Accounting Specialist, Office of the Bursar - UT Chattanooga

The Accounting Specialist performs advance accounting and related clerical duties in connection with the receipt, depositing and recording of all monies collected by the Bursar's Office according to University policies and procedures. 

• Reconciles and posts bank deposits against the daily bank download from local banking institutions for all departments within the Chattanooga campus (The System wide warehouse shows an average download of 84 million per year for the Chattanooga campus)
• Resolves all issues with the bank for discrepancies
• Identifies ACH/EFT for the campus
• Accurately accounts numbers and amounts of each deposit into the proper banks on the daily transmittal
• Verifies electronic funds transferred monies (EFT) from Knoxville to be transmitted daily on the transmittal to proper students’ account
• Serves as campus contact for unresolved deposits, parked cash documents, and cash entries
• Processes all debit memos to the proper account for returned checks, disputed credit card transactions and forwards correspondence to departments for merchant response
• Processes all manual refunds from Financial Aid for Parent Plus Loans, Donor returns, Veteran payments and enters these requests into the BANNER system prior to approval
• Ensures paper Plus loans are endorsed properly prior to deposit
• Verifies and posts all ACH payments for the Bursar's Office from bank download for VA Chapter 33 payments, Vocational Rehab payments and international payments
• Processes payments to the proper department for new Conference payments managed by the Bursar's office
• Proofs all deposits for the Bursar's Office Customer Service Specialist daily prior to submission to the bank
• Verifies incoming and outgoing bank bags from departments for transport to local banking institutions
• Posts and processes ACH student payments to the Banner system
• Responsible for the setup and training of credit card machines in the Bursar’s Office and other UTC departments and serves as the liaison between the merchant and UTC
• Performs testing online departmental credit card payments that are being processed to the correct ledger account before approving it for production
• Responsible for ongoing training of current and new employees that are required to make deposits in other units on campus
• Notifies departments of transactions that need to post to the University clearing account prior to month end

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of accounting, reconciliation, and cash management 
• Strong organizational, interpersonal skills, and communication skills
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Computer skills in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Ability to perform accurately during peak times, multi-task and provide quality customer service to the university community

Application Review

Review of applications will begin October 12, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration. 

Minimum: Requires a high school diploma; 2 years of experience working in a college or university environment and with the public, handling large sums of cash, verifying and proofing checks and banking deposits; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. 

Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; 2 years of experience working in a Bursar’s office or banking institution, knowledge of IRIS and/or BANNER systems is preferred. 

Work Location:

• University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, TN Campus
• This is a fully on-site position

Compensation and Benefits:

• UT Market Range: MR06
• Anticipated hiring salary: $45,000 - $48,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure
• Find more information on UT Benefits 

ABOUT US

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is in the heart of one of Tennessee’s largest and most dynamic cities. As a national model for metropolitan universities, UTC collaborates with its many regional partners to offer an experiential learning environment with outstanding teaching scholars in 128 undergraduate degree programs and 55 graduate programs—at both the master's and doctoral levels. UTC and Chattanooga—nationally recognized for its downtown redevelopment and wealth of outdoor recreation—are inextricably linked, and the University is central to the workforce and economic development efforts of the region and the state.

Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Engineering and Computer Science; Health, Education and Professional Studies; and the Honors College are home to an array of award-winning programs from Nursing to Computer Science, Entrepreneurship to Veteran Student Support. Innovation is a strategic focus, and UTC research and development in smart city technology is an industry leader. UTC is the first and only university in the country with access to a managed, commercial quantum computing network, and we are introducing an artificial intelligence initiative involving entities across campus and engaging partners throughout the region. 

From our deep ties to the city of Chattanooga to our national reputation for innovation and hands-on learning, UTC stands out as a university where students thrive, faculty inspire, and partnerships create real impact.