General Accountant III

Job Function Summary

Involves accounting functions such as analyzing, monitoring, preparing, and reconciling financial information to reflect the condition of the organization and provide financial and other statistical data to control operations. Also may involve preparation of financial reports to meet internal and external reporting requirements. May include activities relating to developing, implementing, and monitoring accounting systems, policies, and procedures.

Generic Scope

Experienced professional who knows how to apply theory and put it into practice with in-depth understanding of the professional field; independently performs the full range of responsibilities within the function; possesses broad job knowledge; analyzes problems/issues of diverse scope and determines solutions.

Custom Scope

The Analyst is a key member of the finance team, tasked with performing accounting functions, including payroll and general ledger preparation and reconciliation for all funds managed and overseen by the Dean’s Office. The analyst must understand and interpret complex accounting practices, organizational policies, and procedures to analyze and prepare reports for administrators and managers. It is crucial that ledgers are verified on a timely basis to answer questions and coordinate resolutions of issues with departments and functions. Ledger verification is an important financial control that helps detect and prevent erroneous or inappropriate transactions. As a major key control, the analyst:

• performing ledger verification takes on the responsibility of providing reasonable assurance that financial transactions are valid and properly classified
• is tasked with the responsibility and ownership of creating and processing all journal entries for the Dean’s Office, utilizing all types of PeopleSoft online journals, including payroll expense transfers, to ensure accuracy and compliance with all policies and procedures set forth for each type of journal

The Analyst also monitors and executes all procurement and expense payment activities for the Dean’s Office. This includes reimbursement requests, travel and entertainment requests, invoice processing, and speedchart/type setups. The Analyst may participate in implementing any new systems related to accounts payable functions for the Dean’s Office.

Other duties include:

• Performing fiscal management of intramural award projects
• Partnering with units to prepare and submit recharge proposals to Control Point or Recharge Review, and providing monthly recharge financial support
• Supporting fiscal year closing activities
• Providing financial administrative support to the Accounting and Operations Manager

Journal Entries, General Ledger Verification, Payroll and Salary Cost Transfers

Prepare journal entries and maintain and/or reconcile ledger accounts, including journal preparation and reconciliation, general ledger verification, and Salary Cost Transfer preparation and reconciliation.

Journals and General Ledger Verification

Independently performs the full range of responsibilities within this function for all Dean’s Office funds:

• Ensure accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with applicable university and funding agency policies and procedures.
• When questionable transactions are identified, investigate whether it is an error and decide what actions need to happen to make the corrections.
• Document evidence of verification and reconciling items.
• Take ownership of managing the process of sign-off, aging, and clearing of pending issues.

Payroll and Salary Cost Transfer

Ensures all journals and salary cost transfers are prepared and monitored in compliance with all policies and procedures set forth for each type of journal and payroll:

• Complete journals & salary cost transfers for the Dean’s Office, ensuring correct distribution to Dean’s Office units.
• Partner with units for processing requests.
• Investigate and resolve complex issues and disparities.
• Manage multiple requests and meet approval deadlines.
• Reconcile journals and salary cost transfers for monthly reporting.

Purchasing and Expenses Payable

Provide a record of assets, liabilities, and other financial transactions.

Manages Dean’s Office purchasing and expenses payable-related affairs:

• Review and reconcile BearBuy and MyExpense requests to ensure accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with applicable policies and procedures.
• Investigate and resolve issues with purchase orders, invoice payments, travel and entertainment requests, vendor payment status, etc.
• Serve as a key resource to unit administrators on purchasing and accounts payable policies and procedures.
• Train and mentor new unit administrators in purchasing and A/P policies and procedures.
• Serve as contact person to Accounts Payable, Controller’s Office, and SCM.
• Assist with implementing changes to MyExpense, BearBuy, P-Card, and any other accounts payable processes.
• Manage telephone bills and accounts with external vendors.
• Monitors capital assets and depreciation.

Intramural Awards Administration

Provides analysis for complex accounting projects: Intramural Awards Administration.

Responsible for the fiscal management of intramural award projects:

• Oversee financial, programmatic, and compliance aspects of the project.
• Ensure budgetary control and that the expenditures incurred are within the authorized budget and period.
• Review ALL charges for allowable/unallowable costs.
• Coordinate removal of overdraft and unallowable costs.
• Ensure that progress reports and other material requested from award recipients have been submitted in a timely manner.
• Close out awards and transfer unexpended balances to original funding sources.

Recharge Operations

Interprets Reports and records for administrators and managers: Recharge Operations.

Manages Recharge Operations and Financial Reporting:

• Work collaboratively with Unit Managers to formulate recharge rates and proposals.
• Prepare and submit recharge proposals to Control Point or Recharge Review.
• Monitor and update monthly recharge journals.
• Analyze recharge financials with Unit Managers to minimize surplus/deficit over the allowable limit.
• Transfer planned depreciation to the reserve fund.
• Submit an updated depreciation schedule to Recharge Review any time there is a change in capital equipment.

Fiscal Year-End Close

Participates in gathering data from the general ledger for the collection of information, preparing summary schedules, and answering questions from departments or coordinating the resolution of issues involving units and functions for the fiscal year-end close.

• Work collaboratively with senior analyst to complete journals for revenue accrual, 19xx/5xxx allocation, one-time Chair discretionary funding allocation, and true-up/down for fiscal close.
• Reconcile malpractice transactions and partner with UCOP and the Controller’s Office to deploy new malpractice budget and allocations.
• Maintain a checklist for all cash handlers and PCI to request certification completion for compliance.
• Review and process all BearBuy POs, requisitions, vouchers, and MyExpense by a cut-off date and remove liens.
• Submit endowment/gift payout transfers from SFFDN to SFCMP.

Other Accounting and Financial Duties

Other Accounting and Financial Duties to help with the implementation and/or maintenance of general accounting systems.

• Create HCM tickets and serve as the department’s cash handler.
• Create/deactivate projects and SpeedTypes for departments as requested.
• Close out expired or unused projects.
• Participate in the accounting system updates or enhancements.

Other Projects as Assigned

• Provide support to the Financial Affairs unit on different projects as deemed needed.
• Provide support to the Accounting and Operations Manager on an Ad hoc basis.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of directly relevant accounting and finance experience.
• Thorough knowledge of accounting function and assignments.
• Ability to independently gather, organize, and perform accounting-related analysis to complete work assignments.
• Proven ability to effectively present information verbally and in writing.
• Thorough knowledge of financial transactions and systems, as well as related policy, accounting, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of common desktop / web applications.
• Thorough knowledge of analytical procedures used in accounting projects of moderate to semi-complex scope.