General Ledger Financial Analyst

About the role

The General Ledger Financial Analyst plays a crucial role within the Polsky Center, supporting faculty, students, staff, and alumni in navigating the complex process of bringing new products, services, and research to market. This role works closely with Polsky Center leaders to review comprehensive financial information and collaborate with colleagues across the Polsky Center to ensure all financial data is accurate, complete, and aligned with institutional objectives.

Responsibilities

• Prepares accurate and timely annual budgets and monthly forecasts using the budgeting and planning system, and communicates variance analysis to management in a concise and clear manner.
• Performs award accounting and prepares related journal entries as needed in support of the organization's strategic investment activities.
• Enters grant budgets into the grant management system for both pre-award and accounting purposes, ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements and university policy.
• Reviews and approves funding proposals in coordination with principal investigators and the grants team to authorize expenditures in accordance with award terms.
• Tracks grant deliverables and prepares interim and closing financial reports per contract requirements.
• Processes grant cost corrections through the cost correction workflow system to maintain accurate award balances and ensure proper expense allocation.
• Processes payroll and expense cost corrections through HR and workflow management systems to ensure accurate financial records.
• Records internal transfers and internal billing in the accounting system on a monthly basis.
• Conducts a monthly financial review of designated cost centers and prepares supporting documentation.
• May process annual bad debt write-offs and generate manual billing as needed.
• Processes credit card transactions on a monthly basis and applies cash for manual billing as required.
• Conducts recurring reviews of equity holdings, preparing reports and analyzing valuation data where needed in support of the organization's venture investment strategy.
• Prepares and distributes monthly department budget-to-actual reports and monthly financial packages at the unit, divisional, and consolidated levels, and performs daily general ledger downloads and reconciliations.
• Maintains integrity of cash balances by conducting monthly bank account reconciliations across accounting, revenue, and bank records.
• Maintains accurate records by tracking AP aging on a monthly basis to support cash flow management and vendor relations.
• Collaborates with the Office of Legal Counsel to ensure proper documentation and timely payment of legal invoices.
• Completes and submits annual tax filings as needed; and as needed prepares annual escheatment documentation and coordinates payment in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Develops and maintains standard operating procedures (SOPs) for general ledger and accounting processes to support operational consistency, knowledge transfer, and compliance.
• Supports the improvement of operational efficiency and strengthens internal controls in compliance with governmental, University, and unit requirements.
• Supports special projects across topics including procurement, financial investment structures or performance, budgeting, and more.
• Supports the preparation of budgets, creation of accounts, and works with the financial accounting system to allocate, authorize, monitor, and control expenses.
• Prepares monthly reports, conducts and corrects errors in accounts using existing procedures that are in place, and provides advice on the financial impact of human resources and academic affairs decisions.
• May work with other administrators on the procurement process, allocates expenditures for authorization, and advises in communications regarding funding agencies, subcontractors, and others at the instruction and direction of others.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Qualifications

• BSc/BA in accounting, finance, or a relevant field.
• MSc/MA/MBA is a plus.

Skills

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel coupled with previous experience using financial and accounting systems.
• Working knowledge of finance and accounting principles, laws, and best practices.