Financial Associate: College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies - UTK

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications for a Financial Associate II to join the Finance, Administration, and Operations team of one of the university’s fastest-growing and most innovative colleges. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to CECS’s continued growth and success while supporting emerging academic programs, innovative initiatives, and collaborative partnerships.

Reporting to the Director of Finance, Administration, and Operations (DFAO), the Financial Associate II serves as a key financial and operational resource for the college, providing comprehensive support across financial management, procurement, technology, grants, and administrative operations. Working with a high degree of independence, this position manages day-to-day financial activities, including procurement, accounts payable and receivable, general ledger reconciliation, budget and expense tracking, grant expenditure tracking, and financial reporting while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and strong financial stewardship.

The Financial Associate II also coordinates college-wide technology procurement and resource management, partnering with the CECS IT Technician to support equipment inventory, software licensing, and asset management. The position maintains accurate financial, equipment, inventory, and space records and provides timely information and reporting to support resource allocation, operational planning, and informed decision-making.

As a member of a highly collaborative team, the Financial Associate II provides backup support for human resources and other operational functions, including payroll processing, onboarding activities, and related administrative needs to ensure continuity of college operations.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, evolving, and innovative environment and bring a proactive, solutions-oriented approach to their work. CECS is seeking someone who can work independently, anticipate needs, manage competing priorities, analyze financial information, exercise sound judgment, maintain the highest level of confidentiality, solve problems, and identify opportunities to improve processes and efficiency. This position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the success of a rapidly growing college while delivering the accurate, responsive, and efficient financial and operational services that help CECS advance its mission and priorities.

Financial Operations, Procurement & Grants

• Manage day-to-day financial transactions, including accounts payable/receivable, P-Card and travel card activity, reimbursements, requisitions, purchase orders, quotes, pre-approvals, and procurement for technology, equipment, labs, software, subscriptions, and other college needs.
• Monitor and reconcile ledgers, budgets, expenditures, purchasing activity, grant expenses, and other financial records across accounts, grants, contracts, gifts, and restricted funds; identify discrepancies and budget variances and recommend corrective actions to the DFAO.
• Evaluate purchasing requests for appropriate procurement methods, funding sources, account coding, approvals, and compliance requirements; coordinate with Procurement, Contracts, IT, and other university offices and provide financial and purchasing guidance to faculty and staff.
• Support sponsored projects, grants, and contracts by preparing documentation and system entries in Cayuse, Agiloft, and DASH; tracking post-award allowable expenses; and providing administrative support to the Grants Business Manager.

Technology, Inventory & Resource Management

• Coordinate college-wide technology procurement and management of equipment, software, licenses, subscriptions, warranties, service agreements, purchases, and other technology resources in partnership with the CECS IT Technician.
• Manage annual and ongoing IT equipment and space inventories; maintain accurate records of assets, sensitive minor equipment, equipment under $1,500, software, subscriptions, and other college resources.
• Coordinate asset and general surplus activities, research and resolve inventory discrepancies in DASH, and collaborate with IT to maximize the effective use of existing resources.

Travel & Administrative Operations

• Coordinate travel for faculty, staff, and guest travelers, including DASH travel requests, guest setup, travel arrangements and itineraries, expense reports, and reimbursements, ensuring accurate account coding, documentation, compliance, and timely processing.
• Provide responsive customer service to students, faculty, staff, and guests; monitor CECS shared email accounts; and maintain organized electronic records in SharePoint, OneDrive, and other college systems.<