Fiscal & Business Specialist - Research

About the Role

This position performs fiscal, budget, and business support for the College of Education Office of Research. Reporting to the appropriate administrator, the Fiscal & Business Specialist – Research independently reconciles sponsored-project and research-related accounts; monitors budgets, payroll activity, and project timelines; processes financial transactions; and maintains supporting documentation. The role supports sponsored projects, faculty start-up funds, Research Initiative Accounts, and other research-related funding sources while ensuring all activities are completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with University policies, sponsor requirements, award terms, and College procedures. The position also serves as a liaison among principal investigators, College research administrators, Business and Financial Services Shared Services, Sponsored Research, Research Financial Management, and other central University offices.

Responsibilities

• Account Reconciliation (30%)
  • Perform monthly reconciliations of sponsored-project accounts to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with award budgets and project periods.
  • Investigate and resolve discrepancies in coordination with principal investigators, research administrators, BFSS, Research Financial Management, and other central University offices.
  • Reconcile and monitor faculty start-up funds, Research Initiative Accounts, and other funding sources supporting research activity.
  • Review expenditures for appropriate funding, allowability, available budget, and compliance with applicable University, College, and sponsor requirements.
  • Compile and maintain supporting documentation for reconciliation reports in Finance Mart 2.0, including LTD Summary, LTD Payroll Detail, and RSA reports.
  • Maintain complete and organized fiscal records to support financial reviews, project closeouts, and audit requirements.
• Financial Transactions and Shared Services Coordination (30%)
  • Ensure expenditure corrections are adequately documented, timely, and consistent with University and sponsor requirements.
  • Serve as a liaison with Business and Financial Services Shared Services to coordinate transactional activity, troubleshoot issues, and facilitate timely, accurate, and policy-compliant processing.
  • Review and approve Archivum Travel Authorizations, Expense Reports, and PCard transactions charged to sponsored projects.
  • Coordinate with Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Travel, Payroll, Research Financial Management, and other central offices regarding research-related fiscal transactions.
• Fiscal Year-End and Project Closeout Support (30%)
  • Review and clear year-end encumbrances to ensure recorded obligations are accurate, appropriate, and aligned with fiscal year-end close requirements.
  • Assist with sponsored-project closeout activities by reviewing outstanding transactions, encumbrances, payroll activity, and remaining balances.
  • Complete required fiscal year-end activities within established University and College deadlines.
• Policy Compliance, Training & Documentation (10%)
  • Participate in training and remain current on University policies, sponsor requirements, systems, and procedures related to sponsored-project fiscal administration.
  • Develop and maintain desk procedures and other documentation for assigned responsibilities.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent with three years of work experience in positions with fiscal support duties.
• College or other relevant post-secondary coursework may substitute for the experience requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience performing fiscal administration, account reconciliation, or budget monitoring in a university or research environment.
• Experience supporting sponsored projects or other restricted funding sources.
• Experience with USF financial and administrative systems, including FAST, Finance Mart 2.0, Archivum, and Bulls iResearch.
• Experience with payroll costing, expenditure transfers, travel, PCard transactions, and fiscal year-end processes.
• Intermediate or advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Experience coordinating financial transactions with centralized shared-service units.

About Us

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged, and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF’s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental, and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee, and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference.