Staff Accountant, Bursar's office

Posted:
7/2/2024, 5:00:00 PM

Location(s):
Colorado, United States

Experience Level(s):
Junior ⋅ Mid Level

Field(s):
Accounting

Engineering a world of possibilities

The Staff Accountant in the Bursar's Office is responsible for managing financial operations related to student housing facilities, meal plan elections, and coordinating special tuition programs. This position is responsible for ensuring accurate financial record-keeping, processing housing, meal plan, and special tuition-related financial transactions, and providing support to students, parents, and university staff regarding these programs. They partner with university staff and external stakeholders, in particular with the Office of Residence Life and Student Life Business Operations, to ensure accurate financial information and compliance with regulatory requirements and to understand the annual student housing and meal plan processes. This position will also provide regular support to other positions within the Bursar’s Office team.

Primary Responsibilities

Financial Operations

  • Using Banner and the StarRez housing system, this position is responsible for processing all financial transactions related to student housing, including rent, late fees, gas, electricity, and damage charges.
  • Using StarRez, this position is responsible for working directly with Residence Life staff to enter housing rates and meal plans to ensure consistency and accuracy.
  • Using Banner and the StarRez system, position will process all financial transactions related to student meal plans, including commuter plan charges.
  • Partners with external departments to coordinate special tuition programs and processes all special tuition rates.
  • Work with Residence Life to process 3 annual scholarship award cycles in partnership with the Financial Aid Office.
  • Process all employee and dependent tuition waivers and fee waivers, ensuring all requests are reviewed for eligibility.

Reconciliation

  • Partners with Residence Life staff to complete a monthly reconciliation of housing and meal plan charges and credits, correcting all discrepancies collaboratively.
  • Complete a quarterly reconciliation of special tuition accounts, correcting all discrepancies.
  • Partners with the Student Health Insurance Plan Coordinator to complete a quarterly reconciliation of student insurance charges and credits, correcting all discrepancies.
  • Complete some monthly reconciliation for Student Accounts Receivable. This requires an extensive review and reconciliation of multiple clearing AR accounts and an understanding of how the Accounting System student subsystem relates to the Finance system.
  • Prepare and submit journal entries to correct errors found.

Customer Service

  • Advise students, sponsors, and parents about tuition, fees and other related charges. Responsible for heavy volume of oral and written correspondence with students, sponsors, and parents.
  • Coordinate with Residence Life, Financial Aid, Admissions, the Registrar's Office, and other departments to lead resolution for student issues related to tuition and fees.
  • Respond to email and telephone calls with professionalism and clarity. A general knowledge of campus activities is required to be able to direct questions to the appropriate department/individual.

AR & Collection Support

  • Assist the AR & Loan Analyst with the collection of past due accounts.
  • Assists with the reconciliation of tuition collection accounts using Banner and the OnBase system.
  • Assist with the reconciliation of Perkins and institutional loans between the University, our third-party servicer, and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
  • During reconciliation, this position has the responsibility make adjustments to student accounts or submit corrections to the collection agency as needed.
  • This position will review, add, or remove student holds based on the reconciliation information.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

  • A bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field with at least 21 credit hours of accounting classes.
  • At least 2 years of professional accounting.
  • Experience in an A\R module within Banner or a similar system.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Strong analytical skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong desire to collaborate and work with different departments across campus to best support students.

Preferred Qualifications

Education and Experience:

  • Experience working with the CASHNet system, or a similar software.
  • Experience working in a higher education institution.

Salary and Benefits

$58,000 – $62,000

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes:

  • Flexible health and dental care plans
  • Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
  • Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
  • Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
  • Free RTD Ecopass

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the on-campus Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more), equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center, and the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP). Coming soon is an on-campus daycare center. For more information about benefits at Mines, go to mines.edu/human-resources/benefits.

How to Apply

Applicants must:

  •  Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status)
  • Upload a resume or CV
  • Upload a cover letter

While this position will remain open until filled, application review will begin July 22, 2024. For full consideration, please apply by July 21, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. This ad may be removed with little or no notice.

This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy.

 References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.

Mines welcomes everyone to our team; in your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc). If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.

Successful Completion of a Background Investigation is Required for this Position.

About Mines & Golden, CO

When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university solving the grand challenges facing our society, particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment. Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines’ scope and mission have continually expanded to meet the needs of industry and society. Today, we are the No. 38 public university in the nation, recognized for our innovation and undergraduate teaching in science, technology engineering and math (U.S. News and World Report, 2023).

Mines graduates are change makers, boundary breakers and problem solvers. Since our earliest days, a Mines education has been and continues to be a transformational opportunity, with one of the strongest returns on investment out there for talented STEM students of all backgrounds.

At the same time, Mines faculty members are pushing their fields in new directions, whether that’s manufacturing, space resources, quantum engineering, carbon capture or more. Mines was recently classified as a R1 “Very High Activity” research institution by Carnegie, a notable feat for any university but particularly one of our size.

That size – roughly 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students – also translates to a close-knit campus community, where employees have opportunities to get involved in multiple ways, continued professional learning is valued and everyone can make an impact.

Community Alliance groups bring together employees for professional development, networking, cultural awareness and community involvement, and all Mines employees also have access to the wealth of activities happening every day on campus – nationally-renowned speakers, special events and Mines traditions like Engineering Days, just to name a few.

And don’t get us started on our hometown. We are located in the heart of Golden, Colorado --with its charming historic downtown and nearby hiking trails – and in close proximity to all that Denver and the Rocky Mountains have to offer. That includes the sunny, high-altitude climate and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities that make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play.

Are you looking for an inspiring, mission-driven workplace where you can contribute to solving the world’s problems and educating the next generation of change makers? Are you an individual who values a diverse and inclusive community, where our different perspectives, experiences and cultures enrich the educational and work experience?

Look to Mines.

Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons.  Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a diverse student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequity or concerns for safety.

Colorado's premier engineering and applied science university for 150 years and counting