Finance Specialist I

Job Description

Finance Specialist I | University of South Florida

The Tone:
This is an entry-level professional role within the University of South Florida’s Business and Finance Shared Services (BFSS) department, located in Tampa, FL. BFSS is a specialized unit focused on accurate and efficient transaction processing for the university, covering areas like travel, purchasing, and accounts receivable. This role is crucial for ensuring financial operations adhere to university and state policies, streamlining workflows, and acting as a trusted partner to the university community to support USF’s core missions.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Location: In-person Tampa, FL

• Team: Business and Finance Shared Services (BFSS); reports to a supervisor.
• Mission: Process financial requests with high standards of efficiency, accuracy, and policy compliance, acting as a key link in the university’s separation of duties framework.
• Tech Stack: Canvas

What You’ll Actually Do
• Transaction Processing: Facilitate the end-to-end processing of financial requests, verifying clear business purposes, correct funding sources, and appropriate supporting documentation.
• Policy Interpretation: Interpret and apply complex university and state policies to ensure compliance for travel, purchasing, and PCard transactions before they advance for approval.
• Data Management: Compile and organize data for transactional reporting, including transaction counts and spend metrics, to support data-driven decision-making and accurate record-keeping.
• Stakeholder Support: Engage proactively with faculty, staff, and students, serving as a responsive contact for financial inquiries and coordinating travel logistics and expense reports.
• Process Improvement: Collaborate with BFSS team members and university agencies to resolve issues, streamline approval workflows, and recommend enhancements to optimize efficiency.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field; OR a high school diploma and four years of directly related professional experience in financial services or business administration.
• Experience: 0–2 years of professional experience, with demonstrated ability to navigate complex digital platforms and interpret organizational policies.
• Skills: Proficient in navigating formalized training environments and mastering new systems; ability to interpret complex policies and provide clear guidance; strong orientation towards providing prompt, respectful, and professional customer service; detail-oriented with analytical ability for fiscal stewardship; excellent interpersonal skills for collaborative communication.
• Bonus: A career-oriented mindset for higher education administration; prior experience in teaching, retail, or high-volume customer service; self-motivated desire to master new systems and processes; proven track record of effective teamwork; strong interest in understanding financial policies and continuous process improvement.