Financial Assistant

Job Summary

Provides day-to-day financial & accounting support using an advanced knowledge of applicable skills, methods & practices & some innovation, analysis, & reasoning to choose appropriate alternatives from among pre-defined policies & procedures to complete work that includes successive steps & involves some non-routine problems &/or decisions. Applies industry and professional standards, university policy and procedure, federal and state laws and other regulations.

Specific Responsibilities

Budget: - Maintains & tracks individual budget accounts. - Updates calendar, spreadsheets, templates & forms; monitors submissions. - Completes reconciliation procedures. - Creates summary reports. Analysis, Statements & Reporting: - 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. - May analyze open encumbrances that are no longer valid & recommend appropriate modifications to ensure smooth processing of financial transactions. Transactions: - Completes & maintains transactions in enterprise systems. - Provides review and oversight of all types of financial transactions some of which may be complex in regard to size or duration of account. - Troubleshoots problems. - Performs vendor/account research as needed. - Obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates. - 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. - Enters information into database. Grants &/or Awards: - Provides assistance regarding grant financial administration such as preparing financial information for grant submission. - Completes post award accounting. - 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: - 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. - Provides administrative support in regard to HR matters such as hiring, onboarding, benefits, compensation, etc. Training: - Assists with training of new staff members - Creates & provides financial training on practice, procedure, policy &/or laws & regulations to customers. Supervision: - Provides guidance to junior employees. Miscellaneous Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

- High school diploma or the equivalent. - 3 years accounting &/or bookkeeping or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies

- Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software. - Familiarity with financial reporting.

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status.