Career Center

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $110,000 - $125,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Financial Reporting, the Manager is primarily responsible for overseeing the accounting for key financial areas, including the University???s endowment pools, other investments, preparation of financial reporting analysis, year-end audit, maintaining accounting controls, and assisting in the implementation of financial reporting policy. 

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Operations:

• Managing accounting functions related to University???s endowment pools, including journal entries, reconciliations, and other calculations;
• Accounting for other gift and investment-related activities such as perpetual trusts, split-interest agreements, gift of securities, and central university short-term and medium-term investments;
• Ensuring compliance with control standards and proper reconciliation to University accounting and custodian???s records, and managing other cash and securities-related functions;
• Researching new accounting rules and making recommendations as to applicability and implementation;
• Acting as the primary liaison to the custody banks;
• Interfacing with various University departments including Endowment Compliance, Treasury, the University???s Investment Management Company, and Office of Alumni & Development, and serving as a liaison to central administrative departments and schools University-wide;

Reporting and Analytics:

• Having a critical role in the preparation of the University???s quarterly and annual financial report by providing variance analysis, cash flow support, and footnote support of key financial statement areas;
• Assist with preparation of audit deliverables;
• Assist with other routing and ad-hoc reporting deliverables, including regulatory reporting and surveys;

Other:

• Ongoing evaluation of current processes related to endowment/investment accounting and reporting. Proposes and implements solutions to improve efficiencies;
• Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or related field 
• A minimum of five years of accounting experience

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA preferred
• Not-for-profit industry-related experience strongly preferred
• Experience in endowment and/or investment accounting and prior experience in a large, complex academic or research environment is a plus
• Experience with financial statement preparation is a plus
• Experience with PeopleSoft is a plus

Other Requirements

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required, including intermediate to advanced Excel skills
• Must be highly detail-oriented with strong organizational and time-management skills, and have the ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments simultaneously
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work closely and effectively with a diverse group of University administrators, characterized by strong consensus-building and relationship-building skills
• Must have strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to evaluate information, present findings, and recommendations, negotiate issues, and resolve problems
• Must be able to work well with all levels of management, both internally and externally, be flexible in nature, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team to the broader organization, and be a strong role model
• Have a passion for continuous process improvements, and the ability to propose and implement solutions in responsible areas
• Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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