State Role Title: Financial Services Specialist I
Position Type: Full-time Staff (Classified)
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: Center for Global Engagement
Department: 100148 - CGE Administration
Pay Band: 4
Pay Rate: Pay Range
Specify Range or Amount: $46,000-$48,000
Is this a JMU only position? No
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No
Beginning Review Date: 8/4/2026
About JMU:
At James Madison University (JMU), we’re more than just a publicly funded institution — we’re a vibrant, welcoming community located on a stunning campus where innovation, collaboration, and personal growth thrive. Our mission is to prepare students for a bright future, and we believe that starts with supporting the people who make it all possible: our employees.
Why Work at JMU?
We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your professional journey and personal wellbeing:
- Generous Leave: Enjoy paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave, community service leave, and 19 paid holidays annually.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access high-quality health insurance options that fit your needs.
- Retirement Options: Plan for your future with retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System.
- Employee Well-Being: Our Balanced Dukes program promotes wellness and work-life integration through resources, events, and support.
- Tuition Waiver Program: Advance your education with our tuition waiver program for undergraduate and graduate courses taken at JMU.
At JMU, we believe in Being the Change — and that starts with creating an environment where you can grow, contribute meaningfully, and feel supported every step of the way.
Discover what makes JMU a great place to work: bit.ly/JMUEmployment
General Information:
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.
Duties and Responsibilities:
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.
Qualifications:
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.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain accurate records.
- Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively in a team environment.
- Ability to apply policies, procedures, and guidelines consistently and use sound judgment when completing detailed administrative or fiscal tasks.
- Interest in international education, study abroad, global engagement, or financial operations in higher education.
Additional Considerations:
- Experience working in higher education, study abroad, international education, global engagement, or another student-facing university setting.
- Experience with Chrome River, PeopleSoft, eVA, SPCC reconciliation, travel processing, payroll/hiring processes, or other university business systems.
- Experience supporting faculty, staff, students, or campus partners with financial or administrative processes.
- Familiarity with federal, state, university, or similarly regulated financial policies and procedures.
Additional Posting Information:
Conditions of Employment:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
EEO Statement:
James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.
Reasonable Accommodation:
If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or [email protected]. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.
