Senior Financial Analyst

University of Texas at Austin

1d • $65,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Physics plays a pivotal role in the advancing of knowledge, nurturing the next generation of physicists and making a lasting impact on the world of physics. The College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin, strives to foster a work environment that enables all employees to contribute at the highest possible level to support the mission of the University. What starts here really does change the world. For more information about the College of Natural Sciences, please visit. https://cns.utexas.edu. The university offers an impressive benefits package including: Employer paid health insurance (employee premiums covered at 100%; spouse and family premiums at 50%), Dental, vision, life and disability insurance options, Paid vacation and sick leave, Paid holidays, Retirement plan. For more details, please see: Prospective Employee Benefits and My Total Rewards. Purpose: To provide analysis of financial systems. Responsible for preparing cost analysis of financial studies to ensure the institution's assets are maximized. Analyzes fiscal accounting and financial systems. Prepares cost data reports for implementation and support of financial decisions. Analyzes financial operations and makes recommendations for policy and/or procedural changes. Works with various departments, individuals, and external representatives to assist in the proposal preparation process. Completes financial statements which compare actual and budgeted expenditures and revenues. Prepares financial feasibility studies and specialized reports summarizing financing activities. Interprets and ensures compliance with federal, state, and University policies. Performs related duties as assigned. May manage special projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or business administration
• 6 years progressively responsible experience in finance or accounting with experience in planning, forecasting, cost and financial analysis
• Experience with accounts payable, purchasing, or procurement processes, ideally in a higher education or government setting
• Working knowledge of government/fund accounting principles

Nice To Haves

• Experience assisting with sponsored research administration, including encumbrances and award account management
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a high-volume inbox and competing deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for working with faculty, staff, and vendors
• Demonstrated ability to research and resolve financial discrepancies independently, escalating complex or unresolved issues in a timely manner
• Proficiency with Box, DocuSign, Smartsheet, and Microsoft 365 applications (including SharePoint); familiarity with AI tools such as Claude, CoPilot, and ChatGPT.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary point of contact for the [email protected] inbox; review, code, route, and process vendor invoices and payment requests in accordance with University and sponsor policy; research and resolve routine invoice and payment questions independently, escalating unresolved or higher-risk issues to the Director at weekly check-ins.
• Manage recurring internal billing (IDT) for the Physics Machine Shop and Cryo Shop, including preparing DEFINE VT7 batch upload vouchers from Smartsheet or other billing data and coordinating with shop staff to keep charges accurate and timely.
• Assist faculty with non-grant (state/local) account balances and budgets; process Insights access requests and provide training on Insights and other financial reporting tools.
• Reconcile encumbrances after wire payments are processed and assist the grants team with removing encumbrances tied to completed sponsored-project payments.
• Support additional financial projects and other duties as assigned by the Director, such as indirect cost return (ICR) reviews, access requests, and equipment procurement support.

Benefits

• Employer paid health insurance (employee premiums covered at 100%; spouse and family premiums at 50%)
• Dental, vision, life and disability insurance options
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Retirement plan

What This Job Offers

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