Financial Manager

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

13h•Hybrid

About The Position

Working closely with departmental leadership, the individual advises on strategic financial decisions and risk management. This role partners and communicates directly with faculty on budget and sponsored research matters while supervising staff to ensure coordinated, compliant, and effective financial and research administration across the department. The successful candidate will be a skilled leader and communicator with a strong financial background, able to function in a fast-paced, complex environment. Collaboration, prioritization of work, and problem-solving skills are critical for success. This position provides strategic oversight of the department’s research administration and financial operations. It supervises all pre- and post-award activities, ensuring proposals, awards, reporting, and compliance processes are accurate, timely, and aligned with federal, sponsor, and university requirements. The role includes oversight of complex mechanisms, including a T32 training grant, and monitoring of compliance and effort commitments across the department. The position oversees departmental budgets across multiple non-sponsored funding sources, providing financial analysis, monitoring, and long-range planning to safeguard fiscal health. It directs the business operations of five revenue-producing facilities, including rate setting, compliance, and billing, and oversees purchasing processes to maintain strong internal controls and operational efficiency.

Requirements

Significant work experience in financial operations for different types of accounts (such as sponsored federal projects, internal revenue-producing facilities, general revenue, etc.) across the full fiscal lifecycle, including budget prepation, disbursements, procurement services, reconciliation, etc.
Experience working with financial and grant systems, tools, and platforms to manage financial data, perform transactions, audit/track/analyze data; (e.g., Workday, PeopleSoft, Smartsheet, eRA Commons, research.gov, MicroSoft Excel, etc.).
Experience translating complex financial policies and procedures into actionable operational practices for diverse stakeholders.
Significant experience managing direct reports or leading collaborative teams to successful project completion.
Bachelor's Degree required
Field of finance, business, administration, or a related field preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience applying UW, State, and Federal rules and regulations and/or experience managing finances within an institution of higher education.
Proven ability to solve complex problems and make inclusive decisions that drive team alignment and collaboration.
Significant experience in research administration with various sponsors (e.g. NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and non-federal entities).

Responsibilities

Analyzes financial information and makes recommendations to unit leadership
Plans, directs, and engages in financial and/or accounting operations for multiple areas; coordinates data management, budget preparation and management, and financial reporting efforts
Participates in the development, maintenance, and monitoring of automated financial information systems
Recommends, interprets, disseminates, and implements unit-focused fiscal policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with established rule, regulations and financial guidelines
Identifies, verifies, and audits financial charges, credits, and authorizes payments
Serves as a subject matter expert to unit leadership regarding financial operations, status and reporting, and recommends process improvements
May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees