Accounting Officer - Department of English

University of Illinois - Urbana, IL

Full-time - Entry Level

Remote - Urbana, IL

Educational Services

About the position

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is seeking an Accounting Officer for the Department of English within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. This full-time position is responsible for managing the procurement and accounting operations for the department. The Accounting Officer will play a crucial role in processing and reconciling expense request transactions, ensuring compliance with university policies and procedures, and maintaining accurate financial records. The successful candidate will be expected to process travel and expense reports, manage procurement cards, and assist with training new cardholders. Additionally, the officer will compile monthly financial statements, verify transaction accuracy, and ensure proper documentation is retained. The role also involves running standard financial reports, processing adjustment entries, and managing various tracking sheets to ensure timely completion of fiscal transactions. The Accounting Officer will provide backup for office reception duties and assist with departmental events and inventory management as needed. This position offers a hybrid work schedule after a probationary period, allowing for both remote and in-person work.

Responsibilities

• Process and reconcile expense request transactions for the Department.
• Process Travel and Expense reports for the Department of English using associated University systems.
• Ensure completeness of expense reports, order logs, accuracy, availability of funds, appropriateness of transactions, and conformity to policies and procedures.
• Correspond with cardholders regarding departmental policies, procedures, and practices.
• Assist with training for new cardholders.
• Manage p-card and t-card to arrange travel and procure goods for the department as needed.
• Review and compile monthly financial statements, verifying accuracy and appropriateness of transactions reconciled.
• Review account information to ensure appropriateness of depositing to various fund types.
• Ensure proper documentation is provided and retained, and follow up on discrepancies in consultation with the Senior Business Manager.
• Review and analyze fiscal reports monthly, updating and reconciling to departmental spreadsheets when needed.
• Assist Records Liaison with management and retention of fiscal files, recommending requests for purging records that exceed retention periods.
• Run standard reports for the business office using EDDIE and Document Direct, including monthly Operating Ledger and General Ledger statements.
• Process adjustment entries and requests, including journal vouchers and stop payments.
• Manage and review various tracking sheets to ensure timely completion of fiscal transactions.
• Back up office reception duties, including phone, greeting visitors, and document handling.
• Assist in delivering and retrieving documents to and from various campus offices as required.
• Back up Office Manager with scheduling appointments and departmental events.
• Assist with monitoring and reconciling physical inventory records and reports.
• Assist in coordinating department inventory when necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two years of coursework in accounting or related fields, or equivalent work experience in bookkeeping or office support.
• Knowledge of bookkeeping practices and accepted accounting principles.
• Knowledge of university and departmental policies, rules, and regulations.
• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing and spreadsheets.
• Skill in active listening and critical thinking.
• Skill in time management.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others.
• Ability to compare numbers and detect errors efficiently.
• Ability to compile complex financial records and prepare routine financial reports or statements.
• Ability to make computations with speed and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and exercise judgment.

Nice-to-haves

• Awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural and linguistic differences.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

• Hybrid work schedule after a 6-month probationary period.
• Entry-level salary starting at $42,242.98.