Finance Specialist

Finance Specialist

The Finance Specialist supports the financial operations of the Department of Bioengineering by performing complex reconciliation, financial analysis, budget support, reporting, and post-award financial coordination. This position works with financial data across multiple accounts and funding sources to oversee and process financial actions, identify discrepancies, resolve issues, prepare reports, and support informed decision-making. The Finance Specialist also contributes to internal controls, process documentation, and workflow improvements that promote accuracy, compliance, and continuity in departmental financial administration. This role will work closely with the Executive Department Business Administrator and other departmental staff to support the short- and long-term financial health of the department.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented, analytical, and proactive financial professional who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume departmental environment. They can independently manage competing priorities, anticipate needs, take ownership of financial matters through resolution, and exercise sound judgment with limited oversight. The successful candidate will interpret complex financial data, identify discrepancies and opportunities for improvement, and communicate clearly and responsively with faculty, staff, department leadership, and other stakeholders.

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University.

Hiring Range: $60,000 - $65,000 annually

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field.
• Two or more (2+) years of relevant experience in an administrative financial role.
• Skills:
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (especially Excel)
• Demonstrated knowledge of financial systems
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Strong communication skills, including ability to prepare materials for and clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences and client groups
• Project management skills and ability to contribute to or lead part of a multi-functional team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting financial operations in an academic, research, nonprofit, or similarly complex administrative environment.
• Experience preparing financial reports, budget summaries, projections, reconciliations, or other analyses to support management decision-making.
• Familiarity with sponsored project administration, post-award financial activity, or faculty/research portfolio support.
• Experience interpreting financial data, identifying discrepancies or trends, and communicating findings clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to support compliance, internal controls, process documentation, or financial workflow improvements.
• Experience working with enterprise financial systems, spreadsheets, reporting tools, or related data-management platforms.
• Ability to manage multiple financial priorities with accuracy, discretion, sound judgment, and strong follow-through.

Essential Functions:

• Performs complex financial analysis, account reconciliation, and reporting to support departmental financial operations, budgeting, and decision-making.
• Reviews, reconciles, and resolves complex financial transactions, including procurement activity, p-card transactions, chart of accounts activity, balance transfers, and related account issues.
• Supports departmental budget management by assembling financial data, preparing budget summaries, identifying trends or discrepancies, and presenting findings or recommendations to department leadership.
• Manages financial activity for multiple faculty or principal investigator portfolios, including account monitoring, reporting, and follow-up on outstanding financial items.
• Coordinates and reconciles subaward activity, working with appropriate stakeholders to identify discrepancies, monitor financial status, and support timely resolution.
• Develops complex financial reports, dashboards, summaries, and presentations for faculty, department leadership, management, and other stakeholders.
• Executes internal control and compliance processes within the area of responsibility; researches applicable policies, procedures, or regulatory requirements and recommends approved process changes as needed.
• Develops, maintains, and updates desktop procedures, process documentation, and financial tracking tools to support consistency, accuracy, and continuity of operations.
• Identifies opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting accuracy, workflow efficiency, and stakeholder support within the department.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University's Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.