Accountant III
Campus Title: Accountant III
State Job Title: Accountant III
Department: Student Accounts
Job Code: H18X05
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Funding: 7115-0100
Bargaining Unit: AFSCME
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Timeframe: 52 Weeks
Shift: Monday-Friday, 8:30am to 4:30 pm
Regular Days Off: Saturday and Sunday
Supervision Received: Receives general supervision from the Director of Student Accounts; must exercise considerable independent judgment.
Supervision Exercised: Receiving Teller I, Admin (II), and Student workers.
Salary: $2,375.38 Bi-Weekly
General Statement of Duties:Responsible for assisting students and parents with tuition/fee bills, payments, optional and waivable fees, anticipated financial aid, installment plan, deposits, and refunds; verifies and receives deposits and payments from other department and external agencies; downloads waivers and applies to student accounts, reviewing for reasonableness. Reconciles credit card payments to Banner, Insurance Program, and Bank Mobile refund program. Acts as back-up to Director. Responsible for overseeing billing cycles, holds, billing processes, and the administrative withdrawal process. Oversees collection efforts and ensures compliance with federal and state regulations.
Duties and Responsibilities:Duties include but not limited to:Essential:- Receives and processes payments and returned bills, including optional and waivable fees, installment plans, holds, and anticipated aid; performs data entry and produces correspondence regarding account status.
- Prepares and balances daily bank deposits and cashiering sessions.
- Provides excellent customer service to students and parents regarding account balances, adjustments, refunds and WSU policies and procedures.
- Receives and processes trust fund and other internal deposits; performs journal entries into trust fund account and other general ledger accounts, ensuring the trust fund account remains in balance.
- Trains and supervises Receiving Teller I, Admin (II) and Student workers, especially regarding management of student files to comply with University State and Federal recordkeeping policies and procedures.
- Responsible for the Student Health Insurance enrollment and waiver program. Downloads and processes insurance waivers and applies them to student accounts; runs FOCUS reports to reconcile insurance.
- Enters and reconciles online student account activity daily; downloads payment adjustment forms, applies waivers, processes changes requested by students, and verifies financial aid and payments. Distributes forms to staff for processing while ensuring forms are handled in a first-in, first-out fashion.
- Performs various office tasks such as producing, distributing, receiving, logging, and filing correspondence; distributes paychecks and refund checks, and maintains office files.
- Hires, trains, and supervises student worker, especially regarding management of student files to comply with University, State and Federal recordkeeping policies and Procedures.
- Oversees and participates in the collection of outstanding balances due on student accounts and NDSL/Perkins loans, including follow-up on IRS skip trace reports. Ensures ample contact with debtors, making decisions on collection agency placements.
- Utilizes Banner, Microsoft Word, and Excel to provide a mini collection agency service that is integrated with other University data. Maintains a spreadsheet to keep track of all collection accounts.
- Manages Bank Mobile reports, including but not limited to, the undeliverable report, demographic report, expiring check report, and reversal/inactive reports. Communicates with students to facilitate timely refunds in accordance with Federal regulations.
- Processes entries on student accounts for re-issue of refunds.
- As requested by the Director, prepares daily reconciliation of accounts receivable with Banner Finance. This includes consolidation of all cashier activity for check, credit card, web and trust fund payments, refunds, and the feed into Finance. Processes entries to general ledger to zero out cash clearing account.
- Responsible for adjusting accounts and notifying students of returned checks. Monitors accounts for payment and follows up as needed.
- Works in cooperation with International Programs to collect and post payments to student accounts for special programs and travel classes, ensuring the monies collected by the International Programs Office matches the balance credited to the deposit total in Banner. Keep track of deposit release dates, and release/credit the funds to the student account for the travel class by the deadline set by International Programs.
- Reviews late fee appeals and make decisions on an individual basis.
- Assists Director with students participating in Study Abroad and special programs. Sets up appointments with students to sign the required forms, ensuring paperwork is complete and that satisfactory payment arrangements are in place. Works with Registrar's Office to code accounts accordingly. Works with vendors to obtain invoices and ensure payment is made to vendors by the designated due date. Works with Financial Aid to finalize student's eligibility to use WSU financial aid toward their program cost.
- Manages Commonwealth Commitment Program on behalf of the University. Calculates students' incentives and adjusts accounts as necessary.
- Provides information for year-end audit reports and schedules; provides other financial information and reports as requested.
- With direction from the Director and Assistant Director, confers with agency personnel and outside agencies by telephone, in writing, or in person to resolve accounting discrepancies and/or obtain statistical data and documentation for various reports and/or projects.
- With Director and Assistant Director oversite, review accounting procedures, reports, etc. for accuracy, updating, and corrections and for recommending changes or improvements in agency accounting procedures or operations.
- Assists Director and Assistant Director with implementation of process improvement initiatives as assigned.
Job Requirements:
Qualifications:- Knowledge of principles and practices of accounting, including terminology.
- Knowledge of the methods of general report writing.
- Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of accounting data, to draw conclusions, and make appropriate recommendations.
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as financial reports, accounts, and ledgers.
- Ability to understand, apply, and explain the laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing assigned unit functions.
- Ability to perform mathematical calculations using formulas to solve accounting problems.
- Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
- Ability to gather information by examining records and documents, and through questioning individuals.
- Ability to maintain accurate records.
- Ability to prepare general and financial reports.
- Ability to write concisely to express thoughts clearly and to develop ideas in a logical sequence.
- Ability to communicate effectively in oral expression.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment.
- Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential information.
- Ability to deal tactfully with others.
- Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with others.
- Ability to work independently.
- Ability to work in a team setting.
Qualifications Required on the Job- Thorough knowledge of state, University, and departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
- Knowledge of the types and uses of agency forms.
- Knowledge of Banner Finance and Microsoft Office Suite.
Minimum Entrance Requirements:Applicants must have at least (A) three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional experience in accounting or auditing, of which at least (B) one year must have been in a supervisory, administrative, or managerial capacity, or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.
Substitutions:
- An Associate's degree with a major in accounting, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A) experience.*
- A Bachelor's degree with a major in accounting, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience.*
- A Graduate degree with a major in accounting, business administration or business management may be substituted for the required experience.*
*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
Additional Information:
Salary:Salaries for current Westfield State University employees and individuals currently working for the state of Massachusetts must be calculated individually in accordance with collective bargaining agreements as well as state policies. State job specifications may be found on the
Department of Higher Education's webpage.
Employee Benefits:Benefits are an important component of an employee's total compensation package.
- Health Insurance: Westfield State offers a variety of HMO, POS, and PPO-type health insurance plans for eligible employees. Coverage is effective on the 1st of the month following the date of hire. Exceptions to employees hired on the 1st of the month, coverage is effective immediately.
- Retirement: the MA State Employee Retirement System provides eligible employees with a retirement pension following a 10-year vesting period. In lieu of the retirement pension, eligible employees may select the Optional Retirement Plan with a maximum 5% employer matching contribution.
- Tuition Waivers & Discounts: eligible employees, including spouses and dependent children, receive reduced tuition at MA state colleges, community colleges, and universities.
- Paid Time Off: employees receive 12 paid holidays and generous vacation, personal, and sick leave benefits.
- Additional information regarding employee benefits is available on the University's Benefits & Wellness webpage.
Disability AccommodationsWestfield State University is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and will ensure the availability of reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at (413) 572-8809 or visit us in the Horace Mann Building, 1st floor.
Background CheckEmployment is contingent upon the successful completion and review of a background check. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration.
To apply, visit http://westfield.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=185269
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