Financial Specialist

Employer: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Location: Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Salary: Competitive Salary

Date posted: Dec 3, 2025

Position Type: Administrative, Academic Affairs, Adult & Continuing Education Programs, Business & Administrative Affairs, Financial Affairs

Employment Type: Full Time

Job Details

Salary:
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Financial Specialist III

Job Summary:

The Financial Specialist plays a critical role in supporting the financial and administrative functions of the Continuing Education department. This position serves as the primary point of contact for financial transactions, with a specialized focus on instructor compensation. The specialist will ensure the accurate and timely processing of payments, comprehensive financial reporting, and compliance with institutional policies. Additionally, this role contributes to the effective development, implementation, and evaluation of academic support programs, aligning with departmental and institutional goals for continuing education student success.

• (10%) Initiates appropriate purchases and financial transactions according to UW-Madison policies and procedures. Stays current on UW-Madison purchasing and accounting policies and procedures.
• (30%) Collaborates in the development, refinement, and documentation of instructor payment process for the Continuing Education programs, and ensures timely distribution of updated procedures to all relevant stakeholders.
• (10%) Provides general financial support to the Continuing Education Department regarding instructor payments, purchases, and expense allocation.
• (10%) Pulls monthly payroll reports and coordinates with the payroll and benefits manager to add individuals to payroll.
• (20%) Drafts communications and reports and maintains organization of varied records to provide administrative support within the Continuing Education Department.
• (5%) Coordinates and/or supports continuing education programs which involves implementation, course delivery and maintenance and executing the daily program operations and logistics such as detailed planning, as well as, processing all event related transactions and event data and records.
• (5%) Serves as a primary liaison with internal and external units and organizations in program planning, implementation, and delivery.
• (5%) Collaborates with the development team members to evaluate program effectiveness and provide recommendations for improvement.
• (5%) Works with instructors and/or faculty to deliver online, blended and face to face programs. For online classes, this could include moderating online live sessions, editing instructor videos, and uploading course content into LMS.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Drafts communications and reports and maintains organization of varied records to provide administrative support within a specified work unit (30%)
• Reallocates expenses to appropriate funding strings (10%)
• Reviews and approves complex transactions and assigns funding codes in accordance with established rules, regulations, and policies (10%)
• Reviews transaction processing internal controls and recommends policies and procedures (10%)
• Works with instructors and/or faculty to deliver online, blended and face to face programs. For online classes, this could include moderating online live sessions, editing instructor videos, and uploading course content into LMS (10%)
• May train staff on financial processes and best practices (10%)
• Answers complex fiscal questions and provides information based on set materials and standards to various audiences (10%)
• Coordinates and/or supports continuing education programs which involves implementation, course delivery and maintenance and executing the daily program operations and logistics such as detailed planning, as well as, processing all event related transactions and event data and records (10%)

Department: Continuing Studies, Continuing Education

Compensation: Minimum: $44,543 ANNUAL

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrate attention to detail through 2 years of experience managing and maintaining accurate financial transactions and records, payroll reporting, and processing instructor payments.
• 1 year of experience working collaboratively across teams and with external partners
• Experience learning, adapting and complying with a variety of policies and procedures.
• Experienced in serving as the primary departmental contact, delivering clear and courteous communication to resolve complex inquiries from internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a university or continuing education setting.
• Familiarity with UW-Madison systems and tools (e.g. Workday, Canvas, Zoom, Kaltura) or similar software programs.
• Comfort with hybrid work environments and supporting both in-person and online program delivery.
• Understanding of agreements and their application for hiring ad hoc or temporary instructors in continuing education programs
• Ability to recognize and solve problems, meet deadlines, and make independent decisions as appropriate.

Education: Bachelor's Degree Required

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button. You will be asked to upload an Academic C.V., cover letter, and list of three professional/supervisor references as a part of the application process. References will not be contacted without prior notice. Please ensure your Academic C.V. and cover letter address how you meet the minimum/preferred qualifications for the position.

Contact Information:

Zachary Yafai
HR Business Partner
zyafai@wisc.edu