Financial Assistant

Description

Job ID49668
LocationChicago, Illinois

Department: MED-Pathology
Salary/Grade: NEX/11

Job Summary:

* This role is required to process all financial transactions for the department, including but not limited to purchase orders, procurement card transactions, service contracts and travel reimbursements. Provided detailed Excel tracking of expenditures. Will also assist the Research Administrator team with updating grant account summaries. Will maintain office supplies and equipment, sort mail, assist with event set up/breakdown. This position offers hybrid flexibility consistent with the Feinberg School of Medicine IFMS) policy.

* 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.

* Provides administrative &/or clerical support.

* Accounting policy & procedure

* Accounts payable

* Accounts receivable

* Analysis

* Appropriation charges

* Audit

* Balancing

* Bank and balance sheet acct

* Bank deposits

* Budget

* Capital spending

* Cash receipt

* Chart &/or account coding

* Cost accounting

* Expense reimbursement

* Financial Statements

* Forecasting

* Grants &/or awards

* Inventory

* Journal &/or ledger

* Petty cash

* Procurement card program

* Purchase orders

* Reconciliation

* Reporting

* Transfer charges

* Treasury

* Wire transfers

Please note: Able to lift 20lbs to assist with set up and break down of conference room for scheduled meetings and store of cases of copier paper.

Supervisor provides objectives & deadlines. Work is reviewed for fulfillment of objective & deadlines & overall compliance with policy & procedures. EE completes some activities without direction, informing supervisor only of potentially controversial matters, &/or far-reaching implications.

Specific Responsibilities:

Budget:

* Maintains & tracks individual budget accounts.

* Coordinates annual budget process including tasks associated with the open/close processes.

* Updates calendar, spreadsheets, templates & forms; monitors submissions.

* Completes reconciliation procedures

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.

* Creates reports & queries; reviews for incomplete records, data entry errors, &/or accounting mistakes.

* 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.

* Reviews; ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy.

* 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.

* Sets-up sub-contracts &/or start-up research accounts.

* Closes grants.

* 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.

* 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.

* Completes other administrative &/or clerical activities such as organizing meetings; reserving AV equipment.

* Coordinates office, lab &/or building repairs & maintenance.

* Maintains inventory.

Training:

* Assists with training of new staff members

* Creates & provides financial training on practice, procedure, policy &/or laws & regulations to customers.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

* High school diploma or the equivalent.

* 3 years accounting &/or bookkeeping or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

* Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.

* Familiarity with financial reporting.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Advance experience using Excel and other accounting focused tools.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

* Organized with an ability to prioritize work independently.

* Adept with processing financial data and reconciling accounts.

* Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with internal and external people.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $19.31-$24.14 per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more Visit us at 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 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 to learn more.

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