Financial Accounting & Reporting Analyst-Hybrid In State

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position reports to and functions under the general administrative supervision of an Associate Director within University Accounting Services (UAS), which is a division of University Accounting and Financial Reporting (UAFR) within the Office of the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Comptroller. The Financial Accounting and Reporting Analyst assists the Associate Director in the proper application of fund accounting guidelines within a public university setting in the State of Illinois. This includes (but is not limited to) responsibilities such as: providing oversight of university accounting processes; completing bank and fund reconciliations; assisting with accounting functions related to various fund types (such as self-supporting funds); completing support schedules and providing guidance to university units for the annual unrelated business income tax (UBIT) return; providing oversight to ensure compliance with various university, state, and federal policies and guidelines; completion of various monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and audit schedules; providing quality customer service/support to university units at all locations; participating in various special accounting projects; and performing various other accounting tasks as assigned. Ability to work under pressure is required at times to help ensure operational needs are met. This position is eligible for a hybrid or remote work arrangement, depending on unit operational needs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree with a major in Accountancy or a related field AND two (2) years of professional level accounting experience.
OR Possession of current registration as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or a valid license to practice public accounting.
OR Master's degree in Accountancy or a related field.
Proficient computer skills and advanced knowledge of applicable computer systems. This would include advanced skills in Microsoft Office products such as Excel, Outlook, and Word.
Ability to produce accurate, detail-oriented work related to financial matters within a higher education setting.
Ability to enforce various applicable policies and regulations while still providing superior customer service.
Ability to use creativity in problem-solving and ability to exercise independent professional judgment and discretion.
Ability to propose ideas that improve and/or maintain the effectiveness of daily financial operations.
Strong verbal and written communications skills to effectively present information and respond to requests for guidance and/or clarification.
Ability to address and resolve challenging accounting issues and strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Ability to meet deadlines.
Understanding of fund accounting principles and a working knowledge of how to apply them in a public university setting within the State of Illinois to ensure compliance with various policies, guidelines, and regulations.
Basic working knowledge of how to navigate within the Banner Finance module.
Familiarity with Microsoft Access, including the ability to edit and run queries.

Nice To Haves

Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and/or
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and/or
Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

Responsibilities

Prepare and complete several of UAFR's system-wide bank reconciliations. This includes investigating any bank reconciling errors, reviewing appropriateness of transactions by both the banks and the university, communicating effectively with the appropriate parties regarding bank reconciliation items, and ensuring the proper correcting entries are made in Banner when applicable.
Document procedural information outlining the accounting theory and procedural steps necessary to complete various system-wide bank reconciliations and other essential operational accounting tasks.
Analyze various Banner transactions (such as invoice vouchers) to determine whether an accrual or deferral adjustment should be recorded to help ensure proper inclusion in the university's annual financial report.
Participate in the Year-End Fact Sheet process, which is an important part of the university's year-end close process to convert cash-basis accounting activities to an accrual basis.
Contribute towards the review and completion of supporting schedules for the university's annual Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) return to ensure compliance with the applicable guidelines outlined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and university policy.
Help units in identifying financial accounting errors which need corrected (such as misclassified transactions on either the operating ledger or general ledger) and help teach Banner users how to correct these errors and how to avoid them in the future.
Provide guidance, oversight, and accounting expertise on service plan funds (such as the Medical Service Plan funds). This includes (but is not limited to) reviewing and processing requests for new Service Plan funds, serving as a point of contact for questions related to service plan funds, and helping document institutional knowledge and procedural instructions related to service plan funds.
Provide guidance, oversight, and accounting expertise on issues related to student enrollment deposit funds. This includes reviewing student enrollment deposit funds for compliance with accounting guidelines, reviewing, and processing requests for the creation and/or termination of student enrollment deposit funds, and serving as a subject matter expert on student enrollment deposit funds to the university community.
Compile data and supporting documentation to fulfill audit requests from external auditors, both in preparation for and during the annual external financial statement audit.
Document procedural information outlining the accounting theory and procedural steps necessary to complete various operational accounting tasks.
Perform other duties as assigned which would be appropriate for a Financial Accounting and Reporting Analyst within UAS.