Fiscal and Budget Support Specialist
Fiscal and Budget Support Specialist
- 10002285
- Fairfax, VA
- Classified Staff
- Opening on: Feb 17 2025
Department: Col of Engineering and Computing
Classification: Admin Office Specialist 3
Job Category: Classified Staff
Job Type: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)
Location: Fairfax & Manassas, VA
Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible
Pay Band: 03
Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience
Criminal Background Check: Yes
Financial Background Check: Yes
About the Department:
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at George Mason University is a young department with vibrant undergraduate and graduate educational activities and research laboratories.
About the Position:
The Department’s Fiscal and Budget Support Specialist is a critical team member to support our research and educational mission. This people-facing role supports students, faculty, and staff, with purchasing, reconciliation, travel, and property management. With a large capstone design program, much of this position’s day-to-day is student centric, assisting undergraduates with needed purchases to be able to complete culminating design-build activities essential to their degree.
Please note, this is not a 100% remote/virtual position, but is telework friendly. Depending upon your department/office, you may have the ability to telework 1-3 days per week. Additionally, the Department of Mechanical Engineering maintains a presence on both the Fairfax and SciTech campuses, and as such, this position could be principally based out of either location.
Responsibilities:
Purchasing:
- Provides financial support for both academic and research department activities;
- Processes faculty, staff, and student purchase requests for equipment and supplies through the eVA vendor system and other approved sources;
- Processes small purchase requests through the department purchase card (P-Card); and
- Processes reimbursements for foundation accounts.
Reconciliation:
- Reconciles P-Card purchases and submits monthly statement with required documentation;
- Reconciles departmental orgs and foundation account on a monthly basis;
- Maintains appropriate filing systems for reconciled records; and
- Provides reconciliation documents for direct expenditures on sponsored research projects.
Budget Oversight:
- Monitors the department’s budget and financial resources in close collaboration with the department Chair and CEC Chief Business Officer (CBO);
- Responsible for periodic budget reviews, keeps budget updates for the department, and updates department Chair on any budget issues; and
- Provides periodic budget reports to the department Chair and provides explanation for any budget related questions on expenditures.
Travel Requests:
- Processes travel authorizations and reimbursements for faculty and students on both state and sponsored project funds; and
- Provides logistics support for faculty and student travel needs.
Fixed Asset Management:
- Manages the unit’s equipment and acts as the point of contact for Fixed Assets, University Police, and Risk Management offices;
- Conducts a periodic inventory of the unit’s equipment; and
- Promptly reports status changes and discrepancies (acquisition, transfer between departments, disposition, cannibalization, destruction, loss, theft, etc.) of centrally recorded (i.e., barcoded) equipment to the responsible office(s) as soon as possible (within 30 days of activity).
Other Duties:
- Serves as telecom coordinator for the department; and
- Other related duties as needed/assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent;
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills;
- Proficiency using e-mail, internet, and Microsoft Office;
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks;
- Ability to manage sensitive and confidential materials related to faculty, staff, and students;
- Ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students;
- Professional demeanor and presentation;
- Experience processing financial transactions; and
- Experience reconciling financial transactions ensuring accuracy.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in related field;
- Familiarity with the higher education environment;
- Knowledge of University financial policies and procedures;
- Experience monitoring budget and proactively ensuring spending within limits; and
- Experience with eVA, Banner Finance, MicroStrategy, travel, food and beverage systems.
Instructions to Applicants:
For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Fiscal and Budget Support Specialist at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.
Full consideration will apply to applicants who submit their completed application by March 3, 2025; however, review of applications will continue until the position is filled.
Posting Open Date: February 17, 2025
For Full Consideration, Apply by: March 3, 2025
Open Until Filled: Yes
The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) at George Mason University is a fast-growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the CEC enrolled a record high of 10,933 students in fall 2023. The college has 34 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs including several first-in-the-nation offerings. Of its 320 full-time faculty, 93 are tenured, 77 are tenure-track, 90 are term faculty, and 60 are research faculty. As part of a nationally ranked research university, CEC research teams expended $65 million in sponsored research awards in the past year and had projects with over $119 million in current and anticipated awards. The college stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architecture, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, and more. The college encourages and supports multidisciplinary research and provides ample opportunity for faculty to work with other disciplines.
About the University and the Region:
George Mason University is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students studying in over 200 degree programs. Mason is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. It was classified as an R1 research institution in 2016 by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education. The university has campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William County. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides unmatched geographical access to federal agencies and national laboratories. Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-tech firms in the nation, providing excellent opportunities for interaction with industry. The region is consistently rated as being among the best places to live in the country and has an outstanding local public school system.
About the Future:
In conjunction with Amazon’s decision to establish a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing. As a result, Mason has committed to accelerate its plans to grow its capacity in computing and high-tech fields. Among the university’s exciting initiatives are the launch of the Institute for Digital Innovation—a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy—and the expansion of Mason Square, home to its Arlington facilities. In 2025, Fuse, a new 355,000 square foot building, will open to students, faculty, and research teams. This net-zero facility will house the Institute for Digital Innovation, state-of the-art classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces. It will also include retail space, and leasing opportunities for local businesses. These initiatives reflect hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment by Mason that will rapidly elevate the university’s already leading national position in computing and related areas.
Mason Ad Statement
Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason’s diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.
If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu/!
George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition.
Equity Statement
George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.
Campus Safety Information
Mason’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at http://police.gmu.edu/annual-security-report/
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