Accountant III, Student Financial Services

North Shore Community College•Danvers, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

North Shore Community College is hiring an Accountant III for Student Financial Services. Based primarily at the Danvers campus, the position may require reporting to the Lynn campus. The role supports the Student Accounts area by posting student account payments and waivers, processing refunds and financial aid disbursements and adjustments, maintaining accurate student account records, and assisting with account reconciliation and billing. It also involves following up on uncashed refund checks and adjusting accounts after collections and Massachusetts State Intercept payments. The Accountant III is a primary contact for student account questions and provides customer service and guidance to students and families about bills, tuition payment policies and options, costs to attend, online payments, and steps in the financial aid process. The role works closely with the supervisor and other Accountants, including supporting cashier-session reconciliation and staff training as needed. The position requires compliance with applicable state and federal regulations and college procedures. This is a 37.5-hour-per-week, benefited position scheduled Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The role may also require evening and weekend work for events and travel between campuses when needed. The salary is $2,502.77 biweekly ($65,540.02 annually), with fringe benefits. The position reports to the Assistant Director of Student Accounts.

Requirements

At least three years of full-time or equivalent part-time professional accounting or auditing experience, including at least one year in a supervisory, administrative, or managerial capacity, or an equivalent combination of experience and qualifying education.
An associate degree in accounting, business administration, or business management may substitute for up to one year of the required experience; a bachelor's degree in those fields may substitute for up to two years; a graduate degree in those fields may substitute for the required experience. Education toward a degree is prorated based on requirements completed.
Knowledge of Commonwealth of Massachusetts and college accounting practices and procedures.
Ability to understand, explain, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines governing assigned unit activities.
Ability to establish rapport and maintain harmonious working relationships with people from varied ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential information.
Ability to travel between campuses when needed and work evenings and weekends for events.
Ability to work on campus.
A valid driver's license.
Ability to use general office equipment and higher education platforms such as BANNER, Navigate, Cognos, Zogotech, QLess, and Constant Contact.
Must pass a CORI/SORI and/or National background check as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual Spanish.
BANNER experience.
Community college experience.
Successful experience interacting with culturally diverse populations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Student refund processing experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Student Financial Services primary contact for student account questions, inquiries, and service-related issues.
Resolve past-due accounts, reinforce the college's past-due policy, and use professional judgment to settle accounts when necessary.
Work with Accountants at the Lynn campus to identify and address staff training needs related to student accounts.
Process credit refunds from student accounts and financial aid disbursements and adjustment runs.
Monitor, cancel, and reprocess outstanding uncashed student refund checks, coordinating with the Fiscal Affairs Office as needed.
Post payments and waivers to student accounts.
Provide customer service to students and families, including guidance on bills, costs to attend, payment options and policies, online payments, and financial aid steps.
Assist students and families with financial aid paperwork and key steps such as FAFSA completion and loan entrance counseling.
Maintain student accounts and records so they accurately reflect financial status.
Reconcile accounts and financial reports in preparation for bills and assist with bill generation.
Support the daily cashier-session reconciliation process in collaboration with the supervisor and fellow Accountants.
Adjust accounts after payments are received through collections and the Massachusetts State Intercept process.
Review department accounting procedures for compliance with department policies and procedures.
Comply with state and federal laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures governing financial aid and accounting systems.
Perform other related duties as assigned.