Senior Accountant, Financial Reporting – Hybrid Schedule

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range:

Position Summary

Reporting directly to Director of Financial Reporting, the Senior Accountant will be responsible for a variety of financial operations and reporting tasks, including involvement in monthly and quarterly financial closes, quarterly and annual financial reporting and analytics, year-end audit, and supporting the team in a variety of projects and initiatives that help streamline Financial Reporting team’s processes.

Responsibilities

• Operations:

  • Prepares journal entries for key financial areas in the monthly and quarterly financial closes;
  • Monitors general ledger activity on an ongoing basis, and coordinates with General Ledger Operations and University divisions to maintain adequate ledger balances;
  • Reconciles and analyzes general ledger accounts on a monthly and quarterly basis;
  • Evaluates information and identifies issues/discrepancies, presents findings and recommendations to the team, impacted business units and other stakeholders;
  • Coordinates key financial processes which require input from other internal business units and external parties;
  • Supports the University community by providing information and guidance through effective customer service;

  Reporting and Analytics:

  • Plays a role in quarterly and annual financial statement preparation, which may include preparing analytics and adjustments, variance analysis, and ensuring the integrity of the financial data for responsible areas;
  • Supports the annual financial audit, which may include preparing audit schedules, audit confirmations logs, and other critical tasks;
  • Assists with the preparation of 990 tax return schedules;
  • Prepares other internal and external reports and analytics as needed;

  Other:

  • Supports the team’s use of Business Intelligence tools to enhance ability to efficiently analyze large volumes of data;
  • Partners with immediate supervisor and colleagues to analyze issues and determine resolution or routes to appropriate business unit as necessary;
  • Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related field and/or equivalent related experience
• A minimum of three years related experience required

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree and/or CPA a plus
• Experience with financial statement preparation
• Experience with PeopleSoft
• Knowledge of relational databases and experience in utilizing various reporting tools; experience with SAP Web Intelligence
• Experience in a university or not-for-profit setting desirable

Other Requirements

• Must be detail oriented, and have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required, with a particular need for strong Excel skills;
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively in a demanding environment;
• Must have strong multitasking and time management skills to manage deadlines for short-term, long-term and ad-hoc assignments;
• Must have a commitment to exceptional quality and have the highest ethical standards;
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills required to effectively communicate with a variety of audiences as well as effective listening skills;
• Must be able to evaluate information, present findings, and make recommendations;
• The successful candidate must be able to work well with all levels of management, both internally and externally, be flexible in nature, and have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team;
• Must possess a passion for excellent customer service.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.