Career Center

Position Overview

The Accounting Manager - Manages a professional, customer service-oriented office environment, upholds the vision, mission, and values of Northrop’s University of Minnesota Tickets and Events (UMTE) and participates in the development of audience services standards, and works collaboratively with members of the Northrop staff and other University Departments.

This position is responsible for managing the accounting and reporting of gross sales and net income resulting from tickets, admissions, merchandise, and donations for University Departments that have enlisted the services of Northrop’s UMTE office.  This position is responsible for the reconciliation of sales produced using the AudienceView Ticket System.

They have to meet tight deadlines and account for activities including general ledger preparation, financial reporting, year-end preparation, audit preparation, event settlements, budget, and forecast activities.

This position manages all accounting procedures; creates checks and balances; organizes and maintains financial records, documents procedures, and policies; makes best-practices recommendations to management; reconciles accounts; prepares account schedules; codes and enters data; set up new fund accounts; monitors fund balances; prepares status reports, and performs other related activities.

This position reports to the Director of Northrop’s University of Minnesota Tickets and Events Office. They manage, recruit, hire, and train 1-2 full-time Accounting Assistants, 1-4 Student Accounting Associates, and/or Accounting Interns.

Job Description

Event Settlement Final Processing and Journal Entry Preparation     35%

• Maintain the Event Settlement tracker, prepare event settlement reports using appropriate AudienceView reports, determine event income and use the negotiated fee structure, create the settlement report, and prepare the journal entry.
• Monitor the prepared deposits and the Interdepartmental Payments to make certain they have been approved and posted on Minnesota Enterprise Financial System (EFS).
• Follow up on box office inquiries related to invoiced payments.
• Keep current with the departmental chart of accounts.
• Reconcile submitted journal entries in the general ledger.
• Develop a reporting process to reconcile journal entries.
• Prepare end-of-year deferred income reports and then prepare journal entries.
• Respond to inquiries from other finance managers regarding financial results, special reporting, and requests.

Monitor, Reconcile, and Balance Accounts and Funds   20%

• Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, yearly reconciliations and deposits
• Prepare and reconcile daily receipts from the AudienceView Ticket System, the Bluefin payment gateway, Wells Fargo Bank, and the University of Minnesota Enterprise Financial System (EFS).
• Prepare cash and check deposits on EFS and Wells Fargo Bank.
• Reconcile and approve donations generated through the AudienceView Ticket System and uploaded into the University Foundation Donor Management System.
• Report in a timely manner any donation discrepancies to management, University Foundation personnel, and the UMTE event configuration team.
• Prepare cash funds and credit card devices for upcoming events across the University of Minnesota campus. After the event, coordinate the securing of funds and devices in a timely manner.
• Balance payments and funds transfer through Accounts Receivable Module or General Ledger and/or University financial reports.
• Maintain and balance banks and cash drawers on a continuing basis to assure smooth cash flow for counter transactions at all venues.
• Notify client accounting personnel of their respective weekly credit card sales totals and make weekly funds transfer to Business Units.
• Monitor postage and prepare paperwork to purchase postage.
• Monitor, reconcile, and report bad debt for credit card chargebacks and returned checks.
• Monitor funds stored in the Box Office safe and secure funds.
• Monitor Bluefin devices and activity.

Manage Accounting Staff   20%

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, monitor, and review 1-2 full-time positions and 1-4 part-time student staff/accounting intern positions.
• Work with each direct report to establish goals and objectives for each year and monitor and advise on their progress to enhance the professional development of staff.
• Manage personnel issues relating to staff performance, scheduling, performance reviews, absenteeism, etc.
• Schedule the accounting area workload to meet deadlines and payment schedules.
• Create processes that achieve best work practices keeping the integrity of the work and departmental goals.
• Incorporate appropriate University accounting policies and procedures. Stay abreast of changes in these requirements and inform and instruct staff.
• Coordinate special accounting projects, procedures, and reports.
• Develop checks and balance processes for the accounting staff and create methods to minimize errors and notify and rectify when corrections need to occur.

Communication and Research   15%

• Stay current with the recommended University accounting department policies and procedures.
• Research accounting issues and coordinate with Northrop UMTE customer service and event configuration team members to create a resolution.
• Investigate, learn, and follow the recommendation of the University controller and audit departments on the proper methods of uploading, documenting, and filing information and communicating findings to management.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with AudienceView users to encourage and promote ease in accounting procedures and reporting.
• Stay abreast of database services for ClientLine, Bluefin Manager, Wells Fargo, and University and Accounting Service personnel.
• Collaborate with the other finance department managers to support overall department goals and objectives.

Prepare Accounting Schedules, Posting, and Spreadsheet Development   5%

• Develop and maintain the spreadsheet accounting system.
• Post daily sales to the Monthly-Daily spreadsheet and post-credit card totals to Credit Card Daily Total Spreadsheet. Balance Monthly-Daily Spreadsheet to AudienceView Reports.
• Post and monitor expenses and fee income
• Develop tools to track the business requirements of each project/event and the financial settlement requirements and deadlines
• Prepare monthly reports
• Ensure the monthly and quarterly activities are performed in a timely and accurate manner.
• Organize and maintain financial records and make best-practices recommendations to management

Analysis and Projects  5%             

• Compile and analyze historical and anticipated revenue and expense data for revenue and expense projections and identify and report gaps.
• Assists the Northrop UMTE director to determine the fee schedule for clients.
• Assist the Northrop UMTE director with budgets.
• Create documentation and analysis reporting
• Special projects as Assigned

Minimum requirements

• BA/BS in Business with an accounting background and/or a combination of related education and work experience to total two years of experience in an equivalent position.
• Experience and knowledge with the ticket system or equivalent income-generating database system, financial software, and credit card processor software.
• Experience in developing posting and reconciliation procedures.
• Proficiency in using: PC, electronic file management, and email software, Google Workspace and Microsoft EXCEL Spreadsheet Software, and Microsoft Suite.
• Strong interpersonal, supervisory, and customer service skills
• The flexibility of schedule with the ability to work some nights and weekends as required.
• The ability to multi-task with an emphasis on precision and timeliness of execution.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Preferred qualifications

• AudienceView Ticket Software knowledge
• Credit card payment gateway knowledge
• Experience working in an academic setting
• Analytical skills with the ability to demonstrate logical thinking to gather and analyze a variety of information.
• Ability to move seamlessly from independent tasks to acting as a beneficial member of a team
• Must be ethical, responsible, and demonstrate financial integrity.