(Hybrid) Finance and Business Administrator - Provost Office

West Virginia University

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance and Business Administrator serves as the lead financial liaison between the Economic Innovation (EI) Unit and WVU’s central financial operations offices to facilitate, implement, and oversee all fiscal operations for EI programs and initiatives. This position supports EI and its units by developing budgets, tracking financial data for all EI unit funds, performing budget analyses, preparing financial reports, preparing salary distributions, implementing fund reconciliations, and performing pre- and post-award oversight. Serving as a key strategic partner to EI directors and senior managers, this role ensures fiscal accountability, effective resource allocation, and alignment with WVU policies and strategic priorities. The position requires a proactive, analytical, and collaborative professional capable of navigating complex financial systems and building strong working relationships across the university. On occasion, at the discretion of the Provost’s Office, this position may support other WVU colleges/units in conjunction with EI.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
A minimum of three (3) years of related professional-level work experience in finance, accounting, and/or fiscal management.
Experience using a financial ERP, e.g. Oracle.
Established expertise in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Business Administration, or related field.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and manage short- and long-term financial plans in alignment with WVU policies and the strategic priorities of the Economic Innovation Unit.
Coordinate day-to-day accounting operations to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with internal control standards.
Maintains and reconciles the general ledger to support accurate month-end close processes, ensuring data integrity and adherence to WVU accounting guidelines and timelines.
Coordinate month end variance analysis.
Develop strong relationships and serves as liaison between senior management and WVU financial offices (i.e., Shared Services, Finance, Sponsored Research Accounting, Sponsored Programs post-award, Procurement) to facilitate fiscal operations.
Monitors financial activity of active and new funds for compliance in spending within budget, irregularities, upcoming expiration dates, expected extensions, and reallocation of funds through closeout.
Reviews variance budget reports through WVU financial systems (i.e., MAP, MyReports) and notifying and recommending corrective measures to fund managers of over-expended budgeted line items, upcoming expiration dates, irregularities, etc.
Initiates regular reconciliations with fund managers and central finance offices to verify expenditures, salary distributions, fringe benefits, and fund balances.
Analyzes financial data to prepare comprehensive reports on fund status, projections, and spending patterns, highlighting burn rates and potential risks, and flagging unusual expenditures.
Prepares labor distributions and adjustments and works with WVU Shared Services to implement.
Payroll validation and reconciliation.
Provide administrative and budget support the EI units for preparation of external and internal grant application, including pre-award, competing and non-competing renewals, post-award activities, closeouts of grants and final reports, ensuring that the granting agency guidelines, college/institutional guidelines are followed: budgets are calculated and balanced, all appropriate institutional information is accurate, and all cost share requirements and documents have been submitted to Sponsored Research Accounting.
Leads the development of annual divisional budgets for Economic Innovation units, aligning fiscal planning with strategic goals and submitting finalized budgets to the Administrative Financial Planning office.
Ensures timely completion and accuracy of specialized financial deliverables, including monthly and consolidated financial statements, internal audits, and other fiscal reports.
Forecasts and models funding scenarios for current, pending, and prospective projects to inform strategic and operational decision-making.
Collaborates with Economic Innovation managers to establish financial priorities and assess fiscal needs related to personnel, equipment, and operational efficiency.
Assists with preparation of proposal budgets and budget justifications, cost-share commitment documentation, and other financial components for proposal submissions.
Verifies that all expenditures and receipts are properly authorized, accurately recorded, and appropriate to funding sources.
Assist in completing and compiling financial support documents for budget and assist in coordination of budget and audit review functions by state, federal, and internal and external auditors.
Serves as liaison between EI personnel and WVU financial officers to understand processes, procedures, and address financial issues.
Provides guidance and support to staff on financial matters such as purchasing, invoicing, and interdepartmental transfers.
Evaluates the effectiveness of fiscal operations and recommends process improvements to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
Assist with financial input for quarterly/monthly grant reporting as required by various external agencies.