Study Abroad Fiscal Specialist - Center Global Engagement; Two Positions

Study Abroad Fiscal Specialist - Center for Global Engagement (Two Positions)

The Center for Global Engagement is seeking two full-time Study Abroad Fiscal Specialists to support the financial operations of JMU's Study Abroad unit. These positions will share responsibility for processing, monitoring, accounting, and managing a portfolio of individual study abroad program budgets totaling approximately $10 million annually. The Study Abroad Fiscal Specialists will work closely with Study Abroad staff, faculty program directors, campus partners, and university offices to support accurate, timely, and compliant fiscal processes.

These roles are important to the successful planning and delivery of short-term, semester-long, and other study abroad programs. These are full-time, in-person positions that require regular on-site presence due to fiscal processing, collaboration with Study Abroad staff and campus partners, recordkeeping, and program support responsibilities. The selected candidates will support accurate and timely financial processes for study abroad programming and must be able to work with a high level of detail, confidentiality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Advise and guide study abroad program directors on the development of Study Abroad program budgets:

- Share responsibility for supporting 100+ study abroad program directors in the creation and management of individual program budgets, ranging from approximately $30,000-$500,000 in total costs.

- Provide guidance to program directors on fiscal policies, procedures, timelines, budget development, program fees, best practices, and compliance with federal, state, JMU, and CGE guidelines.

- Support financial trainings for new and returning study abroad program directors in individual, group, and virtual settings. Build and maintain positive working relationships with faculty program directors and campus partners. Manage fiscal processes for an assigned Study Abroad program budget portfolio:

- Share responsibility for managing fiscal processes for an assigned portfolio of short-term and semester-long study abroad programs within a $10 million operation.

- Manage ePAR workflow, hiring paperwork, onboarding support, timesheets, pay periods, and payments for study abroad faculty, program assistants, and student support.

- Reconcile payroll transactions and coordinate funds recovery based on expense types and allocations.

- Process payments for and monitor billing of international health insurance.

- Process study abroad travel, including travel authorizations, pre-approvals, transportation requests, reimbursements, and related account transactions.

- Authorize stateside spending for program-related expenses, including credit card, ACH, vendor payments, registrations, supplies, and other approved purchasing methods.

- Review vendor contracts and agreements and coordinate timely payments in accordance with university and CGE procedures.

- Maintain financial records, spreadsheets, documentation, and summary analyses for reporting, forecasting, and decision-making.

- Complete monthly small purchase credit card (SPCC) reconciliations, obtain required documentation and signatures, and maintain records in compliance with university policy. Manage fiscal processes internal to the Study Abroad unit:

- Process financial transactions related to domestic and international travel for members of the Study Abroad unit in compliance with JMU travel policies and Chrome River procedures.

- Complete hiring paperwork, ePARs, timesheets, and payroll processing for wage and student employees in the Study Abroad unit.

- Reconcile monthly credit card transactions, prepare financial documents, and maintain organized records.

- Provide fiscal support related to events and meetings, internal purchasing, office supplies, promotional items, mailings, and other administrative processes.

- Build relationships with internal partners, including UBO, International Accounting, Financial Aid, and other university offices, to support smooth processing of mission-critical financial functions.

- Apply federal, state, university, and CGE financial policies and procedures consistently to ensure fiscal activity is completed accurately and in compliance.

Required:

- Fiscal, budget, accounting, procurement, travel, or reconciliation experience in higher education or a similarly regulated environment.

- Experience using financial, travel, purchasing, student information, or related business systems to support transactions, reconciliations, payroll, hiring, or other business processes.

- Ability to effectively and professionally communicate with partners across multiple departments in individual and group settings.

- Interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with broad groups of students, faculty, staff, and campus partners.

- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.

- Attention to detail, resourcefulness, organization, and effective time management.

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