Financial Reporting Specialist

Bemidji State University (BSU) and Northwest Technical College (NTC) invite applicants to join our team as the Financial Reporting Specialist.  To accomplish our missions of “educating people to lead inspired lives” (BSU) and “preparing students for rewarding careers” (NTC), we prioritize creating a culture in which diversity is embraced and all people are safe, welcome, and validated.  BSU and NTC are members of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and employ more than 600 faculty and staff.

BSU’s vision is to educate people to lead inspired lives. To accomplish BSU’s vision, the University prioritizes creating a culture in which diversity is embraced and all people are safe, welcome, and validated. BSU also prioritizes increasing engagement with Indigenous communities to become a destination university.  BSU enrolls around 5,000 students and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU’s Shared Fundamental Values include civic engagement and leadership, international and multicultural understanding, belief in the power of the liberal arts, and environmental stewardship.

NTC has prepared students for fulfilling careers in high-demand fields for more than 50 years. The college’s accessible, affordable, hands-on programs also help the region’s employers meet their ever-growing need for a highly skilled workforce. NTC serves more than 1,000 students with an excellent education, an open-enrollment policy and affordable tuition. Students may pursue nearly 40 degree, diploma and certificate programs in six distinct career paths. Classes are offered on campus, online, or as a combination of both.

The Financial Reporting Specialist serves as an integral member of the financial reporting team for BSU and NTC providing support to ensure the annual financial statements for BSU, NTC and NTC Foundation are timely, accurate and in accordance with applicable standards.  As a fiscal officer of the accounting department, this position develops, maintains and interprets financial information systems; analyzes and interprets financial data; and provides accounting services including account reconciliations.  This position also ensures that proper internal controls and reporting procedures are in effect and in compliance with applicable policies, laws and regulations at BSU and NTC.

Responsibilities of the Financial Reporting Specialist include:

1. Monitoring, Recording and Reconciling State and Local Bank Activity (35%)
2. Financial Reporting - Annual Audit and NTC Foundation (25%)
3. Accounting for Student Clubs and Organizations (25%)
4. Special Projects, Accounting System Maintenance and Training and Other Duties as Assigned (15%)
5. Internal Control Monitoring (10%)

Minimum qualifications for this position include:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.
• Two (2) or more years of experience with account maintenance and account reconciliations.
• Proficient in the use of standard business software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, internet browsers and e-mail software.

Preferred qualifications include:

• CPA with one to three years of public accounting experience.
• Knowledge of Minnesota State and statewide accounting systems including database and report development.
• Knowledge and understanding of higher education financial reporting.
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles sufficient to compile, analyze and interpret complex fiscal information for use by management and assist in the preparation of financial statements.
• Knowledge of auditing principles sufficient to provide information to assist in both internal and external audits and assess effectiveness of internal controls
• Ability to handle workload effectively through proper planning, organizing and setting priorities when handling multiple responsibilities.
• Ability to communicate effectively and develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external clientele.
• A knowledge of, an interest in, or ability and experience working with diverse cultures and populations.

To apply: 

Apply for Vacancy Posting 51197, on the Minnesota Management and Budget website:  http://mn.gov/mmb/careers/

If you are unable to apply online, please contact the job information line at 651.259.3637

For additional information about the application process, go to http://www.mn.gov/careers

Inquiries about the position:

Ron Beckstrom, Director of Business Services
Phone: (218) 755-2743
Email: ronald.beckstrom@bemidjistate.edu

If you have general questions about this posting or submitting an application, contact Teresa Hanson at teresa.hanson@bemidjistate.edu

UNIVERSITY / COMMUNITY

WHY BEMIDJI:

The greater Bemidji community has a population of 25,000 and serves as a regional center for education, commerce, recreation, health care, and the arts.

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university's Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding.

Northwest Technical College has prepared students for fulfilling careers in high-demand fields for more than 50 years. The college’s accessible, affordable, hands-on programs also help the region’s employers meet their ever-growing need for a highly skilled workforce. NTC serves more than 1,000 students with an excellent education, an open-enrollment policy and affordable tuition. Students may pursue nearly 40 degree, diploma and certificate programs in six distinct career paths. Classes are offered on campus, online, or as a combination of both. NTC is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities.

In this Northwoods setting, students, staff and faculty have a variety of activities at their fingertips. Possessing all the charm and character of a college town, Bemidji remains a tight-knit community of good neighbors and engaged citizens who always come out to cheer for the Bemidji State Beavers. While the city of Bemidji — named after the Ojibwe Chief Shaynowishkung (nicknamed Bemidji) — is home to a diverse population of more than 15,000 people, it serves a regional population of more than 100,000.

Located between three American Indian reservations – Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth, students at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College have the opportunity to experience a dynamic local culture and history. Bemidji also sits at the center of the legends of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The famous statues of Paul and Babe greet students as they drive in from the south along Lake Bemidji.

Though quaint and historic, the city offers the urban conveniences upon which college students rely. Bemidji State and Northwest Tech are both conveniently located minutes away from affordable restaurants, cozy coffee shops, grocery stores, city parks and more. Small, locally owned shops and art sculptures line the streets of downtown Bemidji, while national chains can be found in and around the Bemidji area, including an uptown selection of department stores and restaurants.

The thriving downtown community presents ample opportunities for engagement off-campus. Among other things, there are fine-dining restaurants, cafes, and a natural foods co-op in downtown Bemidji. The historic Paul Bunyan Playhouse has a calendar of classic shows; restaurants and lounges offer weekly live music performances; the First Friday Art Walk provides a tour of new monthly art exhibits; and annual events such as the Loop the Lake Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Blue Ox Marathon, Bemidji Winterfest, and The Minnesota Finlandia bring the community together.

For those who love the outdoors, there are wooded, multi-use trail systems within minutes of campus and community parks with walking trails, playgrounds and a skate park. Lake Bemidji State Park and its miles of navigable trails is located directly across the lake from BSU, and the Buena Vista Ski Area — just 12 miles north of campus — offers downhill skiing and campus-sponsored student transportation in the winter months. Further, the Mississippi River Headwaters is a mere 45 minutes from Bemidji.

For further information About BSU visit our website at http://www.bemidjistate.edu or the NTC website at https://www.ntcmn.edu.

Review a "special report on how this former lumber town has rebuilt itself as a high-speed, regional center of enterprise" at Bemidji 2.0

Other Resources:

• Visit Bemidji – https://www.visitbemidji.com/
• 218 Relocate / Greater Bemidji – https://www.218relocate.com/
• Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce – https://www.bemidji.org/ 
• Explore Minnesota – https://www.exploreminnesota.com/article/top-things-to-do-bemidji