Accounting Specialist: Social Work Office of Research & Public Service - UTK

Accounting Specialist

The Accounting Specialist is a key member of the Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) business office and supports the financial and administrative operations of the Tennessee Child Support Employment and Parenting Program (TCSEPP). The Accounting Specialist will collaborate closely with program staff to facilitate financial processes that helps non-custodial parents overcome barriers to employment, pay child support, and build stronger bonds with their children under the TCSEPP project.

This position serves as a primary resource for financial transactions, procurement and vendor activity, travel and University card activity, gift cards, petty cash, and related fiscal processes.

The Accounting Specialist processes, reviews, documents, and follows through on financial transactions to help ensure they are accurate, timely, appropriately documented, charged to the correct sponsored project or account, and compliant with University, College, SWORPS, sponsor, grant, contract, and project-specific requirements. The position works closely with program staff, project teams, vendors, and University offices to obtain required documentation, resolve transaction issues, communicate fiscal requirements, and maintain complete and audit-ready financial records.

The Accounting Specialist also provides practical guidance and training to SWORPS staff on established fiscal policies, procedures, and business processes; identifies recurring questions or process issues; and contributes to improvements in procedures, job aids, training materials, and financial processes. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong attention to detail, sound judgment, responsiveness, follow-through, and a customer-service mindset while working in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.

This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

The Accounting Specialist II responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Financial Transaction Processing and Compliance

• Process non-labor financial transactions, including invoices, reimbursements, deposits, transfer vouchers, cost transfers, and other assigned accounting transactions.
• Review transactions and supporting documentation for accuracy, completeness, business purpose, required approvals, allowability, appropriate coding, and compliance with applicable University, SWORPS, sponsor, grant, contract, and project requirements.
• Identify missing, incorrect, or noncompliant documentation or transactions and work with staff, project teams, vendors, and University offices to resolve issues.
• Prepare and submit cost transfers and other correcting financial transactions with appropriate explanations, documentation, and approvals.
• Maintain complete, accurate, organized, and audit-ready financial records and provide supporting documentation needed for sponsor invoicing, monitoring, audits, and project closeout.

Procurement, Contract, and Vendor Support

• Process and support purchasing activities, including requisitions, purchase requests, vendor setup, ordering, sourcing, and related documentation.
• Prepare contracts and non-compete justifications for purchases as requested and help ensure required information, pricing, approvals, and supporting documentation are complete before submission.
• Coordinate with vendors and University offices to resolve routine vendor setup, purchasing, and procurement issues.

University Cards, Travel, and Individual Assistance

• Process and review travel expense reports and University card transactions, including One Card activity used for travel and individual assistance costs.
• Perform first-level review and approval of monthly University card reports in DASH, reviewing business purpose, receipts and supporting documentation, coding, allowability, and compliance with established requirements.
• Identify and resolve documentation, coding, or compliance issues before approval and route completed reports to the Accounting Manager for second-level review.
• Provide guidance on travel, One Card requirements, supporting documentation, and routine traveler compliance or system questions.

Gift Card and Petty Cash Management

• Manage assigned petty cash activity, including reconciliations, balance monitoring, supporting documentation, and maintenance of accurate and audit-ready records.
• Manage gift card requests, purchasing, inventory, distribution, tracking, and reconciliation in accordance with established procedures and internal controls.
• Maintain accurate records of gift card receipt, custody, distribution, remaining inventory, and reconciliation and resolve or escalate discrepancies or documentation concerns.

Fiscal Guidance, Training, and Process Improvement

• Provide practical guidance to SWORPS employees regarding established fiscal policies, procedures, documentation requirements, procurement, travel, University cards, reimbursements, gift cards, petty cash, and related business processes.
• Support onboarding…