Financial Operations Specialist 2

The Ohio State University • Columbus, OH

1d • $55,700 - $72,700 • Hybrid

About The Position

The College of Public Health (CPH) is seeking a Financial Operations Specialist 2 to join the College Business Office. This position provides financial, post-award, and operational support to assigned divisions, faculty, and staff, while working collaboratively with senior business office staff. The Financial Operations Specialist supports moderately complex financial activities including sponsored projects, general ledger transactions, budget support, procurement, payroll, compliance, and financial reporting. This role applies working knowledge of university and sponsor policies and procedures to ensure accurate processing, compliance, and timely customer service, with guidance and oversight from senior staff as needed. The successful candidate will be service-oriented, detail-focused, and committed to supporting faculty and staff, and contributing to a collaborative, team-based business office.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience.
• 2 years of relevant experience required.

Nice To Haves

• 2-4 years of relevant experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or similar discipline or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with The Ohio State University accounting systems, processes, and procedures, including Workday, Tableau, PI Portal
• Experience working on grants
• Knowledge of general ledger; requires accounting, policy, and finance knowledge, strong analytical skills, computer skills, and the ability to manage time efficiently to complete multiple tasks with competing deadlines
• Needs to demonstrate professionalism, teamwork, and exhibit strong communication skills with all levels of management within the organization, and with internal and external clients

Responsibilities

• Provides guidance and support for procurement and travel transactions from initiation through completion.
• Performs transaction entry and review functions, as assigned, for requisitions, spend authorizations, expense reports, payroll transactions, journals, transfers, deposits, and accounts payable, in compliance with internal controls and delegated authority.
• Serves as liaison with central university offices including the Travel Office, Procurement Shared Services, Accounts Payable, Bursar, Shipping & Receiving, and HR, as assigned.
• Supports PCard administration and compliance for assigned units.
• Assists with consultant processing and vendor setup in Workday.
• Supports payroll-related Workday transactions, including costing allocations, payroll adjustments, and period activity pay, in collaboration with faculty and business units.
• Assists with faculty effort summaries and off-duty compensation processing to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Processes and supports financial transactions across a variety of fund types, including General, Contract, Grant, Endowment, Development, and Earnings funds, as assigned.
• Completes monthly reconciliations and account reviews under established procedures; identifies discrepancies and works with senior staff to resolve issues.
• Assists with month-end and year-end close activities.
• Prepare routine financial reports and budget-to-actual comparisons for faculty and leadership review.
• Monitors fund balances and alert senior staff of potential issues or concerns.
• Initiates and processes journal entries, cost transfers, accounting adjustments, and deposits in accordance with internal controls.
• Provides post-award financial support for assigned grants and internal awards, including expenditure monitoring and reconciliation.
• Assists with preparation and distribution of periodic project fiscal reports.
• Reviews expenditures for allowability and compliance with sponsor and university guidelines; escalates concerns as appropriate.
• Supports expenditure forecasting and budget tracking for sponsored projects.
• Assists with personnel appointments on sponsored projects and coordinates with department administrators as needed.
• Supports audit requests and documentation preparation under guidance from senior staff.
• Applies university, sponsor, and college financial policies and procedures to daily work.
• Assists with internal control activities, documentation, and compliance reviews.
• Identifies process inefficiencies or risks and provides recommendations to senior staff.
• Supports audit readiness and response activities assigned.
• Provides coverage and support for other Business Office team members as needed.
• Participates in cross-training and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Contributes to a collaborative, service-oriented work environment focused on continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision coverage, with Ohio State paying a significant portion of the cost.
• Paid time off, including sick and vacation time and 11 holidays.
• State retirement plan or an alternative retirement plan, both with generous employer contributions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level