Financial Administrator

Baylor University•Waco, TX

12d•Onsite

About The Position

A humble college founded before Texas was a state, Baylor now stands as one of the premier institutions of higher education in the world. Baylor has continued to invest in research and doctoral education, both solidifying and elevating its unique status as a preeminent Christian research university. Baylor is among 187 R1 institutions, just 52 of which are private universities. Since 2011, Baylor has been named as one of the nation’s “ Great Colleges to Work For”. Great Colleges to Work For® is one of the country’s largest and most respected workplace recognition programs. Each year, Great Colleges recognizes the colleges and universities that get top employee ratings regarding workplace practices and policies across 10 areas. This recognition is based on faculty and staff responses to a related annual survey. The survey, conducted by ModernThink, is a way for colleges and universities to gain a deeper understanding of how their employees experience and view various aspects of the institution. This continued recognition further affirms Baylor as a rewarding place to build a career. The Financial Administrator reports to the Business Officer or designee within the Business Office of within a School or Division and advances the mission of Baylor University by efficiently and effectively gathering, analyzing and interpreting relevant financial information to process financial transactions. Responsibilities include proactively anticipating business needs and executing procurement of goods, services and expenses on behalf of faculty, staff and units while ensuring compliance with university policies and procedures, nonprofit accounting practices and federal and state guidelines. Serves as primary point of contact, subject matter expert and liaison regarding processing of all business activities for assigned faculty, staff and partners, responding to requests and providing guidance in appropriate procurement and business controls and processes to assist division leadership. The qualified candidate will provide responsible stewardship, leadership, and management of university and grant funding through the implementation of effective financial processes and management of daily financial operations.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or related field
Three years of relevant experience
An active Christian Faith
Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

A Master's degree
Five years of experience
Additional education or experience will be considered in lieu of one another.
Great collaboration and customer services skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, and thrive in a fast-paced environment
Maintains discretion and the highest professional standards while working with confidential information
Ability to multitask and prioritize workload
Superior attention to detail
Strong business acumen, organizational and time management skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Excellent analytical skills and proficiency in financial software
Excellent interpersonal skills
Comprehensive learner
Research administration experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Serve as a subject matter expert on financial system and University business policies and processes.
Obtain and maintain University required system and business process certifications.
Meet regularly with departmental leadership, faculty, and staff to review/discuss anticipated operational and grant management needs as it relates to transaction processing/approvals.
Proactively serve as a liaison between the Business Officer and the departmental leadership team regarding optimizing financial transactions, including procurement and payment operations.
Process procurement requisitions for staff and faculty members of assigned area. This includes ensuring compliance with university purchasing policies and procedures, as well as grants and federal and state guidelines, ensuring appropriate accounting, requisition methods, documentation, etc.
Process on behalf, or review and approve expense reports for faculty and staff members to ensure accuracy and compliance with university policies and procedures, accounting, expense types, documentation, etc. This also applies to pre-travel authorizations.
Process various student payments in accordance with Baylor policies ensuring appropriate documentation and accounting.
Work collaboratively to resolve issues to ensure timely, accurate, and appropriate transaction processing in accordance with Baylor policies.
Maintain an extensive understanding of the financial systems as well as updated knowledge of university and regulatory requirements, processes, and policies.
Recommend improvements to optimize policies and procedures.
Utilize reporting tools to monitor status, accuracy and completeness of financial transactions, accounting information, trends, and key performance indicators.
Other duties as assigned.