Business Operations Specialist
- Employer
- University of South Carolina
- Location
- Columbia
View more categoriesView less categories
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
STA00691PO26
Job Family:Business Operations
Job Function:Business Operations
USC Market Title:Business Operations Specialist
Link to USC Market Title:https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/132278
Job Level:P2 - Professional
Business Title (Internal Title):Business Operations Specialist
Campus:Columbia
Work County:Richland
College/Division:College of Engineering and Computing
Department:CEC College of Engineering and Computing
State Pay Range:G09
USC Market Range:MRF - $53,576 $66,970 $80,364
Anticipated Hiring Range:$53,576 - $74,000
Part/Full Time:Full Time
Hours per Week:37.5
Work Schedule:- Standard working schedule: 8:30am – 5:00pm
- Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department.
12 months
Job Search Category:Fiscal Accounting
About University of South Carolina:From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.
Veterans' Preference Statement:The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.
Advertised Job Summary:The Business Operations Specialist serves as the primary business operations professional for two departments within the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, providing financial and administrative support to ensure the efficient and effective management of departmental resources. The Business Operations Specialist gathers, processes, and analyzes financial data using university enterprise systems; assists with budget development and financial planning; monitors expenditures; and supports compliance with university policies and applicable funding requirements.The position supports the college’s mission by applying solid working knowledge of university financial policies, procedures, and business practices to maintain sound fiscal operations and promote responsible stewardship of university resources.
Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience:- Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 2 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.
- Experience with University of South Carolina financial and administrative systems, including PeopleSoft, Banner, Reporting Express, and related enterprise applications.
- Solid working knowledge of financial management, budgeting, accounting principles, and fiscal administration. Familiarity with enterprise systems and software (to include PeopleSoft, Banner, Reporting Express) as well as financial reporting tools such as excel and access.
- Knowledge of higher education financial policies, grants, and procurement. Problem solving and critical thinking, the ability to identify financial risks, inefficiencies and opportunities.
- Experience developing financial workflows, improving efficiencies and ensuring timely financial reporting. Ability to translate financial data into clear, actionable recommendations.
- Attention to detail and accuracy. Adaptability and initiative. Stress management, confidentiality and ethics.
The Business Operations Specialist serves as a key liaison between Principal Investigators (PIs) and the Post-Awards Department to ensure compliant and efficient management of grant-related expenses. When a PI requests a grant-funded expense, the Business Operations Specialist facilitates the submission process through designated forms and works closely with the Post-Awards Department, the authority on grant compliance, to determine whether the expense is allowable under grant guidelines, institutional policies, within budgets, and funding agency requirements. Once post-award approves the expense, the Business Operations Specialist processes.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:20
Job Duty:Responsible overseeing the day-to-day budget and financial operations for two departments within the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, ensuring alignment with institutional policies and strategic goals. This role monitors all expenses flowing from each department, including payroll, procurement, travel approvals and grant-related expenditures, while maintaining compliance with university and funding regulations. Administers departmental financial activities to include: analyzing financial data, and providing reporting to department and college level leadership to support informed decision-making. Collaborates with faculty, staff, and university administrative offices to support effective resource management, forecast financial needs, and identify opportunities to improve business processes and operational efficiency.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:40
Job Duty:Completes USC hiring documents for graduate and undergraduate students and post-docs. Including I9’s, IS forms, etc. Maintains records of personal hires and ensures timely and accurate onboarding and offboarding.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:15
Job Duty:Serves as the department line approver for items needing approval for the Ed Foundation pass-through account, review balances, send statements to department faculty, and tracks Ed Foundation accounts. Ensures timely and accurate submission and processing of check request payments and reimbursements, maintaining records of submitted check requests, and ensuring compliance with the policies and procedures outlined in the Ed Foundation AP Manual.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:10
Job Duty:Attends regular meetings and collaborates with college-level budget and finance leadership to develop and refine processes. The role ensures adherence to University-level business policies and procedures and verifies that staff have completed the necessary training. Additionally, the Business Specialist maintains positive relationships with faculty, staff, and students to enhance collaborative and streamlined processes.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:10
Job Duty:Time and Effort Reporting: Following the Office of Post-Award Finance’s validation and release of effort reports for certification, the Business Operations Specialist collaborates with the Post-Award team to ensure the timely completion of the certification process across the assigned departments.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:5
Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive:No
Hazardous weather category:Non-Essential
Number of Vacancies:1
Desired Start Date:11/01/2026
Job Open Date:09/16/2026
Job Close Date:09/25/2026
Open Until Filled:No
Special Instructions to Applicant:Applicants must upload a cover letter, resume’ and provide at least 3 references
Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email. We are only accepting applications submitted by September 25, 2026. The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:
- Health and Life Insurance
- Retirement Programs
- Paid Tuition
- Dependent Scholarships
- Annual Leave
- Sick Leave
- 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Professional Development Opportunities
Click here to learn more about why you should work at USC.Quicklink for Posting:
https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/213284
EEO Statement:The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.
Organization
Working at University of South Carolina
With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.
The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.
Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.
By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.
Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.
In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.
South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.
The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.
South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.
The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.
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