Financial Manager

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.

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 expected to:

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships within a higher education environment, including college leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and the community at large.
• Demonstrate and exercise ethics and integrity in the performance of their duties and interactions with internal and external individuals.
• Communicate effectively in written and verbal formats, with department and personnel and customers from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Demonstrate independent and collaborative decision-making and analytical skills, using sound judgment in challenging and complex situations.
• Manage and lead staff in a complex and changing environment.
• Solve problems, collaborate, and encourage teamwork.
• Handle sensitive, complex matters with confidentiality, respect, and discretion.
• Prioritize workload and manage multiple projects effectively with strict attention to detail, meet internal and external deadlines, work under pressure, and handle time constraints.
• Demonstrate proficiency with position-related software (e.g., Microsoft Office, virtual meeting platforms, Google suite, people management software, financial systems, or similar systems), and learn and train others with new software/systems

Hours are generally 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday--Friday. Hours are flexible and will be determined at the time of hire.

This position is eligible for partial remote work; or fully on-site. Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA) agreement. An RWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee.

• 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

• Serves as a subject matter expert to unit leadership regarding financial operations, status and reporting, and recommends process improvements

• Identifies, verifies, and audits financial charges, credits, and authorizes payments

• Recommends, interprets, disseminates, and implements unit-focused fiscal policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with established rule, regulations and financial guidelines

• Participates in the development, maintenance, and monitoring of automated financial information systems

• Plans, directs, and engages in financial and/or accounting operations for multiple areas; coordinates data management, budget preparation and management, and financial reporting efforts

• Analyzes financial information and makes recommendations to unit leadership

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), Department of Biochemistry-Administration

The starting salary for this position is listed at $80,000 annually, however, final salary will depend on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.

• Significant working experience in financial operations involving the application of cost accounting principles and standards.
• Significant experience in research administration with various sponsors (e.g. NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and non-federal entities)
• Experience working with financial and grant systems, tools, or other comparable financial platforms and related software and application systems (i.e., Workday, PeopleSoft, Smartsheet, eRA Commons, research.gov, etc.) to handle financial data and transactions.
• Experience interpreting and applying financial policies and procedures including policy development/update to ensure compliance with established rules, regulations, and financial guidelines, and to process/approve accounting transactions such as cost transfers, procurement, sub-award management, and financial expenditures (e.g., travel, purchasing, etc.).
• Experience supervising and/or leading people (personnel leadership), including knowledge of operational oversight best practices.

• Knowledge of UW, State, and Federal rules and regulations and/or experience managing finances within an institution of higher education.
• Working knowledge of the ERP system, Workday

Bachelor's Degree required; field of finance, business, administration, or a related field preferred.

Click on the "Apply Online" button to start the application process. You will be prompted to upload the following documents/application materials:

• Resume (required) - Detail your educational and professional background
• Cover letter (required) - Address each of the required and preferred qualifications as they relate to your work experience.

Finalists will be asked to provide contact information for three (3) references, including your current/most recent supervisor. References will not be contacted without prior notice.

It is important that your cover letter and resume reflect your experience for this position related to the Qualifications section. Your application materials will be used during our evaluation to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

There is only one attachment field; please upload all application materials here. All listed application materials must be submitted for your application to be considered. Please submit only the materials specified; additional materials will not be reviewed.

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), Human Resources Manager, Erin Cook at erin.cook@wisc.edu

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), HR Generalist, Stefanie Lannoye at stefanie.lannoye@wisc.edu

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.