Shared Services Specialist

Job Description

SHARED SERVICES SPECIALIST

Req #: 235512 Department: THE ENGINEERING SHARED ENVIRONMENT Job Location: Seattle Campus Posting Date: 06/13/2024 Closing Info: Closes On 06/27/2024 Salary: $4,299 - $5,782 per month Other Compensation: Union Position: Yes Shift: First Shift Benefits: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.
The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.
The Engineering Shared Environment (ESE) is an administrative unit within the College of Engineering established to advise and support interdisciplinary institutes, centers, departments, and facilities. The ESE maintains centralized operations and coordinates staffing and specialized support for research, education, communications, and events.
ESE is building out a new pillar of work to support Purchasing, Supply Chain and Fiscal Operations in anticipation of the UW Financial Transformation. This is one of several shared positions created to support multiple departments within the College of Engineering.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Purchasing, Supply Chain, and Travel Fiscal Support (60%)

Coordinate purchase of goods and service for the department(s) faculty, staff and students using a variety of methods including ProCard, eProcurement, and eventually Workday.

Communicate clearly and serve as a liaison between UW Procurement Services, buyers, vendors, and purchasing faculty, staff, or students.

Maintain open lines of communication and provide regular updates as needed.

Maintain purchasing database and record keeping systems for the department(s).

Review purchase requests for compliance with the UW and funding agency policies.

Resolve problems by following up with vendors and the purchaser.

Identify and suggest opportunities to achieve efficiencies through strategic procurement practices.

Reconcile ProCard and CTA accounts.

Assign and verify correct budgets and accounting codes for each expenditure while ensuring that internal controls are followed and that there is a comprehensive audit trail.

Create and maintain official records including copying, scanning, and filing in accordance with local, state, federal, funder, and UW policies and procedures.

Make deliveries to various UW departments as needed.

Prepare and complete travel expense reports and other reimbursements including advances and honorariums.

Review, reconcile and allocate to the appropriate budgets.

Serve as a liaison to the Travel Office.
Financial Transactions and Reporting (25%)

Track departmental revenue and expenditures.

Allocate transactions to the appropriate project cost accounting codes, review transactions on a monthly basis, investigate and correct errors as needed, ensuring budgets are reconciled in a timely manner.

Analyze transactions to ensure alignment with budgeting requirements and compliance with established policies and best practices.

Develop budgets for grants, contracts, or other funding requests;

Prepare appropriate forms for contracts and agreements

Develop, recommend, and/or establish charge schedules for cost center and/or self-sustaining accounts

Calculate depreciation and amortization of equipment.

Working with the Fiscal Supervisor, forecast fiscal needs/commitments; develop long-term planning documents

Participate in the planning of new programs by conducting analysis of unit needs and resources.

Prepare specialized reports; conduct special studies to research and/or justify fiscal requests/needs.

Conduct comparisons of actual performance with budgeted/planned objectives

Research and determine causative factors in expenditure trends; identify potential corrective actions.

Use expertise to analyze fiscal data and report on trends to customers of the shared environment.

Analyze customer service data and other performance metrics to recommend improvement initiatives to shared environment colleagues and leadership.
Continuous Improvement (10%)

Continually review processes to ensure conformance to university and sponsor policies for fiscal compliance and make recommendations for changes, such as new policies, audit requirements, or business practices.

Represent ESE and Departments at appropriate meetings to stay up-to-date on regulations and policies affecting work and seek training opportunities related to compliance and job duties.

Serve on committees established to improve processes related to Workday or other UW systems.

Develop, modify, and maintain appropriate records for control and auditing of fiscal operations.

Use expertise to analyze, modify, and recommend improvements to fiscal record keeping systems, data flows, and internal controls.

Collaborate with peers and supervisor to learn from or suggest better practices to support efficiency gains, quality improvements, employee, and customer satisfaction.

Delegate appropriate tasks to student workers
Other (5%)

Act as subject matter expert and change agent for Workday changes and UW Finance Transformation

Other duties as assigned
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's Degree and Two years of work experience as a Fiscal Specialist, or equivalent combination of education/experience.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Customer service orientation and effective interpersonal skills.

Ability to work independently, multi-task, and manage competing priorities.

Proven analytic abilities; proactively research and resolve questions, discrepancies, and inconsistencies.

Self-starter with ability to apply good judgment and critical thinking skills and solve problems.

Ability to learn on the fly and to work with ambiguity. Function independently with minimal supervision.

Strong ability to interpret and apply established policies and procedures.

Ability to identify discrepancies and suggest changes to internal procedures and policies.

Superior demonstrated attention to detail and passion for accuracy while also seeing the comprehensive “big picture.”

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and meet deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Proficient in use of MS Excel, Word and email. Demonstrated computer experience and knowledge at a level necessary to maintain fiscal record keeping systems.

Experience in an academic or non-profit research collaborative environment.

Must be flexible and comfortable with change and in a changing environment.

Demonstrated ability to relate to diverse populations of students, faculty and staff.

Knowledge of UW fiscal and administrative systems and departments (especially Workday)

Ability to perform statistical analysis of financial data and prepare financial reports.

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected] .

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .

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