Temporary Financial Assistant

Department: Temp Center
Salary/Grade: TMP/01

Position: Temporary Financial Assistant

Hours: This is a full-time position (37.5 Mon-Fri)
Pay: $23.00 per hour
Campus: Evanston
Approximate start date:3/16/2026
Approximate end date: TBD

Northwestern University is seeking a temporary Financial Assistant.

Temporary Job Description:

• Provides day-to-day financial & accounting support using an advanced knowledge of applicable skills, methods & practices & some innovation, analysis, & reasoning to choose appropriate alternatives from among pre-defined policies & procedures to complete work that includes successive steps & involves some non-routine problems &/or decisions.

• Applies industry and professional standards, university policy and procedure, federal and state laws and other regulations.

• Provides administrative &/or clerical support.

Specific Responsibilities

Budget:

• Updates calendar, spreadsheets, templates & forms; monitors submissions.

• Completes reconciliation procedures.

• Ensures funding is in alignment with annual budget

• Analysis, Statements & Reporting:

• Creates reports & queries; reviews for incomplete records, data entry errors, &/or accounting mistakes.

• May analyze open encumbrances that are no longer valid & recommend appropriate modifications to ensure smooth processing of financial transactions.

Transactions:

• Completes & maintains transactions in enterprise systems.

• Level 1 NUFinancials Approval Reviews; ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy.

• Troubleshoots problems.

• Performs vendor/account research as needed.

• Graduate student reimbursement service/support. Obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates.

• Provides financial policy interpretation to determine the validity of customer requests & ensure compliance.

• Coordinates and administers payroll and fellowships for all PhD students, student temps, graders, and research staff.

Grants &/or Awards:

• Completes post award accounting.

• Level 1 NUFinancials Approvals. Approves expenditures on travel, consulting &/or equipment, along with various forms, such as Intra Institutional Vouchers, Requests for Accounting Corrections, the Research Assistant and Scholarship Appointments, &/or payroll adjustments, in accordance with granting agency guidelines & University policies & procedures.

• Processes subcontract payments according to rules & regulations of granting agencies.

• Verifies payroll funding entries.

• Corrects charges to various accounts.

Administration:

• Provides excellent customer service, over the phone and in person answering standard questions regarding status of requests, policies and procedures for processing transactions, &/or instructions for completing paperwork.

• Instructs & advises regarding options and appropriate courses of action & follows-up inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction.

Training:

• Assists with training of new staff members

Supervision:

• Supervises or leads temporary, part-time or work study students.

• Provides guidance to junior employees.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• High school diploma or the equivalent.

• 3 years accounting &/or bookkeeping or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.

• Familiarity with financial reporting.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as accounting, business administration, finance, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

• 1 year financial, budgeting &/or preparing account reconciliations or financial statements along with financial analysis or other relevant experience.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.

• Familiarity with financial reporting.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.