• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: full-time
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $72,000-$82,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Cash and Accounting Operations, the Accountant serves as a key member of the Financial Reporting and Operations team for the University. This role is responsible for supporting the integrity of financial data, ensuring accurate cash management, and contributing to the efficiency of accounting operations.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly reconciliations of various University operating bank accounts, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established policies.
• Perform detailed reconciliation and analysis of general ledger accounts, identifying discrepancies and ensuring timely resolution.
• Prepare, review, and process daily journal entries while maintaining proper documentation and audit support.
• Monitor and oversee daily banking activity, ensuring transactions are accurately recorded and investigated as needed.
• Effectively review and investigate unclaimed cash receipts, ensuring timely identification, proper classification, tracking, and resolution in accordance with University and procedures.
• Act as a liaison with internal University departments and external banking partners to research, investigate, and resolve cash-related inquiries and discrepancies.
• Support monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes by preparing schedules, reconciliations, and financial analyses to ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Assist with process improvement initiatives by analyzing current procedures, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing enhanced workflows and controls.
• Maintain compliance with internal controls, accounting policies, and regulatory requirements to support financial integrity and audit readiness.
• Support system implementations and transitions (e.g., reconciliation systems), including data validation, testing, and process alignment.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to improve operational efficiency, enhance reporting capabilities, and support organizational goals.
• Perform additional duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor?s degree in accounting, business or related field and/or the equivalent required. 
• Minimum of two years? related experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a university or not-for-profit setting desirable. 

• Experience with the University?s financial accounting system is strongly preferred.  Must be detail-oriented with strong analytical and organizational skills.  

Other Requirements

• Must be able to identify priorities within multiple assignments in a high-pressured, short-deadline environment, and be able to work with diplomacy and efficiency in such an environment. 
• Must be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, including active listening skills. 
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) essential. 
• In addition, the successful candidate must be able to work well with all levels of employees and 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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