| Job Summary: Provides day-to-day financial & accounting support using an advanced knowledge of applicable skills, methods & practices & some innovation, analysis, & reasoning to choose appropriate alternatives from among pre-defined policies & procedures to complete work that includes successive steps & involves some non-routine problems and/or decisions. Applies industry and professional standards, university policy and procedure, federal and state laws and other regulations. Provides administrative and/or clerical support.
Working Conditions: Needs to be able to lift boxes up to 30 lbs. and push boxes on a dolly or cart. May be called upon to work limited evening and weekend hours. Specific Responsibilities: Areas of responsibility - Accounting policy & procedure
- Accounts payable
- Analysis
- Procurement card program
- Purchase orders
- Budget
- Reconciliation
- Chart and/or account coding
- Expense reimbursement
- Financial statements
Budget - Maintains & tracks individual budget accounts.
- Coordinates annual budget process including tasks associated with the open/close processes.
- Updates calendar, spreadsheets, templates & forms; monitors submissions.
- Completes reconciliation procedures.
- Creates summary reports.
Analysis, Statements & Reporting - Prepares account, budget, cost, expenditure and/or funds analysis.
- Provides reports to managers/PIs in tracking payment status & notification when balances & activities do not comply with policy, procedures or are inadequately prepared.
- Creates reports & queries; reviews for incomplete records, data entry errors, and/or accounting mistakes.
- May analyze open encumbrances that are no longer valid & recommend appropriate modifications to ensure smooth processing of financial transactions.
Transactions - Completes & maintains transactions in enterprise systems.
- Provides review and oversight of all types of financial transactions some of which may be complex in regard to size or duration of account.
- Procard approver for team
- Point of contact for team travel and expense reimbursements
- Reviews; ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy.
- Troubleshoots problems.
- Performs vendor/account research as needed.
- Obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates.
- Provides financial policy interpretation to determine the validity of customer requests & ensure compliance.
- Contacts outside agencies, banks and/or banking systems to obtain clarification of rules and/or regulations.
- Enters information into database.
Administration - Provides excellent customer service, over the phone and in person answering standard questions regarding status of requests, policies and procedures for processing transactions, and/or instructions for completing paperwork.
- Instructs & advises regarding options and appropriate courses of action & follows-up inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction.
- Provides administrative support in regard to HR matters such as hiring, onboarding, benefits, compensation, etc.
- Completes other administrative and/or clerical activities such as organizing meetings; reserving AV equipment.
Training - Assists with training of new staff members
- Creates & provides financial training on practice, procedure, policy and/or laws & regulations to customers.
- Performs other duties as assigned
Miscellaneous - Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications: - High school diploma or the equivalent.
- 3 years accounting and/or bookkeeping experience or the equivalent combination of education & experience.
Minimum Competencies: - Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.
- Familiarity with financial reporting.
Preferred Qualifications: - Accounting education
- Experience with higher education financials
- Accounts payable experience
Preferred Competencies: - Strong attention to detail and accuracy
- Experience analyzing financial data to support data-driven decision making
- Intermediate Access skills
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to work positively with peers, vendors and other internal and external constituencies
- Ability to work independently
As per Northwestern University policy, this position requires a criminal background check. Successful applicants will need to submit to a criminal background check prior to employment. Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.
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