Financial Associate (Business Operations Specialist 1)
JOB SUMMARY
The Institute of Materials Science (IMS) at the University of Connecticut (UConn) is seeking applicants for a full-time position as a Financial Associate (Business Operations Specialist 1) to join IMS’s professional staff team. Reporting to IMS’s Assistant Director for Finance and Administration, this role provides both administrative and financial support across multiple functional areas. As such, the incumbent will play a key role in the support of both core business operations and revenue-generating activities, ensuring coordinated, efficient management of IMS revenue programs and the Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP), as well as coordinate with unit purchasing, payroll, fee-for-service projects, and service center billings.
IMS is an interdisciplinary research institute that interfaces with a large number of internal and external customers who rely on Institute services and specialized facilities. This position requires strong organization, communication, and customer service skills to effectively support IMS operations. The IMS administrative office is situated in UConn’s newest building, Science 1, on the Storrs main campus.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assists students, staff, faculty, customers, and others with a wide range of administrative and fiscal matters.
- Collaborates with administrators from both internal and external units, serving as a liaison for financial task support of IAP tracking and invoicing, fee-for-service projects, service center billings, purchasing, and payroll.
- Coordinates and reviews contracts such as service agreements, statements of work, and terms and conditions for the IAP and IMS revenue programs.
- Prepares budgets and financial statements for unit revenue generating programs.
- Manages the maintenance and coordination of accurate unit financial records and complex filing systems, including the IAP internal access database.
- Establishes and maintains IAP customer payment sites (Ariba, Taulia, Tradeshift, Bill.com, etc.).
- Supports all aspects of IAP events such as the annual meeting, short courses, and customer visits in collaboration with the IAP Co-Directors.
- Streamlines business operations processes and procedures for efficiency by identifying and implementing improvements, as well as documentation of said processes.
- Tracks customer aging issues, reaching out to customers regarding payment schedule, and coordinates with Accounts Receivable to ensure timely payment of services.
- Coordinates with unit purchasing and payroll, as well as other specific administrative support staff.
- Processes transactions for revenue (internal and external for IAP, fee-for-service, and service center programs) and expense (payroll, procurement).
- Independently resolves outstanding fiscal issues related to billings, revenue programs, purchasing, and payroll, communicating with unit leadership when higher level issues arise.
- Monitors, tracks, and maintains accurate financial records and deliverables.
- Complies with federal, state, university, and departmental standards and regulations for all fiscal tasks.
- Works on special projects as directed by supervisor.
- Performs related work as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field and three years of related experience, OR equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
- Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience using Microsoft products and software applications and learning new systems.
- Proven time management skills in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Experience working independently on routine tasks and in a team setting while regularly exercising sound judgment.
- Interpersonal skills with experience establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with diverse student, administrative, and faculty populations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Four or more years of related experience.
- Experience working in a higher education setting, preferably within a scientific institution/unit.
- Demonstrated experience with financial and procurement practices and procedures.
- Experience with documents and stages in the revenue process (e.g. quotes, purchase orders, service agreements, invoices, accounts receivable, etc.).
- Experience working with customer payment sites (Ariba, Taulia, Tradeshift, Bill.com, etc.).
- Experience planning events ranging in size, complexity, and format.
- Experience with federal and state laws, regulatory requirements, and University policies governing the receipt and use of funds.
- Experience working with UConn electronic systems (KFS, WebFOCUS, HuskyBuy, Core-CT, etc.).
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