Bursar

CHESS•Albuquerque, NM

1d•$90,605 - $115,503

About The Position

The Bursar leads Student Financial Services operations across the CNM enterprise, with a primary focus on student accounts for CNM and affiliated entities such as CNM Ingenuity and CNM Holdings, as applicable. This position plays a critical role in ensuring efficient, accurate, and compliant administration of student payments, coordination with financial aid disbursements, and enterprise-wide cash receipting. The Bursar is responsible for the development, execution, and continuous improvement of processes related to student fee assessment, billing, online and in-person payment systems, and collections. This role requires active collaboration with department leaders across the institution to implement and maintain effective internal controls, ensure compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulations, and safeguard the integrity of CNM’s financial systems. The Bursar provides operational oversight to a skilled, multidisciplinary team, including accounting supervisors, accounts receivable specialists, fiscal service technicians (cashiers), and staff managing billing and collections. This position ensures accurate, timely, and compliant delivery of student financial services. With strategic oversight of the College’s student receivables portfolio, this role supports staff development, optimizes operational workflows, and ensures alignment with institutional goals and service standards. The role also serves as a technical advisor on systems and platforms that support payment and receivables operations, driving enhancements that improve the student experience and operational efficiency. This position requires strong leadership skills, working knowledge of accounting principles, and the ability to operate effectively in a cross-functional environment. The Bursar must balance technical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and service excellence while contributing to the College’s mission and broader financial objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Public Administration or related field with fifteen (15) credit hours of accounting coursework.
Five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in accounts receivable and collections, including three (3) years of supervisory experience.
This position requires candidates to submit a background and credit check

Nice To Haves

Workday Experience
Higher Education Experience

Responsibilities

Directs financial operations related to student accounts and receivables, including the review and refinement of related procedures and internal controls.
Leads the review of fiscal policies and provides recommendations for changes, conducts specialized studies as needed, ensures compliance with CNM, state, and federal regulations, as well as standard accounting practices, and guides the implementation of new procedures to ensure effective control and optimal use of financial resources.
Oversees billing, accounts receivable, and cashiering operations to ensure accurate student billing, secure cash handling, and efficient payment processing.
Provides leadership for revenue collection practices across CNM and affiliated entities, including CNM Ingenuity and CNM Holdings, where student financial transactions are involved. Ensures compliance with institutional policies and safeguards the integrity of financial processes.
Directs complex financial activities within the Bursar’s Office, including student and third-party receivables, cashiering, bookstore transactions, and financial aid disbursements, ensuring accuracy, security, and alignment with institutional, state, and federal regulations.
Leads secure and timely processing of financial aid disbursements and student refunds by analyzing account activity and maintaining rigorous cash handling and management protocols to safeguard institutional assets.
Serves as the primary liaison with the IRS on student-related tax matters and oversees the preparation and submission of 1098-T forms, and ensures full compliance with federal reporting requirements and institutional policies.
Prepares and reviews financial reports, reconciliations, month-end calculations, and cash flow statements, while collaborating with auditors, ensuring audit readiness, and communicating financial trends, risks, and opportunities to support strategic decisions.
Leverages financial technologies to enhance operations across billing, receivables, and payment systems, and provides oversight of credit card merchant services and works with external partners, including sponsor payers, collection agencies, and financial institutions to support efficient receivables management.
Ensures compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) standards, Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) regulations, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), New Mexico Higher Education Department (NM HED) Accounting Manual, Federal Student Aid Handbook, and other relevant higher education financial guidelines to maintain the integrity and accountability of institutional financial practices.
Performs other related duties as assigned.