College Accountant

Duties & Responsibilities

• Financial Strategy and Oversight
• Oversee all aspects of the Foundation’s finances, including accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Ensure the proper custody of all funds, property, and securities and direct the investment of assets in accordance with policies set by the Foundation’s Finance and Investment Committee.
• Advisory Role: Advise senior leadership and the Board of Directors on financial, budgetary, and administrative matters.
• Perform critical calculations such as the spendable income and the annual 1% endowment fee.
• Reconcile the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) data to the audited financial statements.
• Policy and Controls: Implement and maintain robust internal controls over both state and Foundation activities.
• Reporting and Compliance Auditing: Serve as the primary liaison for internal and external auditors, coordinating the annual independent audit of the Foundation’s financial statements.
• Work with staff to prepare audit footnotes and other necessary spreadsheets and documentation.
• Develop and review auditor requests for proposals (RFPs), required every five years.
• Regulatory Filings: Manage the preparation and submission of Form 990, as well as various accounts and reports required by the State University of New York (SUNY) administration.
• Documentation: Serve as the physical custodian of all the Foundation’s books, records, papers, and the official seal.
• Operational Management and Staff Development
• Directly supervise and mentor two staff accountants, providing direction and oversight for their daily tasks.
• Task Transition: Actively train and transition key responsibilities to staff, including Net Asset Reconciliations, WT Endowed Bank Reconciliations, and Scholarship Available Fund Calculations.
• Daily Support: Provide backup for daily cash processes when the senior accountant is out of the office and manage operational tasks such as setting up project codes in the financial system.
• External Relations and Special Projects
• Maintain relationships with banks and investment managers.
• Develop and review requests for proposals (RFPs) for such services as needed.
• High-Level Projects: Lead special projects, which can include coordinating responses to data breaches, managing endowment transfers, and preparing official contract documents for the SUNY/Foundation agreement every five years.
• Annuity Management: Handle all updates and communications related to Charitable Gift Annuities, including entries to update the general ledger and follow-up with annuitants.

Qualifications

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree (in finance, accounting, business, or a related field) is required. A Master’s degree (in finance, accounting, business, or a related field) or an active CPA license (within 1-year of hiring date) is preferred.
• Experience: A minimum of three years of progressive experience in accounting is required, with a demonstrated ability to provide direction and oversight in a supervisory role. Additional experience is highly preferred.
• Experience with fund accounting solutions (Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT preferred) and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, and Excel in particular) required.
• Professional & Interpersonal Skills: A solid understanding of budget development and oversight, experience with non-profit accounting and accounting for endowments, and a keen ability to prioritize and manage multiple work projects. Effective interpersonal skills and a collaborative working style, with strong written and verbal communication abilities.