Assistant Controller for Financial Operations

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Penn State's Office of Budget and Finance is seeking a seasoned accounting professional for the role of Assistant Controller for Financial Operations. Reporting to the University Controller in the Office of Budget and Finance, the successful candidate will be responsible for a range of critical accounting and finance activities. The Assistant Controller will serve as a senior expert to the Controller and must demonstrate knowledge of broad accounting concepts and standards as well as best practices related to the development, management, and reconfiguration of financial systems and processes.

Primary responsibilities of this position include:

• Supervision of Cost Analysis and Payroll departments.
• Cost accounting oversight, including preparation of group insurance and other benefits schedules and forecasts - along with salary and wage base schedules / forecasts - to be used in federal rate submission as well as in annual budget development and interim reporting.
• Co-ownership of month-end accounting close.
• Financial system maintenance, reconfiguration, operational process redesign / improvement, and performance reporting.
• Involvement in monthly internal reporting and the design and implementation of various dashboards and KPIs.
• Lead in the development and roll-out of accounting-related training sessions and materials.
• Serve as a dedicated resource for special or ad hoc projects that arise to the benefit of the Office of Budget and Finance and the broader Penn State financial / accounting community.

The successful candidate must possess:

• Extensive accounting skills.
• High level of project management skills to accomplish large, complex projects that improve internal customer experience, increase efficiency, and improve effectiveness.
• High level of skill and experience in assessing process improvement needs.
• Experience in creating dashboards, reports, templates, and tools to assist finance employees in completing day-to-day tasks. Experience in developing recurring checklists to ensure timely completion of tasks throughout the year.
• Extensive knowledge of financial best practices and internal controls to support process improvement initiatives.
• High level of communication and diplomacy skills to direct continuing process improvement initiatives, as well as to create and maintain sustainable partnerships and networks. This position will communicate at all levels of the University, often regarding complex situations, and the successful candidate must be able to synthesize and relay information in a way that is objective and adaptive to the audience.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or related field is required
• Master's degree preferred
• CPA license required, with public accounting experience strongly preferred
• Minimum of 12 years of experience required, with significant experience working in higher education finance preferred
• Knowledge of Uniform Guidance requirements and experience interacting with federal sponsors is strongly preferred
• Financial systems implementation experience preferred

This position offers a flexible work arrangement that combines remote and on-campus work. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.

For more information, please visit Penn State's home page at https://www.psu.edu/

Finance and Business is a values driven organization that supports thousands of University faculty, staff, and students, while also providing services to the broader community and society. Finance and Business has a vision to recruit, develop and retain outstanding people who efficiently provide exceptional service in support of Penn State's teaching, research and public service missions. Our values model those of Penn State's and we firmly believe in the value of Respect, which encourages us to "respect and honor the dignity of each person, embrace civil discourse, and foster a diverse and inclusive community." As an incoming team member, it will be expected that all employees embody and model Penn State's and Finance and Business's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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