Financial Coordinator

Department: MED-Dermatology
Salary/Grade: EXS/5

Job Summary:

• Supports a university accounting-related area or program under supervision of the area manager.
• Supports a school/dept's financial operations.
• Reviews a portfolio of multiple schools/depts' financial operations comprised primarily of standard and routine work.
• Provides transactional oversight.
• Applies industry and professional standards, university policy and procedure, federal and state laws and other regulations (as applicable).
• Represents &/or guides business area on internal &/or external financial affairs by exchanging information

Budget:

• Maintains & tracks individual budget accounts.
• Coordinates annual budget process including tasks associated with the open/close processes.
• Updates calendar, spreadsheets, templates & forms; monitors submissions.
• Completes reconciliation procedures.
• Creates summary reports.
• Prepares materials for annual budget planning such as analysis, budget performance reports & year-end close data.
• Provides updated budget estimates & account research.
• Ensures lead schedules are prepared.
• Guides units of responsibility through university budgeting and forecasting processes, reviews budget and forecasting submissions.
• Serves a primary role in the development & implementation of annual budget including fiscal resource allocation of appropriated, discretionary, endowment & gift revenues & expenses.
• Coordinates &/or provides information for annual salary review process

Analysis, Statements & Reporting:

• Creates daily, monthly &/or annual analysis & reports regarding area/unit, grants &/or awards, accounts, funds, payroll, expense &/or revenue allocation, etc.
• Prepares account, budget, cost, expenditure &/or funds analysis.
• Provides reports to managers/PIs in tracking payment status & notification when balances & activities do not comply with policy, procedures or are inadequately prepared.
• Creates reports & queries; reviews for incomplete records, data entry errors, &/or accounting mistakes.
• May analyze open encumbrances that are no longer valid & recommend appropriate modifications to ensure smooth processing of financial transactions.
• Prepares financial analysis and lead schedules for supplies, equipment, &/or personnel decisions.
• Assists with monthly/quarterly/annual journal entries, reports and statements
• Provides support for annual audit work papers.
• Maintains, and updates financial models and analysis.

Transactions:

• Provides review and oversight of all types of financial transactions some of which may be complex in regard to size or duration of account.
• Enters individual &/or summary of transactions into journals &/or general ledger or other NU enterprise system.
• Reviews; ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy; analyzes and classifies transactions in accordance with established chart or coding of accounts; creates new accounts; prepares, processes, reconciles & provides receipts (as appropriate) for transactions.
• Processes transfer &/or appropriation charges & may balance &/or close accounts.
• Troubleshoots problems; performs vendor/account research as needed; obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates.
• Maintains Chart of Account lists.
• Prepares & delivers bank deposits.
• Accesses multiple banking systems to process transactions, retrieve information, &/or initiate wire transfers.
• Provides financial policy interpretation to determine the validity of customer requests & ensure compliance.
• Contacts outside agencies, banks &/or banking systems to obtain clarification of rules &/or regulations.
• Controls account availability for all chart strings.
• Provides support for internal audit requests.

Grants &/or Awards:

• Provides assistance regarding grant financial administration such as preparing financial information for grant submission.
• Completes post award accounting.
• Sets-up sub-contracts &/or start-up research accounts.
• Modifies grant budgets.
• Reviews, forecasts, and budgets grants performance.
• Closes grants.
• Approves expenditures on travel, consulting &/or equipment, along with various forms, such as Intra Institutional Vouchers, Requests for Accounting Corrections, the Research Assistant and Scholarship Appointments, &/or payroll adjustments, in accordance with granting agency guidelines & University policies & procedures.
• Processes subcontract payments according to rules & regulations of granting agencies.
• Reconciles subcontract payments.
• Verifies payroll funding entries.
• Corrects charges to various accounts.

Administration:

• Processes & presents data & information through the application of database, graphic & spreadsheet software.
• Provides excellent customer service, over the phone and in person answering standard questions regarding status of requests, policies and procedures for processing transactions, &/or instructions for completing paperwork.
• Instructs & advises regarding options and appropriate courses of action & follows-up inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Completes other administrative &/or clerical activities such as organizing meetings; reserving AV equipment.
• Obtains data by downloading from enterprise system; develops and runs queries.
• Completes special financial projects
• Performs general office support activities.

Training:

• Assists with training of new staff members.
• Creates & provides financial training on practice, procedure, policy &/or laws & regulations to customers.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as accounting, business administration, finance, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 1 year financial, budgeting &/or preparing account reconciliations or financial statements along with financial analysis or other relevant experience

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.
• Familiarity with financial reporting.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, in-person and via phone/web.
• Exceptional organizational skills, time management efficiency, and personal accountability.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and guidance.
• Ability to receive and benefit from feedback; willingness to expand skill set and improve.
• Flexibility in adapting to new procedures and environments.
• Strong project coordination skills and the ability to prioritize tasks across multiple projects.
• Efficient and resourceful in problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of the work, possessing initiative, and good follow-through.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Grant management and administrative experience.
• General understanding of accounting principles, experience with budgeting & financial management.
• Extensive knowledge of NU Financials and University policies.
• Experience implementing process improvement.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Experience with Northwestern University systems, NU Financials, Cognos, SES and myHR.
• Experience with PeopleSoft (Oracle), reporting, query-rule building.
• Excellent excel skills and an ability to utilize advanced functions within excel to perform complex data analysis and reconciliations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others to create yearly and multi-year reports.
• Demonstrated ability to create, interpret and present management-level reports.
• Ability to present financial information to colleagues with non-financial backgrounds.
• Ability to formulate realistic plans/contingencies and establishes appropriate measurements of anticipated results.
• Displays consistency and success in adhering to deadlines.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $49,850-$62,595 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.