, and provide customer service for staff and customers in an assigned program area to support program financial management for the Universities of Wisconsin-Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources (OPLR).

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Guide internal staff and partners through budget cycles and revenue/expense forecasting

• Track progress against budget targets and explain discrepancies

• Manage programs’ financial and budget records, reviewing for accuracy

• Reconcile program revenues data to current MOUs and transfer funds to other universities accordingly

• Continuously monitor revenue and expenses, identifying trends and potential issues

• Reconcile revenues data to student enrollments data and process revenues transfer

• Coordinate financial data and budget transfers between UW and partner institutions

• Serve as an authorized procurement/purchasing coordinator for OPLR and conduct pre‐audit duties and process all contract requests through Workday and/or ShopUW+

• Entering, reviewing, and reconciling budget data in the budget system

• Assist in the development and maintenance of financial models for revenue, expenses, and staffing

• Establish and manage data banks for comprehensive financial analysis

• Ensure compliance with financial regulations and implement policy changes

• Communicate and provide interpretation of financial policies and practices to internal and external stakeholders

• Maintain accurate and consistent financial data capture for reporting and performance measurements

Department:

The Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources (OPLR) is committed to providing service and support to the Universities of Wisconsin Administration and all 13 UW universities in online and continuing education, teaching, learning, and workforce skills training and resources.

OPLR works in partnership with all 13 UW universities to develop and deliver online semester- and competency-based degrees and a broad array of credit and non-credit certificates, courses, and other credentials to help adult and professional learners achieve their academic and professional development goals and to develop the workforce of Wisconsin.

OPLR supports Wisconsin Online, Wisconsin Online Collaboratives, UW Flexible Option, BSN@Home, UW Independent Learning and continuing education offices at all 13 UW universities through the Continuing Education Executive Council (CEEC).

Compensation:

The Financial Specialist (official title: Financial Specialist III) is a full-time, salaried (exempt), academic staff position. Well-qualified candidates for the Instructional Media Specialist role can expect a starting annual salary within a range of $47,000 - 58,000, commensurate with the candidate’s education, related experience, and qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate degree in business administration, finance, accounting or related field, or 3-5 years of work experience in a similar role

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent organizational, communication and customer service skills

• Intermediate Excel skills

• Knowledge of University and State of Wisconsin financial, purchasing and budget policies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to research and resolve issues in a timely manner

• Ability to work independently, be self-motivated, and learn and pursue process improvements

Work Location:

The business location is 780 Regent St., Madison, WI. Employees are expected to work in the office at least once per week. However, depending on business needs, there may be occasions when additional in-office presence is requested. Flexible Work agreements are subject to change at any time

Application Information:

To ensure full consideration, please submit application materials as soon as possible. Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through 11:59 pm, Tuesday, December 2, 2025. However, applications may be accepted until the position has been filled.

Contact Information:

Questions may be addressed to: Shelby Buchanan, HR Manager, Shelby.Buchanan@wisconsin.edu

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE 

Inclusive Excellence is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for Universities of Wisconsin. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the Universities of Wisconsin community.  We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning, research, scholarship, creative activity, community service, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. 

Universities of Wisconsin fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background – people who serve the State of Wisconsin and the public good. 

Special Notes

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request by contacting uwshr@wisconsin.edu. 

 

The Universities of Wisconsin is required to conduct a criminal background and sexual harassment check for the selected finalist prior to employment.   

 

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their 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 employer sponsorship) on, before, or after the effective date of appointment.   

 

The Universities of Wisconsin 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. §. 19.36(7). 

Benefits Information

Universities of Wisconsin employees receive an excellent benefits package. To learn more about the benefits package, review the Faculty, Academic Staff & Limited Appointees  or University Staff   Please see this link for total compensation information: Universities of Wisconsin Health & Retirement Contributions Estimator to provide you with total compensation information. 

Application Instructions 

To ensure full consideration, please submit application materials as soon as possible. Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.  Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through the closing date.  However, applications may be accepted until the position has been filled.   

Clery Act information 

The Universities of Wisconsin provides statistics on campus crime in its Annual Security Report.  For more information on university campus statistics see https://www.wisconsin.edu/compliance/clery/.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.