Program and Fiscal Support Specialist

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, VA

Workplace Type : Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band : 03

Salary : Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check : Yes

About the Department :

The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department's mission is to educate students and conduct research in the broad fields of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

In addition to its own undergraduate and graduate programs, the ECE Department supports other programs in the College of Engineering and Computing through interdisciplinary collaboration in both education and research and has close ties with other departments such as Bioengineering, Computer Science, Cyber Security Engineering, Information Sciences and Technology, and Mechanical Engineering.

Projects and hands-on activities are at the core of many of our educational programs where interdisciplinary projects and courses are highly integrated into the curriculum.

Thousands of students have graduated from our department's accredited programs and gone on to prosperous careers in engineering and related fields.

About the Position :

The purpose of the Program Fiscal Support Specialist is to oversee the general administrative and fiscal department operations.

The incumbent will be responsible for, but not limited to, coordination of departmental events; provide purchasing assistance to ECE faculty and department leadership;

and perform reconciliation for department expenses and travel.

Please note that this is not a 100% remote / virtual position, however is telework friendly. Depending upon your department / office, you may have the ability to telework 1-3 days per week.

Responsibilities : Purchasing :

Purchasing :

• Manage purchasing for professor and student research projects and ECE 492 / 493 senior design projects;
• Responsible for monthly reconciliation of all purchases made in the department;
• Responsible for bi-monthly budget monitoring;
• Maintain appropriate filing systems for reconciled records;
• Keep the department Chair and Associate Chairs apprised of daily operations concerns; and
• Serve as primary liaison with the College Financial Team, Mason Fiscal Services, Travel Office, and GMU Foundation.

Office and Administrative Support :

• Provide support for faculty and student administrative needs;
• Event planning and catering coordination for departmental events, outreach programs, and research related programs;
• Travel coordination and reimbursement for non-GMU persons;
• Maintain follow-up process for important and timely issues, and routinely check-in with Travel Office and Accounts Payable on status of requests; and
• Attend regular Travel and Purchasing trainings to stay abreast on current university rules and regulations concerning procedures for process of authorizations and reimbursements.

Other Programs Assistance :

• Assist with requests for swipe card access;
• Coordinate Telecom for the department;
• Manage and update ECE's website;
• Assist with answering office phone calls; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications :

• High school diploma or equivalent;
• Experience in procurement and processing financial transactions;
• Experience creating spreadsheets with Excel;
• Experience working independently to accurately achieve on-time objectives;
• Experience performing work that requires attention to detail;
• Experience working with and / or supporting diverse stakeholders and communicating in a positive, supportive, and collaborative manner;
• Demonstrated skill and expertise using Microsoft Office, in particular MS Excel;
• Knowledge in analyzing financial data, purchasing, and monitoring expenses;
• Management of sensitive and confidential materials related to faculty, staff, and students;
• Effective written and oral communication skills;
• Excellent attention to detail and organization skills; and
• Demonstrated problem-solving and analytical ability.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Bachelor's degree in a related field;
• Experience working in a higher education setting, particularly with financial responsibilities;
• Experience with Mason Finance Gateway, Ellucian Banner, and MicroStrategy;
• Experience using Banner, Small Purchase Cards using Works, and purchasing using eVA;
• Demonstrated experience using Microsoft Office Suite; experience using MS Teams for collaboration;
• Experience with monthly financial reconciliation;
• Experience processing journal vouchers;
• Experience monitoring budgets;
• Knowledge of P-Card and travel expense reimbursement processes; and
• Knowledge of accounting, finance, or business management, preferably in higher education.

Instructions to Applicants :

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Program and Fiscal Support Specialist at 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 June 5, 2024; however, review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Posting Open Date : May 23, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by : June 5, 2024

Open Until Filled? : Yes

Mason Engineering : The Future of Engineering is Here About the College

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.