About the Opportunity
Job Summary
Reporting to the Associate Director, Research Cash Operations, the Cash Accountant supports the functions of the central NU-RES Finance office within Northeastern University Research Enterprise Services (NU-RES) by providing organizational efficiencies and assisting with the oversight of financial operations and processes. The Cash Accountant provides support to the Associate Director, Research Cash Operations by processing electronic payments and check deposits, and identifying, assigning, and applying incoming research payments in Workday Finance. Prepares and processes various entries for incoming AR payments, Advancement and SFS payments, cash corrections, write-offs, sponsor refunds, LOC payments, and grant closeouts. Reviews payment discrepancies and reconciles payments for grant closeout; supports the review and resolution of bad debt; maintains and reconciles the payment log and research Bank account. Supports triaging and management of communication and requests through the central Research Accounting email inbox.
The Cash Accountant provides assistance during audits, both internal and external, by obtaining supporting documentation for review by the Director, Research Accounting prior to submission to auditors. Prepares financial reports after monthly financial close to leadership team. Assists the NU-RES Finance leadership team with various projects as needed. Maintains system data on incoming payments within the financial system and payment logs in SharePoint. Works to document SOPs, makes recommendations on process improvements.
The Cash Accountant is expected to work in various electronic platforms and systems and must be technologically savvy. Must be able to use VPN and work completely electronically. The Cash Accountant must be able to navigate through the financial system (Workday) as well as the various grants systems and portals (various federal and non-federal sponsor Portals, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, etc.) as required to perform their role.
The position is expected to foster consultative relationships as well as support a professional environment, providing award support and training to the university research community as needed. The Cash Accountant works with the Associate Directors and Directors regarding fiscal compliance of cash management, AR monitoring and invoicing at Northeastern. The ability to create and maintain a culture of service, accountability and timeliness is essential. As a collaborative team member, the Cash Accountant supports the other members of NU-RES, interface with colleagues across organizational units such as NU-RES Administration, Accounts Payable, Procurement, Treasury Services, University Advancement, and Student Financial Services (SFS), and perform other duties as assigned.
A key success factor for this role is being current with respect to federal regulations as well as the ability to train others on the application of these regulations. This role must treat effective compliance as an equal priority, stay abreast of sponsor rules, regulations, and policy changes, as well as institutional best practices in research administration and finance. Participate in sponsored research initiatives and projects as assigned, as well as lead the adoption of best practices to promote continuous improvement making sure that the highest quality standards are met.
Northeastern is a global university and Provost Research supports its team working remotely. Remote locations and work schedules are determined based on operational needs and in consultation with Team members, consistent with university policies and guidance.
Minimum Qualifications
BS/BA required
2-4 years or work experience required
Strong technical skills with MS Office 365 including Excel, Word, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, as well as Adobe Acrobat and other analytical tools.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail and organization
Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to interact with management and senior leadership
Proven customer service skills
Knowledges and experience in finance and general accounting practices, standards and regulations
Experience in B2B accounting, accounts receivable, and working with Local and Federal agencies is preferred
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
40% - Payment Processing
Record, identify/assign, and apply incoming check and ACH/Wire payments; support the check deposit process. Identify payments through AR and contract review, sponsor portals, and coordination with other departments. Record incoming ACH and wire payments in the research bank account against research and customer AR. Manage unidentified and unapplied payments, coordinate with other departments, and resolve non-research payments received in Research Bank. Maintain and reconcile the payment log, research clearing accounts and research bank account. Perform ongoing and retroactive review of unapplied and in progress payments for pending grant setups and pending AR.
35% - Cash Accounting and Reconciliations
Prepare and process various entries for cash corrections, sponsor refunds, write-offs and grant closeouts. Perform periodic review and reconciliation of on-account payments balances and work with billing team and other stakeholders to resolve. Work with billing team to identify and support sponsor refunds; manage and record refund requests in the financial system – ensure complete settlement of refunds payments through Accounts Payable. Complete reconciliations of Letter of Credit (LOC) payment auto-applications, resolve on-account balances and work with analysts to resolve any AR gaps.
20% - Collections and Closeouts
Work with Analysts, Associate Directors and Director to support collection efforts. Assist the team with researching payments and open AR follow-up. Support the review and resolution of bad debt, process write-offs. Review payment application discrepancies and reconcile payments for grant closeout.
5% - Operations, Audits and Special Projects
Support SOP and desk procedure development, make recommendations on process improvements. Support Leadership with audit requests, ad hoc assignments and reports as needed.
Position Type
FinanceAdditional Information
Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.
Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Compensation Grade/Pay Type:
109SExpected Hiring Range:
$67,855.00 - $95,845.00With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.