General Accounting Manager

Posting Details

Recruitment Number

970

Working Title

General Accounting Manager

Position Type

Staff/Administrative

Appointment Percentage

100

Division/College

Administration and Finance Division

Description of College / Department / Program / Division / Unit

Business Services

Position Summary

The General Accounting Manager is responsible for the management and direction of staff handling the financial transactions and systems of the university. This person will supervise staff responsible for grant accounting, capital equipment inventory, banking, account reconciliations, general accounting, and financial reporting. This position is responsible for establishing and maintaining financial journals, accounts, ledgers, procedures, and records in the university’s automated financial systems. The General Accounting Manager is responsible for internal controls and is a campus liaison for issues related to financial transactions and systems.

This position works standard hours Monday through Friday and reports to the Controller. The employee is expected to have an understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ( GAAP ) as they relate to university accounting. This position will need to acquire the knowledge of the University of Wisconsin System (UW System), the State accounting system and federal grant regulations. The General Accounting Manager is responsible for maintaining compliance with the applicable UW System Board of Regents policies and UW System and UW-La Crosse policies and procedures. Work is performed under general supervision, and it is expected that the manager will progress to independent work after gaining knowledge and experience working for the university.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a business-related field.
• Minimum 5 years professional financial experience with demonstrated increasing responsibility.
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ).
• Strong aptitude for understanding and analyzing automated accounting systems.
• Strong ability to review, analyze, and interpret financial data, policies, procedures, and regulations to create reports, complete reconciliations, prepare projections, and provide advisement.
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to interact respectfully with people with diverse socioeconomic cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to conduct oneself with personal integrity and to perform work with high ethical standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accountancy.
• Certified Public Accountant ( CPA ) and/or Masters of Business Administration ( MBA ).
• Previous supervisory experience.
• Previous experience in higher education.
• Knowledge of governmental or fund accounting.
• Proficient in the development of computer queries to extract accurate data and reports.

Physical Demands

• Ability to sit for extended periods.

Working conditions and environment

• Occasional overnight travel for training seminars.
• Ability to work extended hours as needed.

Miscellaneous Information

Duties/Responsibilities

These are the job duties required for the position.

Responsibility Statement

Responsible for integrity and accuracy of general accounting transactions

Duties to Support Responsibility

• Oversee the processes for entries into the accounting system. Ensure that adequate internal controls are established, operating as designed, and are effective to protect the integrity of transactions while maintaining proper audit trails.
• Run integrity checks of general ledger transactions to ensure the integrity of transactions and to identify and resolve problems as quickly as possible.
• Conduct campus training on fund accounting, WISconsin Data Mart ( WISDM ), and related processes that affect the general ledger and provide ongoing support for issues and questions related to these items.
• Implement new initiatives related to the general ledger, such as PeopleSoft upgrades, payroll interface, etc.
• Assist the Controller in coordinating the month end and fiscal year end closeout procedures including setting calendar, communications with UW System and campus, working with staff and other departments to meet system guidelines and deadlines. Perform necessary year-end closing entries and financial statement preparation.
• Establish, implement, and maintain written policies and procedures for departmental functions relating to financial transactions and systems. Ensure procedures keep UW-La Crosse in compliance with State and Federal reporting requirements.
• Communicate changes or updates to processes related to financial transactions and system functions to the campus community including the maintenance and updating of webpages, publications, etc.
• Oversee preparation and accuracy of various reconciliations (bank, student loan, scholarship, etc.) ensuring all account variances are explainable for Controller review.
• Assist with the development of the institutional internal control plan and provide support for internal and external audits including the implementation of recommendations related to financial transactions and systems.
• Ensure that adequate internal controls are established, operating as designed and are effective to protect the integrity of transactions while maintaining proper audit trails.
• Assist with the review of requests for and assign new accounts based on the campus organization structure.
• Develop, establish, and maintain reporting structures that serve as the basis for all financial management information.
• Collaborate on the maintenance of tables and trees in Shared Financial System ( SFS ) used to store chartfield information. Perform on-going maintenance and date changes for reporting purposes.

Percentage Of Time

45

Essential

Yes

Responsibility Statement

Staff Supervision

Duties to Support Responsibility

• Assign and monitor workload for quality and timeliness of completion; implement changes as needed.
• Prepare and set standards for performance expectations. Monitor progress of employees and regularly provide mentoring, training and performance feedback.
• Address and resolve staff conflicts to maintain a professional environment.
• Administer counseling sessions and/or corrective discipline where applicable to ensure work rules are being met.
• Ensure staff is provided with professional development opportunities, as well as adequate training and resources, to perform their job responsibilities.
• Establish work schedules; approve and deny leave requests.
• Hold regular staff meetings when appropriate to keep staff up-to-date on pertinent information.

Percentage Of Time

20

Essential

Yes

Responsibility Statement

Preparation of financial reports

Duties to Support Responsibility

• Monitor the processing of daily SFS nVision reports and resolve any processing problems with campus and DoIT (Division of Information Technology) staff.
• Assist the Controller with coordinating the preparation of campus GAAP reports as directed by UW System Administration annually for inclusion in the University of Wisconsin Annual Financial Report.
• Develop, run, and analyze financial management reports and resolve potential problems with campus administrative personnel.
• Develop reports for management, campus personnel, UW System Administration, and others, as requested.
• Oversee the maintenance of the Capital Inventory/Asset Management system for GAAP reporting, annual equipment inventory, and various reports requiring capital equipment tracking.

Percentage Of Time

15

Essential

Yes

Responsibility Statement

Federal program accounting

Duties to Support Responsibility

• Oversee the draw of funds for federal programs and processing of necessary ledger transaction to record entries.
• Oversee the preparing of accounting and program reports for federal programs.
• Supervise staff performing grant management to ensure compliance with federal requirements. Ensure communication and support services are provided to principal investigators who perform the functional portion of the grants.
• Oversee the preparation and accuracy of financial aid and grant related reconciliations ensuring all account variances are explainable for Controller review.

Percentage Of Time

10

Essential

Yes

Responsibility Statement

Act as a University resource and provide assistance to the Controller

Duties to Support Responsibility

• Conduct campus training related to financial transactions, including the use of WISDM, providing ongoing support for issues and questions.
• Communicate changes or updates to processes related to general accounting functions to the campus community including the maintenance and updating of webpages and publications.
• Identify processes that could be automated to provide efficient, accurate, and cost effective accounting for the university.

Percentage Of Time

10

Essential

Yes

Posting Detail Information

Special Instructions

Please provide contact information from three profesional references including name, title, email address, phone number, and your relationship to each professional reference.

Please include a cover letter introducing yourself, summarizing how you meet the required qualifications, and highlighting applicable experience.

Posting Date

Close Date

Continuous Recruitment

Yes

Continuous Recruitment First Review Date

10/02/2020

Position Contact Name

Sandy Chapman

Position Contact Email

schapman@uwlax.edu
Required Documents
Required Documents

1. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter/Letter of Application
3. Reference Contact Information

Optional DocumentsSupplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identities of finalists must be revealed upon request. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).
   • I prefer my identity remain confidential and have ready and understand that if I am one of the finalists for this position, my name may be released.
   • I do not request that my identity remain confidential.
2. * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
   • Chronicle of Higher Education Web Site
   • Discipline-Specific Publication/Web Site
   • HERC Web Site
   • HigherEdJobs.com Web Site
   • Job Center of Wisconsin Web Site
   • Minority Publication/Web Site
   • University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Social Media (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
   • University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Web Site
   • La Crosse Tribune
   • Personal Referral