Financial Administrator

Northwestern University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 57,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Northwestern University in Chicago is seeking a budget and financial analyst within the MED-Office of Finance & Admin to support accounting functions across schools and units, coordinating with central offices such as HR, Budget, Financial Aid, Facilities, and Purchasing.

The role covers budget planning, analysis, journal entries, reconciliation, reporting, grants and awards oversight, and payroll-related processing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field is required.
• 2 years financial, budgeting, or accounting experience with analysis and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Participates in determination of budget including resource allocation.
• Prepares analysis and reports; provides account research.
• Assists with budget projects and forecasting submissions.
• Performs journal entries and reconciliations.
• Manages financial transactions and reports across schools/departments.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field

Tools

MS Office

NUFinancials

myHR

NUPlans

Job description

Department: MED-Office of Finance & Admin

Salary/Grade: EXS/6

Job Summary

• Supports a university accounting-related area or program.
• Manages financial operations &/or analysis in support of area/unit's mission & in coordination with central offices such as HR, Budget, Financial Aid, Facilities, Purchasing, IT, Provost, etc.
• Reviews a portfolio of multiple schools/depts' financial operations comprised of work that involves some complex problems &/or decisions.
• Accounting policy & procedure
• Accounts payable
• Accounts receivable
• Additional/special pay
• Analysis
• Budget
• Cash receipt
• Chart &/or account coding
• Endowment and gift accounting
• Expense reimbursement
• Forecasting
• Journal &/or ledger
• Payroll
• Procurement card program
• Purchase orders
• Reporting
• Salary administration
• Transfer charges

Budget

Specific Responsibilities

• Participates in determination of budget including fiscal resource allocation of appropriated, discretionary, endowment &/or gift revenues.
• Prepares analysis & reports.
• Provides account research.
• Assists with budget projects.
• Updates budget estimates & provides commitment tracking support for all financial activity.
• Ensures lead schedules are prepared.
• Guides units of responsibility through university budgeting and forecasting processes, reviews budget and forecasting submissions.
• Acts a Budget Office expert on units and functions within portfolio of responsibilities.
• Coordinates &/or provides information for the annual salary review process.
• Reviews & reconciles actual expenses to budget per NU Audit guidelines.
• Approves funds reallocation within budget as necessary & appropriate.

Analysis, Statements & Reporting

• Creates daily, monthly, annual, &/or project end analysis & reports regarding area/unit, grants &/or awards, accounts, funds, payroll, expense &/or revenue allocation, customer service activity, etc.
• Prepares financial analysis and lead schedules for supplies, equipment, &/or personnel decisions.
• Records journal entries and creates reports.
• Performs financial account reconciliations, statement analysis, and transaction research.
• Provides support for annual audit workpapers and quarterly financial statement workpapers.
• Maintains, and updates financial models and analysis.

Transactions

• Provides review and oversight of all types of financialtransactions some of which may be complex in regard to size or duration of account.
• Enters individual &/or summary of transactions into journals &/or general ledger or other NU enterprise system.
• Reviews; ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy; analyzes and classifies transactions in accordance with established chart or coding of accounts; creates new accounts; prepares, processes, reconciles & provides receipts (as appropriate) for transactions.
• Processes transfer &/or appropriation charges & may balance &/or close accounts.
• Troubleshoots problems; performs vendor/account research as needed; obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates.
• Maintains Chart of Account lists.
• Prepares & delivers bank deposits
• Accesses multiple banking systems to process transactions, retrieve information, &/or initiate wire transfers.
• Provides financial policy interpretation to determine the validity of customer requests & ensure compliance.
• Contacts outside agencies, banks &/or banking systems to obtain clarification of rules &/or regulations.
• Controls account availability for all chart strings.
• Provides support for internal &/or granting agency audit requests.
• Reviews status of related university accounts, transactions and processes; troubleshoots issues as needed.

Grants &/or Awards

• Reviews PI funding status on a monthly basis.
• Works with Dept &/or Research Administrator regarding financial grants management issues.
• Provides data for grant proposals; submits proposals
• Develops &/or administers budgets; coordinates IRB/IACUC, OSR/ASRSP transactions, &/or effort reporting.
• Interacts with faculty, staff &/or funders to build relationships, transfer knowledge, &/or advise on research policies & procedures.
• Monitors commitments and expenditures to ensure compliance with granting agency guidelines.
• Verifies accurate set up of sponsored project accounts.

Administration

• Processes & presents data & information through the application of database, graphic & spreadsheet software.
• Obtains data by downloading from enterprise systems; develops and runs queries.
• Identifies sources for data &information to be used & completes special financial projects such as (enter in explanation of specialprojects):
• Performs general office support activities
• Managesoperation of or interaction with a computer system or system processes that support the area or program.
• Ensures that area service level goals are met.

Training

• Provides training and support to related university units or program participants; maintains website and training materials

Supervision

• Supervises temporary, part-time or work study students
• Provides work direction to others
• Supervises other employees
• Assists with hiring employees

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as accounting, business administration, finance, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 2 years financial, budgeting &/or preparing account reconciliations or financial statements along with financial analysis or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• MS Office, NUFinancials,

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or combination of education & experience

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• myHR, NUPlans

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parentalleave;tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life And Wellness

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $56,780 to $81,410 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.