Finance Specialist at Rice University in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a detail-oriented finance professional to support the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In this role, the Finance Specialist will support key financial activities such as analyzing data, identifying and resolving discrepancies in financial records, and contributing to process improvements. The position also involves maintaining financial data, assisting with budget and forecast preparation, and supporting the development of financial reports to inform decision-making. The position also involves interpreting internal policies and external regulations, recommending changes when appropriate, and serving as a key resource to internal client groups on finance-related matters.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented finance professional who possesses a solid understanding of basic accounting. Strong communication skills are essential, as the role involves preparing and presenting financial information to various stakeholders. The candidate should also bring basic project management skills and a collaborative mindset to support team-based initiatives within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Workplace Requirements:

Hybrid position: This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $48,700 - 60,800

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree
  
  
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
  
  
• 1+ years' experience in Finance, Accounting, Business Operations, or related fields
  
  
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
  
  

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite
• User knowledge and demonstrated experience of financial systems
• Understanding and ability to apply basic financial and accounting skills and concepts
• Advanced communication skills, including the ability to prepare materials for and clearly and effectively communicate information to internal audiences and client groups
• Basic project management skills and ability to contribute as part of a project team

• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years' experience in Finance, Accounting, Business Operations, or related fields

• Performs structured analysis; conducts data mining; identifies, clarifies, and investigates discrepancies and exceptions; proactively develops solutions and processes
• Maintains, reconciles, reviews, combines, and validates financial data sets and accounts
• Contributes to the development of budget, forecasting, and analyses
• Runs and analyzes financial reports; assists in the preparation of management information reports
• Performs preliminary analysis, recognizes exceptions, and recommends solutions that may require policy changes or the development of new processes
• Ensures work complies with complex internal policies and external regulations which may require interpretation
• Serves as a first-line resource to client groups on matters in the work unit
• Performs other duties as assigned

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.