Financial Assistant: Department of Biomedical Engineering

Reporting to the Business Manager, the Financial Assistant is an entry-level professional responsible for supporting the department’s financial, human resources, procurement, and administrative needs. Your role requires strong organizational, communication, and compliance skills, as your timely guidance and attention to detail directly uphold departmental integrity, operational efficiency, and the university’s professional reputation.

Under established policies and procedures, you’ll handle tasks such as 

• Invoice and purchase order processing, reimbursements, journal entries, budget tracking, and financial reporting
• Facilitate hiring and onboarding for faculty, staff, and students—including foreign‑national onboarding support for H‑1B and J‑1 visas, work‑authorization verification, and SEVIS compliance
• Maintain accurate, confidential records in accordance with retention guidelines
• Coordinate office logistics such as answering phones, greeting visitors, managing travel, events, and supplies
• Serve as a primary contact for internal and external constituents.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Experience: A high school diploma or GED with one year of experience in accounting and/or an HR role.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

• Organizational and time-management skills. 
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks based on needs of others and with time-sensitive deadlines.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as within a team environment.
• Sound interpersonal and communication skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Manage and maintain sensitive and confidential information, ensuring it is handled securely and in compliance with the organization's policies and procedures

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education: Associate’s degree in a field related to business, HR Management, or a degree related to the position’s duties.

Experience: 

• Licenses or certifications related to accounting, business, or HR.
• Experience in an academic environment.
• Experience hiring foreign nationals and communicating with non-native English speakers.
• Experience in procurement/purchasing

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

• Licenses or certifications related to accounting, business, or HR.
• Experience in an academic environment.
• Experience hiring foreign nationals and communicating with non-native English speakers.
• Experience in procurement/purchasing

 

Work Location: 

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits:

• UT market range: MR05
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

 

Application Instructions: To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

About The Department: The Biomedical Engineering Department in the Tickle College of Engineering is located on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) campus. More information regarding the department may be viewed here Department of Biomedical Engineering - Tickle College of Engineering. 

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. 

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT