OPT Financial Operations Specialist Jobs
Financial Operations Specialist roles cover financial reporting, reconciliation, budgeting, and compliance work that typically qualifies under STEM OPT extension eligibility. F-1 students on OPT have up to 12 months of standard work authorization, with a 24-month STEM extension available for qualifying degree holders in finance, accounting, or related fields.
See All OPT Financial Operations Specialist JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 11+ Financial Operations Specialist jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all Financial Operations Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Financial Operations Specialist roles.
Get Access To All JobsPosition Summary
The Financial Operations Specialist is a cross-functional Business Office professional responsible for supporting and maintaining continuity across student accounts, cashiering operations, general accounting, payroll support, reconciliations, financial reporting, and audit preparation.
This position is intentionally structured as an operational resilience role within the Division of Administration & Finance. The incumbent will be cross-trained in student receivables, cash management, general ledger accounting, and payroll-related accounting functions to ensure uninterrupted financial operations during staff absences, peak registration cycles, audit periods, or organizational transitions.
The ideal candidate is analytically strong, operationally versatile, detail-oriented, and comfortable interacting with students, faculty, staff, auditors, and external agencies.
TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Student Accounts & Receivables
- Analyze student account data to ensure tuition, fees, scholarships, grants, and payments are accurately posted.
- Perform account adjustments, billing, collections, and refund processing.
- Maintain aging reports and assist in managing delinquent accounts.
- Coordinate with collection agencies as necessary.
- Reconcile student sub-ledger accounts to general ledger control accounts.
- Partner with Financial Aid to ensure accurate aid posting and refund clearance.
- Support registration cycles and student-facing tuition communication.
- Generate monthly collection and receivable reports for leadership.
2. Cashiering & Cash Management
- Receive and reconcile daily cash, checks, credit card transactions, and other payments.
- Prepare daily deposits and ensure timely bank submissions.
- Maintain custody and logging of sensitive financial instruments (loan checks, vendor payments, work-study checks).
- Prepare daily recap and reconciliation reports.
- Monitor returned checks and coordinate re-charges to student accounts.
- Maintain Deferred Payment Plan tracking and reporting.
- Support registration payment processing and high-volume transaction periods.
- Evaluate cashiering processes and recommend operational improvements.
3. General Accounting & Financial Reporting
- Prepare monthly general ledger reconciliations.
- Assist in preparation of financial statements and supporting schedules.
- Analyze monthly financial data and report variances.
- Support payroll accounting entries and reconciliation.
- Review fixed asset schedules and investment account reconciliations.
- Ensure proper accounting entries and corrections in accordance with GAAP and fund accounting standards.
- Assist with annual financial and tax audits.
- Support preparation of required University reporting.
4. Payroll & Operational Support
- Provide backup support for payroll processing and reconciliation.
- Manage payroll-related inquiries through designated communication channels.
- Ensure payroll entries reconcile to general ledger.
- Maintain confidentiality of payroll and personnel financial information.
5. Compliance, Controls & Process Improvement
- Ensure adherence to internal controls and University policies.
- Safeguard highly sensitive financial information.
- Evaluate operational processes for efficiency and risk mitigation.
- Recommend procedural improvements to strengthen financial controls.
- Serve as cross-trained backup to the Bursar, Staff Accountant, and Cashier functions as needed.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.
- 3–5 years of progressive accounting or financial operations experience.
- Experience in higher education or fund accounting strongly preferred.
- Experience in accounts receivable, cash handling, and reconciliation required.
- Payroll experience preferred.
- Working knowledge of ERP systems (Ellucian Colleague preferred).
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES
- Strong understanding of GAAP and fund accounting principles.
- High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial systems.
- Demonstrated experience in reconciliation, analysis, and financial reporting.
- Strong internal control awareness and risk mitigation mindset.
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to function independently and as part of a collaborative finance team.
- Strong student/customer service orientation.
- Ability to manage confidential financial information with discretion.
- Commitment to the Mission and Vision of the University.
SUPERVISION
This position reports to the Vice President for Administration & Finance.
SALARY RANGE
- $50,000 Annually, plus benefits!
POSITION STATUS
- Full-time; in-person.
SETTING
Founded in 1875, Huston-Tillotson University is Austin's first institution of higher education. The University is an independent, liberal arts, church-related, historically black institution located on a 23-acre tree-lined campus near downtown Austin, Texas. The University is affiliated with United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund. Undergraduate, four-year degrees in business, education, the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences are awarded. Huston-Tillotson University is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-faith, and welcomes students of all ages, races, and religions. All faculty are engaged in a range of activities, their primary focus is teaching. The student-teacher ratio is 15 to one, which allows an environment of personalized attention to students.
Position Summary
The Financial Operations Specialist is a cross-functional Business Office professional responsible for supporting and maintaining continuity across student accounts, cashiering operations, general accounting, payroll support, reconciliations, financial reporting, and audit preparation.
This position is intentionally structured as an operational resilience role within the Division of Administration & Finance. The incumbent will be cross-trained in student receivables, cash management, general ledger accounting, and payroll-related accounting functions to ensure uninterrupted financial operations during staff absences, peak registration cycles, audit periods, or organizational transitions.
The ideal candidate is analytically strong, operationally versatile, detail-oriented, and comfortable interacting with students, faculty, staff, auditors, and external agencies.
TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Student Accounts & Receivables
- Analyze student account data to ensure tuition, fees, scholarships, grants, and payments are accurately posted.
- Perform account adjustments, billing, collections, and refund processing.
- Maintain aging reports and assist in managing delinquent accounts.
- Coordinate with collection agencies as necessary.
- Reconcile student sub-ledger accounts to general ledger control accounts.
- Partner with Financial Aid to ensure accurate aid posting and refund clearance.
- Support registration cycles and student-facing tuition communication.
- Generate monthly collection and receivable reports for leadership.
2. Cashiering & Cash Management
- Receive and reconcile daily cash, checks, credit card transactions, and other payments.
- Prepare daily deposits and ensure timely bank submissions.
- Maintain custody and logging of sensitive financial instruments (loan checks, vendor payments, work-study checks).
- Prepare daily recap and reconciliation reports.
- Monitor returned checks and coordinate re-charges to student accounts.
- Maintain Deferred Payment Plan tracking and reporting.
- Support registration payment processing and high-volume transaction periods.
- Evaluate cashiering processes and recommend operational improvements.
3. General Accounting & Financial Reporting
- Prepare monthly general ledger reconciliations.
- Assist in preparation of financial statements and supporting schedules.
- Analyze monthly financial data and report variances.
- Support payroll accounting entries and reconciliation.
- Review fixed asset schedules and investment account reconciliations.
- Ensure proper accounting entries and corrections in accordance with GAAP and fund accounting standards.
- Assist with annual financial and tax audits.
- Support preparation of required University reporting.
4. Payroll & Operational Support
- Provide backup support for payroll processing and reconciliation.
- Manage payroll-related inquiries through designated communication channels.
- Ensure payroll entries reconcile to general ledger.
- Maintain confidentiality of payroll and personnel financial information.
5. Compliance, Controls & Process Improvement
- Ensure adherence to internal controls and University policies.
- Safeguard highly sensitive financial information.
- Evaluate operational processes for efficiency and risk mitigation.
- Recommend procedural improvements to strengthen financial controls.
- Serve as cross-trained backup to the Bursar, Staff Accountant, and Cashier functions as needed.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.
- 3–5 years of progressive accounting or financial operations experience.
- Experience in higher education or fund accounting strongly preferred.
- Experience in accounts receivable, cash handling, and reconciliation required.
- Payroll experience preferred.
- Working knowledge of ERP systems (Ellucian Colleague preferred).
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES
- Strong understanding of GAAP and fund accounting principles.
- High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial systems.
- Demonstrated experience in reconciliation, analysis, and financial reporting.
- Strong internal control awareness and risk mitigation mindset.
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to function independently and as part of a collaborative finance team.
- Strong student/customer service orientation.
- Ability to manage confidential financial information with discretion.
- Commitment to the Mission and Vision of the University.
SUPERVISION
This position reports to the Vice President for Administration & Finance.
SALARY RANGE
- $50,000 Annually, plus benefits!
POSITION STATUS
- Full-time; in-person.
SETTING
Founded in 1875, Huston-Tillotson University is Austin's first institution of higher education. The University is an independent, liberal arts, church-related, historically black institution located on a 23-acre tree-lined campus near downtown Austin, Texas. The University is affiliated with United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund. Undergraduate, four-year degrees in business, education, the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences are awarded. Huston-Tillotson University is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-faith, and welcomes students of all ages, races, and religions. All faculty are engaged in a range of activities, their primary focus is teaching. The student-teacher ratio is 15 to one, which allows an environment of personalized attention to students.
See all OPT Financial Operations Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Financial Operations Specialist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Financial Operations Specialist
Lead with your OPT timeline upfront
Disclose your OPT status and end date early in conversations with employers. Financial operations teams plan headcount months ahead, so giving hiring managers clear visibility into your authorization window helps them assess fit without surprises later.
Highlight STEM OPT eligibility if applicable
If your degree is in finance, accounting, economics, or a quantitative field, you likely qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Mentioning this during interviews significantly reduces employer hesitation about the timeline of your work authorization.
Target employers with existing OPT hiring history
Financial services firms, corporate treasury teams, and accounting operations groups at large companies regularly sponsor OPT students. Focus on organizations with established international hiring practices rather than small firms without prior OPT or H-1B visa experience.
Frame your technical finance skills as immediate value
Proficiency in ERP systems, financial modeling, or reconciliation tools directly addresses day-one hiring needs. Emphasize specific platforms you have worked with, like SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite, to show you can contribute without an extended onboarding period.
Understand what counts as qualifying OPT employment
Your financial operations role must directly relate to your degree field. Contract, temporary, and part-time positions can qualify, but the work must be substantively connected to your area of study. Confirm this alignment with your DSO before accepting any offer.
Apply early relative to your OPT start date
Financial operations hiring cycles often run four to eight weeks from application to offer. Start your search at least two months before your OPT authorization begins so you can start employment on time without gaps that could affect your status.
Financial Operations Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Financial Operations Specialist role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree. If you graduated with a degree in finance, accounting, economics, information systems, or another STEM-designated field, and the Financial Operations Specialist role directly relates to that field, you are likely eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your degree's STEM designation with your DSO and verify the job duties align before applying for the extension.
How do I find Financial Operations Specialist jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters for employers open to sponsoring international candidates. Rather than sorting through general job boards and guessing at sponsorship willingness, Migrate Mate surfaces Financial Operations Specialist roles where OPT authorization is already a known factor, saving significant time during a period when your work authorization clock is running.
Can I work as a Financial Operations Specialist on post-completion OPT before my CPT ends?
Post-completion OPT and CPT are separate authorizations and cannot run concurrently once your degree is complete. Once you graduate, CPT authorization ends. You then apply for post-completion OPT and cannot begin working as a Financial Operations Specialist under OPT until USCIS approves your EAD card and your authorized start date arrives.
What happens to my OPT status if my Financial Operations Specialist role is terminated?
You have a 90-day unemployment buffer during your OPT period, though for STEM OPT extension holders the limit reduces to 150 days total across both periods. If your position ends, you need to either secure a new qualifying Financial Operations Specialist role or another direct-field job before exhausting that buffer to maintain valid status.
Does contract or consulting work as a Financial Operations Specialist count toward OPT?
Yes, contract and consulting arrangements can qualify, provided the work directly relates to your degree field and meets the minimum 20 hours per week requirement. Self-employment and independent contracting are permissible under OPT rules, but the work must still be substantively connected to your area of study. Document the scope of work carefully and report employment details to your DSO as required.