Controller - Finance Department

Job Details

Jersey City, NJ

Full Time

Description

About Saint Peter’s University

Saint Peter’s is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Established in 1872, the University blends a unique learning experience shaped by rigorous academics, internships that provide real-world experience, community service, and a genuine, caring community that supports alumni long after graduation. Saint Peter’s offers more than 50 undergraduate majors as well as master’s level and doctorate programs.

Role Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, the Controller will be responsible for:

Oversight of various university financial functions, including the supervision of Accounts Payable and Purchasing (staff of 3 to 4 individuals), Payroll (staff of 2 individuals), Student Accounts Receivable (staff of 3 to 5 individuals),Treasury/Credit/Cash Management, Business Insurance. Works with Human Resources director to implement renewal of all health insurance. Financial management of third-party student recruiter relationships, which are the University’s revenue share partners.

Process mapping and process improvement within each of the oversight areas;

Banking relationships including the management of institutional credit lines and serving as the primary institutional contact for daily banking matters; University credit card management including monthly review and reconciliation of all credit card transactions; General oversight of business insurance and medical insurance matters and annual policy renewals, including the creation of RFP’s for competitive pricing purposes; Analyzing monthly medical insurance cost experience levels and developing related monthly presentations and reports for the university budget committee.

Assisting with year-end closings, and tax and audit compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable

Supervises the Accounts Payable team and ensure accurate and timely processing of vendor invoices and payments.

Establishes monthly accounts payable performance goals and assesses weekly.

Reviews and approves payment batches, ensuring adherence to established policies, procedures and budgetary controls.

Reviews weekly accounts payable aging reports, related cash disbursement reports, and vendor analysis reports.

Ensures the monthly reconciliation of the account payable sub-ledger with the general ledger.

Meets bi-monthly with Chief Financial Officer and other senior team members to review and discuss relevant accounts payable issues.

Completes performance reviews of each staff member at least semi-annually. Purchasing

Ensures campus-wide adherence to university purchasing policies.

Directs the Purchasing team to monitor purchasing activities and enforce budget controls.

Routinely communicates with the university community helping to address all levels of purchasing related issues.

Reviews and approves major purchase orders, ensuring adherence to procurement policies and guidelines.

Prepares and reviews monthly: procurement expenditure reports, supplier performance report, and inventory analysis reports if applicable.

Consistently reviews and maintains outstanding purchase order registers reporting back to supervisor monthly.

Maintains effective supplier relationships and optimizes procurement practices.

Reviews purchasing policy manual and updates as needed.

Establishes and realized annual RFP goals for major vendors in accordance with university policies. Responsible for writing and distributing RFP’s and managing the contract award process.

Completes performance reviews of each staff member at least semi-annually. Payroll

Oversees the payroll team, ensuring accurate and compliant processing of employee salaries, benefits, and deductions. Verifies payroll data, and ensures accurate and timely payment of employees.

Ensures accurate payroll records. Reviews and approves payroll entries, ensuring proper recording and reconciliation of payroll-related accounts.

Ensures compliance with federal and state regulations related to payroll, including tax withholding, benefits, payroll deductions and approved contributions to pension/savings plans.

Produces and reviews monthly payroll registers, payroll tax reports, and employee benefits reports and prepares reports for management and regulatory agencies.

Reconcile payroll accounts and resolve any discrepancies in a timely manner.

Collaborate with HR to ensure accurate employee data and maintain employee payroll records.

Communicate with University employees regarding payroll-related inquiries and issues.

Provide support for audits related to payroll and benefits.

Serves as project leader for systems changes and upgrades relating to the payroll function.

Completes performance reviews of each staff member at least semi-annually.

Student Accounts Receivable

Works with Director of Student Accounts to establish and realize monthly goals for student accounts receivable collections that align with the University’s cash flow objectives.

Assists in monitoring, tracking and enforcing University policies and procedures, especially with regard to student payment plans.

Responsible for the monthly AR close process including reconciliation of AR sub-ledger to GL and the preparation of AR month end aging reports and schedules.

Reviews collection reports daily to ascertain status of collections and balances outstanding and reduce collection cycle times where possible.

Audits severely delinquent accounts considered to be uncollectible to ensure maximum efforts have been taken before assigning bad-debt status to account.

Monitors aging balances and recommend write offs.

Assists in tracking and assessing collection agency effectiveness.

Reviews student tuition and fee structures and ensures their compliance with University budget. Treasury/Cash/Credit Management

Serves as the primary contact for the University’s banking relationships, including the compliant management of the University’s line of credit.

Manages University’s credit card activities, including monitoring and reconciling monthly reports pertaining to credit card usage, ensuring adherence to University regulations, and credit card relationships.

Produces weekly cash balance reports and monthly cash forecasts

Manages the university's cash flow, cash deposits, and banking relationships, ensuring that cash inflows and outflows align with cash forecasts.

Monitors bank balances and interacts daily with other finance team members for cash management and reporting purposes.

Produces a daily bank balance report and weekly and monthly cash plans. Assists heavily in monthly close process – especially in the area of bank reconciliations

Prepares and reviews monthly cash flow statements, cash portfolio reports, and bank reconciliation reports.

Assists in implementing effective cash flow forecasting and cash investment strategies. Periodic Financial Closings and Tax Compliance

Assists Assistant and Associate Vice Presidents with reports and reconciliations to facilitate the year-end closing process and helps ensure accurate and timely preparation of annual financial statements and tax returns.

Issues required IRS 1042 forms.

File information returns relating to Charitable Gift Annuities

Provides documents and assists auditors during internal and external audits.

Business Insurance

Working directly with outside risk manages, provides oversight for business insurance acquisition and renewals.

Works with Vice President to perform annual business insurance review and subsequent presentation to the University President and Board of Trustees.

Fiscal Oversight of Third Party Recruiting Agencies

Provide oversight for the administrative and fiscal management of third-party student recruiting agencies placing emphasis on:

a) Timely accounting of students recruited and computation of earned revenues by student by agency

b) Tracking and monitoring receipt and payment of commission invoices submitted by each agency.

c) Interaction with University Chief Budget Officer to ensure that all related revenues and expenditures are correctly accounted for in the University budget.

Salary Range: $160,000 - $170,000

Qualifications

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in accounting

Master’s Degree in accounting, finance or business administration preferred

At least fifteen years of Higher Education or similar non-profit management experience in a similar position required

Daily hands on experience with spreadsheet and business analytics software required.

Expert knowledge of Student Financial Aid and Student Accounts Receivable

Knowledge of the Ellucian Colleague ERP highly desirable

Must have supervisory experience in the financial functions cited in this job description, including significant experience with payroll audits and payroll systems