Financial Associate - Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development - UTK

This position performs sponsored programs functions associated with increasingly complex proposal reviews and submissions to include, budget development, solicitation interpretation, ensuring compliance with University and sponsor policies and processing award documents with little or no contract negotiations.

Unapplied Cash & Sponsored Accounts Receivable Management

• This position manages the Unapplied Cash Receipts Account and serves as the primary Accounts Receivable specialist for sponsored projects. Responsibilities include reviewing, researching, and applying sponsor payments to ensure accurate posting, timely reconciliation, and compliant financial reporting. The role analyzes deposits from invoices, sponsor portals, and automatic payments; prepares and reviews check and electronic deposits; and ensures all cash is fully applied and reconciled by month-end. When documentation is incomplete or payments are misrouted, the position independently investigates using DASH, Cayuse/Huron, internal systems, and direct sponsor outreach, often coordinating across multiple stakeholders to resolve issues.

As a resource for sponsored program accounts, and in accordance with UT and ORIED policies and procedures, this position independently:

• Monitors aging, collections, and sponsor payment trends; initiates follow-up and escalates unresolved items.
• Researches and resolves billing and payment discrepancies (misapplied payments, short-pays, overpayments, duplicates, and posting errors).
• Reviews invoices and financial records to ensure proper accounting treatment and regulatory compliance.
• Provides guidance to departments and faculty on billing, allowability, accountability, and payment application.
• Maintains accurate AR records and prepares reports to support month-end close, audits, and management oversight.

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Each member of DRA-SAS is expected to be an active participant in meeting team objectives and goals, and improving work outcomes. Under the general supervision of the DRA-SAS administrative team lead, administrative coordinators independently analyze information and interpret situations to determine how to solve a problem or complete an assignment effectively, and share these solutions and best practices with other members of the team. They also make recommendations to the team lead to create and change office-level procedures.

MISSION CRITICAL IMPACT

Accurate and timely application of cash is essential to the financial integrity of sponsored projects. Delays or errors can trigger incorrect late-payment notices, damage sponsor relationships, and result in inaccurate federal reporting. High accuracy and independent judgment are required to protect university revenue and ensure full compliance with university, state, federal, and sponsor requirements.

SUPPORT DRA SPA STAFF AND OTHER DRA UNITS

INCLUDING ON-SITE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

All DRA-SAS team members provides on-site administrative support for ORIED’s CM-based staff (not limited to DRA staff). That support may include, but is not limited to:

• Answers the door and welcomes guests to ORIED’s CM suite.
• Manages reservations for CM conference rooms and workspaces.
• Manages parking tag reservations.
• Interfaces with ORIED business staff and CM building manager on facilities concerns.
• Manages incoming and outgoing mail and package and service deliveries.
• Manage the [email hidden] email account for the department to disseminate emails received to various staff and respond to emails accordingly
• Serve as backup to other DRA SPA financial support and Administrative assistant staff. This includes:
• assist with the distribution of sponsored project billings and financial reports
• share office receptionist/phone duties with DRA Administrative Specialist
• transport checks as received in the office to the Central Cashier's Office
• Organize and schedule meetings for the SPA staff, this includes monthly meetings, inter-department trainings, special events, etc.
• Provide regular and adhoc financial reports as directed by the supervisor

Other Duties as Assigned

• Includes (but is not limited to) temporarily assuming additional operational and financial administrative duties in the event of a job vacancy on the team, until the position can be filled.

Required Qualifications

• Education: High School diploma or GED
• Experience: Three years prior experience in an office environment

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Ability to solve problems
• Ability to learn new software and processes
• Ability to improve processes through critical thinking
• Ability to effectively communicate with diverse faculty, staff, and sponsors
• Ability to multi-task, organize a high-volume of work, and pay attention to detail
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to be dependable, punctual, and a team player

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-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

Education : Bachelors degree

Experience

• Accounting or business experience; prior university experience;
• Knowledge of UT fiscal, HR, and research policies
• Knowledge of granting agency requirements
• Knowledge of Uniform Guidance and Federal Acquisition Regulations; knowledge of IRIS and Cayuse

Work Location

Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite, Hybrid, or Remote

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR05
• Anticipated hiring range:
• 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.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About The College/Department/Division

Here at the University of Tennessee, thousands of world-class faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral fellows are engaged in research, scholarship and creative work on a daily basis. With a shared commitment to creating a more just, prosperous, and sustainable world for the citizens of Tennessee and communities far beyond, the UT community is creating new knowledge and generating solutions to some of the most challenging issues of our time.

The Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development is here to support you, our community of researchers, scholars and creatives, from ideation to impact. Our dedicated team is here to help you develop competitive proposals and sources of support for your work, seed investments in promising new areas, nurture new and established multidisciplinary communities of scholars and support and sustain a strong culture of research integrity.

The university’s strategic relationships with corporate, venture, community, non-profit and government partners help extend the impact of our community’s work across the state and around the world. In collaboration with these partners, we are working to establish Tennessee as a go-to destination for cutting-edge research, innovation and a skilled workforce.

We understand that a creative, productive, and empowered community of researchers, scholars, and creatives is critical to the university’s future as a world-renowned research institution.