Accounting Manager: Social Work Research & Public Service - UTK

Accounting Manager

The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is seeking an Accounting Manager to lead the Accounting Specialist function supporting SWORPS financial and business operations.

Reporting to the Director of Budget, Finance & Operations (BFO), this position provides direct supervision, work direction, training, quality control, workload coordination, and compliance oversight for Accounting Specialists supporting procurement, travel, reimbursements, invoices, purchasing cards, petty cash, gift cards, individual assistance payments, vendor setup, contract-related processes, and other financial activities.

SWORPS manages a complex portfolio of sponsored programs, state-funded projects, service contracts, and internal operations. The Accounting Manager helps ensure financial processes are accurate, timely, consistently documented, compliant with University and sponsor requirements, and supported by strong internal controls.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative and service-oriented manager who can coach staff, manage competing priorities, identify problems, develop practical solutions, and strengthen financial processes across SWORPS.

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

The Accounting Manager will:

• Lead and supervise the Accounting Specialist team, including workload coordination, training, coaching, performance feedback, evaluations, schedule management, and daily operational guidance.
• Establish and maintain consistent expectations, procedures, checklists, training materials, and workflows for Accounting Specialist responsibilities.
• Oversee financial processing related to procurement, invoices, vendor setup, purchasing cards, travel, reimbursements, internal transfers, petty cash, gift cards, individual assistance payments, and related transactions.
• Review financial activity for appropriate documentation, approvals, business purpose, account coding, allowability, sponsor requirements, and University compliance.
• Monitor team workload, processing timelines, documentation quality, recurring errors, and compliance concerns and take appropriate corrective or preventive action.
• Provide guidance to Accounting Specialists and SWORPS staff regarding financial processes, documentation requirements, travel, procurement, vendor activity, and related business practices.
• Manage and strengthen internal controls for sensitive financial processes, including petty cash, gift cards, and individual assistance activity.
• Support contract-related and procurement processes, including documentation, vendor coordination, budget review, and other required business-office activities.
• Develop reporting, documentation, training, and process improvements that strengthen accuracy, accountability, audit readiness, and continuity of operations.
• Coordinate with BFO leadership, Research Coordinators, project teams, principal investigators, vendors, the College of Social Work, and central University offices to resolve financial and operational issues.
• Support fiscal year-end activities, audits, sponsor documentation requests, special projects, and other BFO priorities as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or a related field.

• In lieu of a degree an additional four years of combined education, training and /or experience in any combination of the areas below can be accepted.

• Experience:

  • Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, procurement, business administration, sponsored-program support, or related administrative work.
  • Experience processing, reviewing, documenting, or reconciling financial transactions.
  • Experience applying policies, procedures, documentation requirements, and deadlines in a business or financial operations environment.
  • Experience providing guidance, training, work direction, or process support to staff or colleagues.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Knowledge of accounting, financial processing, reconciliation, documentation, internal controls, and compliance practices applicable to business operations.
  • Knowledge of procurement, vendor setup, invoicing, purchasing cards, travel, reimbursements, petty cash, gift cards, individual assistance, account coding, and related financial processes.
  • Skill in supervising, training, coaching, assigning work, monitoring workload, and supporting performance accountability for accounting or administrative staff.
  • Skill in communicating financial and procedural information clearly and professionally to staff with varying levels of financial knowledge.
  • Skill in organizing work, managing competing priorities, meeting deadlines and following issues through to resolution.
  • Ability to work independently, take ownership of problems and processes, analyze issues, identify root causes, develop recommendations, and implement approved solutions.
  • Ability to develop and…