Fiscal Analyst 2

Central Washington University is recruiting a Fiscal Analyst 2 to join our Financial Aid team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $45,732 - $61,404 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~10,000 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

Working independently under general direction, position is responsible for accurately reporting award data to federal, state, and institutional agencies and resolving any award eligibility issues. The incumbent will run/create reports to compare/verify award and reconcile financial aid programs and will assist with weekly Financial Aid packaging Award edits, communications, and file processing. This position will work with Financial Aid & Scholarships, Student Accounts, university departments, external professional consultants, the functional and technical module leads, IS developers, database administrators and other technical support personnel, U.S. Department of Education, the Washington Student Achievement Council personnel, and external services vendors. Financial Aid & Scholarships employees directly affect the vision, mission, and values of Central Washington University by practicing responsible stewardship of our financial resources and promoting access and opportunity for all students. All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to bring and support inclusion into the university environment.

Monthly Reconciliations:
- Analyze, review and reconcile financial aid awards with the U.S. Department of Education, the Washington Student Achievement Council and other student award processing entities such as the College Success Foundation and Education Loan Management Resources to ensure that all transactions have been validated for amount and eligibility requirements. Identify and resolve any discrepancies.
- Prepare CWU monthly financial aid accounts reconciliation. Review and analyze data to verify that the awards have been properly reported and recorded. Investigate any differences and make corrections as needed.

Reporting:
- Report financial aid awards to the U.S. Department of Education, the Washington Student Achievement Council and other student award processing entities such as the College Success Foundation and Education Loan Management Resources. Identify and resolve any discrepancies in amounts being reported.
- Run and create queries to compare data and verify results to ensure all transactions have been reported correctly. Research and resolve any discrepancies. Make correction to setup when necessary.
- Generate, process, and send/receive direct loan files, Pell files, ISIR files, and corrections in batch to ensure accounts are up to date and processed.
- Create, maintain, update, and send delivered PeopleSoft communications.
- Update processes in PeopleSoft to ensure processes are streamlined and accurately running.

Financial Aid Edits:
- Run financial aid packaging edit queries to resolve issues.
- Analyze financial aid awarding issues and provide suggestions and resolutions to the technical support team.

- Perform other duties as assigned.

• Fifteen (15) credit hours of college level accounting or bookkeeping, or equivalent work experience.
• Experience or training that demonstrates the ability to use spreadsheet and database applications such as Excel to maintain spreadsheets, compare accounting reports, and perform reconciliations.
• Experience reviewing, analyzing, and reconciling multiple accounts.
• Experience providing exemplary customer service to clients in stressful, difficult, or sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Demonstrated willingness and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or related area.
• Professional level accounting experience in a non-profit, research, government or higher education institution.
• Experience and/or education working with computerized accounting systems such as PeopleSoft Student Administration.
• Experience processing electronic files with the US Department of Education via Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system, and Ed Connect.
• Experience or interest in mentoring students from a variety of backgrounds.
• Ability to incorporate multicultural perspectives and issues into everyday conversations.
• Demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for students through various activities.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position is based on the range 44 of the Washington State Classification Listing, which has a minimum annual salary of $45,732 and maximum annual salary of $61,404. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.