Financial Analyst - Personnel Expense & Financial Reporting

UIOWA•Iowa City, IA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Analyst – Personnel Expense & Financial Reporting supports the monthly and year-end close processes for University of Iowa Health Care, helping ensure the accuracy and integrity of significant enterprise-wide accounting and financial reporting areas. The position focuses primarily on personnel expense accounting and related liabilities, including compensation accruals, employee benefit obligations, and other estimates. It partners with operational and finance stakeholders and is eligible for hybrid work within Iowa. A work arrangement form is required upon employment; arrangements are reviewed annually and must comply with applicable remote-work and employee-travel policies. The role also supports accounting and reporting for pension, other postemployment benefits, compensated absences, professional liability and self-insurance, and assigned non-patient revenue and receivables. Responsibilities include recurring close work, annual financial statement preparation, audit and regulatory support, technical accounting research, process documentation, and improvement of accounting workflows and reporting. The analyst works with systems and data including PeopleSoft HR and financial data, internally developed HR transaction tools, time and attendance data, Excel, SQL, Power BI, and other reporting tools. Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume addressing how they meet the required and desired qualifications. The position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization now or in the future. Successful candidates must self-disclose conviction history and undergo a criminal background check and credential/education verification; up to five professional references may be requested later in recruitment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least 1 year of accounting, auditing, financial reporting, financial analysis, or related finance experience.
Demonstrated understanding of accrual accounting, journal entries, account reconciliations, and basic financial statement concepts.
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
Ability to organize work, manage multiple priorities, and meet established deadlines.
Ability to investigate variances and reconciling items and communicate questions or concerns appropriately.
Ability to learn complex accounting processes, financial systems, and business operations.
Ability to work independently on established processes after appropriate training and seek guidance on unusual or complex matters.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work effectively with finance and non-finance stakeholders.
Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
Demonstrated experience working effectively in a welcoming and respectful workplace environment.

Nice To Haves

Certified Public Accountant license or progress toward CPA licensure.
Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
Experience in healthcare, academic medicine, higher education, governmental accounting, or another large and complex organization.
Experience with personnel expense accounting, payroll accruals, variable compensation, employee benefit liabilities, pension, OPEB, compensated absences, or similar accounting areas.
Exposure to GASB standards or governmental accounting.
Experience with self-insurance, professional liability, captive insurance, actuarial estimates, or other accounting estimates.
Experience with non-patient receivables, contractual revenue arrangements, or similar accrual and reconciliation processes.
Experience using PeopleSoft or another large ERP or HRIS environment.
Experience with payroll, time and attendance, compensation, or other operational systems that feed financial reporting processes.
Experience with relational databases, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, or other reporting and data visualization tools.
Demonstrated interest in process improvement, automation, and strengthening accounting documentation and controls.

Responsibilities

Prepare journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, supporting schedules, and financial statement workpapers for personnel expenses and related liabilities, including salaries and wages, variable and faculty compensation, contract labor, executive compensation, employee benefits, and compensated absences.
Gather and evaluate information from clinical department administrative officers and other stakeholders to support recurring personnel expense accounting.
Apply established methodologies to recognize personnel expenses in the appropriate accounting period, considering payroll cycles, holiday and premium pay, earned-but-unpaid compensation, timing differences, and other compensation arrangements.
Investigate unusual activity, incomplete information, unexpected fluctuations, and matters requiring further judgment, working with the Manager or Senior Financial Analyst as appropriate.
Prepare assigned accounting and financial reporting work related to pension, other postemployment benefits, and compensated absences, including applying GASB Statements No. 68, 75, and 101 with appropriate guidance and review.
Prepare related journal entries, reconciliations, financial statement support, variance analyses, audit schedules, and documentation.
Review personnel expenses and related liabilities analytically to identify trends, timing differences, data inconsistencies, and matters requiring investigation.
Develop working knowledge of PeopleSoft HR and financial data, internally developed HR transaction tools, time and attendance data, and other systems and reports affecting personnel expense recognition.
Partner with Human Resources, Payroll, Compensation, Carver College of Medicine, clinical departments, operational finance teams, and other stakeholders to obtain information for accurate and timely reporting.
Develop familiarity with compensation structures, premium pay practices, labor agreement provisions, and related business processes.
Manage assigned recurring components of the monthly close, including timely preparation, reconciliation, and analysis of financial statement areas.
Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, analytical reviews, variance explanations, and supporting schedules for assigned income statement and balance sheet accounts.
Maintain complete, well-supported, clear workpapers in accordance with accounting and review standards.
Investigate reconciling items, unexpected account activity, and financial statement variances, and coordinate their resolution with appropriate team members.
Support annual financial statement preparation and year-end close, including assigned schedules, financial statement support, footnote information, and audit documentation.
Respond to routine audit requests and prepare supporting documentation and explanations for assigned reporting areas.
Assist with accounting process changes needed to comply with GASB pronouncements and other authoritative accounting guidance.
Maintain process documentation, accounting methodologies, and internal control support for assigned responsibilities.
Prepare accounting entries, reconciliations, schedules, and periodic internal financial statements for Iowa Medical Mutual Insurance Company (IMMIC).
Assist in coordinating and preparing information for the professional liability actuarial valuation process.
Prepare and reconcile professional liability expenses and liabilities using actuarial reports, claims information, insurance activity, and other supporting data.
Investigate differences between recorded balances and actuarial or claims support, escalating unusual matters for review.
Prepare assigned components of the annual internal malpractice assessment, including allocation of malpractice costs among participating entities, departments, or organizational units.
Prepare assigned premium tax filings, regulatory reports, and other recurring IMMIC submissions.
Maintain documentation for actuarial inputs, allocations, reconciliations, journal entries, and other professional liability accounting activity.
Assist with external audits, regulatory examinations, and other reviews related to IMMIC and professional liability accounting.
Prepare and maintain assigned material non-patient receivable accruals, reconciliations, journal entries, and supporting schedules, including professional service and similar arrangements between Carver College of Medicine clinical departments and external healthcare organizations.
Obtain and evaluate information from clinical departments and other business owners to support recurring accruals.
Reconcile assigned receivable balances and monitor collections to support accurate recording and timely resolution.
Review deposit activity and help ensure receipts are applied to appropriate general ledger accounts.
Investigate aged balances, unusual fluctuations, missing accrual information, misapplied receipts, and other reconciling items, coordinating resolution with stakeholders.
Analyze assigned non-patient revenue and receivable balances and identify matters requiring follow-up.
Maintain documentation for material accrual assumptions, reconciliation procedures, and recurring receivable accounting processes.
Assist with technical accounting research and implementation of new or emerging GASB standards and other accounting matters affecting assigned areas.
Prepare or contribute to implementation workpapers, internal control narratives, accounting documentation, and other technical support.
Identify opportunities to improve reconciliations, journal entry support, analytical review, documentation, and recurring accounting processes.
Use Excel, SQL, Power BI, reporting tools, and other available technologies to improve efficiency and consistency.
Partner with finance, analytics, Information Technology, and operational stakeholders on reporting and workflow improvements.
Maintain process documentation, job aids, and cross-training materials for assigned responsibilities.
Identify recurring issues, inefficient processes, and data quality concerns and communicate improvement opportunities.
Participate in cross-training and knowledge-sharing within the Accounting & Financial Reporting team.
Build working relationships with stakeholders across UI Health Care, the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, and external organizations.