Accountant II

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health is looking for an independently functioning but team-oriented person to provide financial support for our program managers and director, who together manage a variety of federal and state grants, a fee-for-service program, and various smaller funds. We also rely on this person to be a liaison to the School of Medicine and Public Health and campus, to ensure our compliance with policies and to provide us with policy expertise in the areas of financial reporting and budget management, invoicing and transaction tracking, travel and expense reimbursement, purchasing, event payments and refunds, and gift processing. The person in this position will perform highly responsible financial tasks under the general supervision of our director. Our work is providing programming, technical assistance , and funding to healthcare providers across the state, and our accountant interacts with a wide variety of people and dynamics in support of our mission. This position executes and guides financial and accounting transactions in multiple finance functional areas. This role will be responsible for creating and reviewing financial transactions, preparing financial reports and budget management. The incumbent participates in day-to-day financial operations of the office to ensure accuracy of financial transactions and reports and will guide other staff where needed. The position recommends and implements fiscal policies and participates in the development and implementation of new systems and processes to improve customer service, efficiency, and internal controls. Most of these will be digital in nature, so they must be proficient with online applications and processes, and be willing to learn. This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Requirements

At least 2 years of demonstrated experience in accounting, bookkeeping, or financial duties such as budgeting, financial projections, preparing reconciliations, journal entries, and more complex financial reporting.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Smartsheets, including complex formulas and pivot tables to create financial dashboards.
Strong oral & written communication skills to explain and present complex financial data and information through a variety of reports to key stakeholders such as Principle Investigators, Program, and Department leadership.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize workload, effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines, and independently follow-through on tasks unsupervised.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to manage complex budgets and financial transactions.
A willingness and interest in investigating and analyzing invoices, charges, and payments to identify discrepancies and facilitate a timely resolution.
Ability to interpret and apply financial regulations and compliance policies
Detail-oriented with a strong commitment to accuracy and integrity in financial reporting.
Ability to work directly with high level professionals in healthcare facilities, and engage in an empathetic manner to various cultural settings (rural and small town, tribal, urban, etc).

Nice To Haves

Experience in a highly regulated environment such as a university or government organization.
Two or more years of experience in a relevant sector is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with the financial management of grants and complex accounting tasks related to award management.
Two or more years of experience in this work is preferred.
Experience and expertise with online enterprise applications, like Workday, is strongly preferred.
Experience working with complex automated accounting systems and processes, including databases and queries, is preferred.
Experience and expertise with online communication tools, like Zoom and Teams (both video conferencing and chat).

Responsibilities

Organizes, prepares, and updates financial statements, monthly and year-end journal entries, accounts, ledgers, and reports for various financial needs within an automated financial system to ensure accurate recording and reporting of financial transactions
Prepares and analyzes financial data, reports and records, identifies discrepancies, investigates, recommends, and implements solutions as needed
Provides and prepares budgets and projections based on existing data and established policies and procedures
Develops and maintains automated financial systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity
Answers questions and provides accounting related information to internal and external stakeholders according to established policies and procedures
Assists with accounting and reviewing reconciliations, journal entries, schedules, and reports
Prepares and/or approves financial transactions and payments