- Senior
- Office in Ames
Position Title:
Budget and Finance Specialist IIIJob Group:
Professional & ScientificRequired Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of related experiencePreferred Qualifications:
Degree in accounting, finance, business, or related fieldExperience in budgeting, forecasting and financial accountability
Experience in developing complex spreadsheets and using databases
Experience with financial management systems such as Workday
Experience with fund accounting in a higher education, governmental, or non-profit organizational setting including various funding sources and restrictions
Job Description:
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University is seeking a detail-oriented and strategic Budget and Finance Specialist III to provide comprehensive financial management support for the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), a department jointly administered between the College of Ag and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering. This position plays a key role in managing budgets, overseeing complex financial operations, and providing data-driven insights that support effective resource utilization and decision-making.
Key Responsibilities:
Advise department and center leaders on budget planning, resource allocation, and long-term financial strategies to support program goals.
Forecast and monitor expenditures to ensure units operate within budget and resources are used effectively.
Prepare and analyze financial reports, identify trends, and provide recommendations for decision-making.
Manage fiscal programs for assigned units, including faculty salary and startup commitments, graduate assistantships, and course and technology fees.
Oversee fee-for-service operations, rate development, billing, and compliance, and administer ISU Foundation gift accounts in accordance with donor intent and university policy.
Collaborate on post-award grant activities such as re-budgeting, cost share tracking, and effort reporting.
Serve as the Workday Cost Center Manager, reviewing and approving transactions, managing costing allocations, and ensuring compliance with university policies.
Interpret financial policies, implement internal controls, and serve as a liaison during audits, reviews, and financial reporting.
Identify and implement process improvements, standardize procedures, and propose solutions to complex financial challenges.
The successful candidate will work closely with leadership to ensure fiscal accountability, compliance, and alignment with university and college goals.
If you are motivated by building systems, leading change, and empowering others behind the scenes, this role offers an especially rewarding opportunity. You’ll contribute directly to Iowa State’s land-grant mission—supporting world-class teaching, research, and extension programs that create meaningful impact across communities, industries, and the environment. The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering is consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation and, as part of two colleges, it offers broad exposure to complex financial operations and the chance to make a strong, visible impact.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.
Level Guidelines
• Senior-level position possessing high-level professional and/or technical skills working independently under minimal supervision to support ISU’s mission and department or work unit goals
• Applies senior-level professional knowledge and expertise to work requiring greater latitude
• Solves moderately complex problems and regularly exercises judgment to determine appropriate action
• Regularly exercises judgment to resolve problems and determine appropriate action on a broad set of issue and problems. May provide recommendations regarding problems/issues outside the bounds of defined procedures and practices
• Responds to complicated inquiries, provides training, and provides direction to lower-level staff
• May provide supervision for one to two other staff (i.e., leads a small work team)
• May lead projects for which well-defined practices and procedures may not exist
• Provides guidance to students
