General Accounting Manager

UC Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

UC Santa Barbara is seeking a Manager of General Accounting to lead the university’s general accounting operations, close processes, and plant/debt accounting. The role oversees staff, ensures GAAP-compliant financial statements, and collaborates with campus stakeholders to support strategic financial reporting.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s degree and 7–9 years of progressive accounting experience in large organizations, with a track record of audit readiness and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related area or equivalent experience.
• 7–9 years of progressive accounting experience in large complex organizations.
• Expertise managing general accounting operations and GAAP reporting.
• Proven ability to lead and develop professional accounting staff.
• Experience ensuring audit readiness and reliability of financial data.
• Experience leading fiscal close processes and timely results.
• Experience coordinating plant accounting with facilities, capital programs, and project management.
• Experience with enterprise financial systems and process improvements.

Responsibilities

• 65% General Accounting Leadership and Strategic Planning – lead General Accounting and chart of accounts improvements.
• 20% Management and Coordination of Fiscal Close – manage close calendar and inter-campus transactions.
• 15% Plant and Debt Accounting – oversee Plant Funds, asset ledger, debt transactions and draws.

Skills

General accounting leadership

GAAP expertise

Staff development

Financial reporting

Audit readiness

Close processes

Process improvement

Enterprise financial systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in related area

Tools

ERP/Financial systems

GAAP reporting tools

Job description

Brief Summary of Job Duties

The Manager of General Accounting is responsible for the management of the accounting procedures, systems, and human resources required for the production of accurate, and comprehensive statements of operations and net position of the University of California at Santa Barbara. The University of California, Santa Barbara is an enterprise with expenditures in excess of $1 Billion annually and assets totaling $2 Billion. The reliability and quality of the financial information presented in these statements is essential to the management and resource allocation decisions of an extraordinarily broad clientele of stakeholders, ranging from the State of California, the Regents of the University of California, The University Office of the President, the campus Senior Officers and Academic Senate, as well as program managers in numerous campus departments. The integrity and reliability of the information contained in the financial statements plays a critical role in establishing the campus' borrowing capacity in the capital markets, its credit rating, and thereby its ability to expand its mission of providing advanced instruction, research and public service to the People of California.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• 7-9 years Progressively responsible professional accounting experience supporting complex, large-scale organizations with significant assets and annual expenditures.
• 7-9 years Demonstrated expertise managing general accounting operations, including production of accurate and comprehensive statements of operations and net position in accordance with GAAP.
• 7-9 years Proven experience leading and developing professional accounting staff, including responsibility for accounting procedures, systems, internal controls, and workflow management.
• 7-9 years Experience ensuring the integrity, reliability, and audit readiness of financial data used by senior leadership, governing bodies, and external stakeholders.
• 7-9 years Demonstrated experience leading fiscal and monthly close processes, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant financial results.
• 4-6 years Experience coordinating plant accounting activities with facilities, capital programs, and project management stakeholders.
• 4-6 years Experience working with enterprise financial systems and leading process improvements in large and complex organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4-6 years UC experience and/or Institute of Higher Learning.
• Professional certification preferred.

Special Conditions of Employment

• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employee sponsorship.
• Satisfactory criminal history background check.
• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment.

Job Functions and Percentages of Time

• 65% General Accounting Leadership and Strategic Planning – Oversight responsibility of the General Accounting team, providing leadership and direction for the unit, in support of meaningful financial reporting and long‑range strategic planning for the University. The Manager is responsible for the maintenance and ongoing improvement in the University's chart of accounts, establishes service standards, goals and objectives for the General Accounting Office, and serves on campus and system‑wide planning committees.
• 20% Management and Coordination of Fiscal Close – The manager is responsible for the analysis and preparation of major transactions necessary to bring the University's financial reporting into alignment with GASB standards, including scholarship allowance credit, fiscal close calendar, and all-year accruals. The manager coordinates all campus and inter‑campus transactions in accordance with the fiscal closing timetable prescribed by the Office of the President.
• 15% Management/Oversight of Plant and Debt Accounting – The Manager oversees all aspects of Plant Funds Accounting, including semi‑annual review of expenditures in Plant Expense accounts, oversight of the Capital Asset ledger, and review of all long‑term debt transactions and construction project funding draws from short‑term financing.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Reasonable Accommodations

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