• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: Full Time
• Salary Range: $140,000-$160,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, Benefits and Pension Accounting & Reporting, the Director, Pension and Benefits Accounting & Reporting is primarily responsible for the on-going accounting for and reporting on the University???s eight pension/post-retirement plans, a mix of defined contribution, deferred compensation and defined benefit plans with combined assets greater than $8 billion. This includes maintaining the plans??? books and records and the related University expense and liability postings, managing the plans??? audits, preparation of the plans??? financial statements and footnote disclosures and the pension/post retirement footnote disclosure for the University???s Consolidated financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and significant involvement in ongoing pension automation project. The Director assists the Executive Director in developing, managing and reviewing the overall fringe benefit annual operating budget of approximately $1billion, the complex 5-year forecast model and quarterly budget current estimates updates and reporting.  He/she works closely with others within Fringe Benefits Accounting, the Controller???s Office, and the Human Resources Benefits teams, as well as both internal and external auditors, plan actuaries and plan custodians.

Responsibilities

• Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • maintaining the pension/post retirement plans??? books and records,  reviewing and approving monthly journal entries and managing monthly closing and reconciliation procedures;
  • significant involvement in ongoing pension automation projects;
  • complying with internal controls to ensure the protection of pension assets;
  • preparing the plans year-end financial statements and footnote disclosures in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and ERISA regulations;
  • participates in researching new accounting rules and updates and making recommendations as to applicability and implementation;
  • coordinating the plans year-end audit processes and acting as liaison with the University???s independent auditor;
  • coordinating preparation of the Forms 5500 and other Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor regulatory compliance filings;
  • preparing the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) pension/post retirement disclosure for the University???s audited financial statements;
  • in consultation with the Executive Director, serving as the Controller???s Office liaison to the Benefits Department on pension/post-retirement related audit and accounting matters, reconciliations and ad hoc reporting needs;  
  • monitoring investment performance in accordance with the University???s asset allocation for the pension assets;
  • working closely with the plans??? custodian and the plans??? actuaries to ensure that valuation inputs are appropriate and that pension related disclosures are accurate;
  • supports and participates in all pension plans related HR and fringe budget related activities;
  • significant involvement in the budget and forecast process including the management, review and presentation of the annual fringe pool budget,  the 5-year fringe pool forecasts and monthly, quarterly and annual updates;
  • significant involvement in the quarterly fringe reporting process including the management, review and presentation of the quarterly packages for Senior management review;
  • reviews monthly and quarterly reconciliations and variance analyses including complex fringe pool and clinician pool reconciliations, reconciliation of health and welfare plan expense activities in the financial system, and budget to actual, year-over-year, as well as quarter-over quarter variances;  
  • supervises the Senior Accountant Pension Financial Reporting and Accounting; and Accounting Manager Fringe Benefits Operations and Forecasting;
  • performing other related duties and special projects as assigned including fringe forecasting software implementation scheduled for 2024.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor???s degree (preferably in accounting, business administration or finance)
• A minimum of  seven years related experience 

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA and/or advanced degree with pension accounting  experience, strongly preferred
• Excel super-user with the ability to collect and analyze data, evaluate information, prepare reports, and present findings and recommendations is preferred
• Supervisory experience strongly preferred.

Other Requirements

• Must be detail-oriented, analytical, possess strong organizational and problem-solving skills, and have the ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.

• Must have leadership skills to own and manage the pension accounting and fringe forecasting functions with minimal supervision.

• Advanced Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) is required.

• Must possess excellent oral, written and interpersonal skills. 

• The ability to work closely and effectively with a diverse group of senior University administrators, is essential.   

• Knowledge of current FASB and AICPA disclosure and presentation issues required. 

• 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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