Position Summary

The Accountant I supports the financial and operational activities of the Residential & Hospitality Services (RHS) Business and Financial Services (BFS) office.  The position will serve as backup to the accounting supervisor and will be assigned as the Fiscal Officer/Delegate to assist with account reconciliation for several accounts within one or more of the business Units.  The candidate may function as a lead on projects to review business functions and make recommendations that enhance processes.  In addition, this position will develop and analyze process maps in order to perform a gap analysis and recommend adjustments to improve internal controls. Other duties may include, but are not limited to, basic audit functions of payroll, capital asset management and revenue/expense reconciliation which includes other major software interfaces and sub-reports which must also be reconciled. Must be able to research and apply knowledge independently.  Hybrid work schedule with on-site work and remote work. 

Provides accounting controls for departmental budgets that exceed $20 million of expenses in some units and assists departmental staff with accounting concerns. May be designated Fiscal Officer (FO)/Fiscal Officer Delegate for one or more accounts.  Collects, compiles, and interprets information and monitors the activities of the department in order to assist in the basic operational functioning.  Must be familiar with troubleshooting technology and accounting subsystems used to book services for students or conference/events that are transmitted to the University central system. The candidate should be comfortable presenting and leading projects and be proficient in process mapping.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities
•    Must understand and feel comfortable with subsystems to assist with configuration, realignment and troubleshooting to improve or correct data flow.
•    Will be working on projects that involve being familiar with or recommending enhancement to software reporting such as EBS, Kinetics, Planon, Campus Solutions, StarRez/Mercury, Transact, CashNet, CashPro, Opera/Maestro, Simphony, Sequoia, B4 Checkin, and TeamDynamix and other related software to assist administrative units overseeing data flow configurations.
•    Audits vouchers and financial statements to ensure accuracy and compliance with the MSU Manual of Business Procedures and RHS Policy Manual.
•    Maintains and reconciles journal entries of revenue/expenditures for fund accounts and notifies supervisor of problems.
•    Prepares deposits, invoices, transfer of funds and submits invoices for payment of departmental products and services.
•    Collects and translates information to produce reports, approves expenditure of funds and provides information for administrators, faculty, staff and external agencies. 
•    Prepares periodic financial reports and maintains unit records.
•    Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures.
•    Serves on committees and project teams.
•    Creates process maps and assists team to analyze and identify process gaps.
•    May present at workshops/seminars as it relates to accounting and business functions.
•    Lead training sessions on travel and other accounting processes.

All positions in RHS are designated as critical status. In the event of a university closure, modification, or suspension of operations due to snow or other emergency condition, persons in this position are expected to make all reasonable attempts to report to work as scheduled for the duration of the closure/suspension. If a person has an approved remote work agreement to work a portion of their normally scheduled work hours remotely, they may be called upon to work on-site to serve the MSU community. 

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Accounting; one to three years of related Business Degree with a major emphasis in accounting and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in financial statement and report preparation, general ledger accounting and budgeting; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with Kinetics, StarRez/Mercury, Opera/Maestro, and other room reservation and service billing systems; experiences with Campus Solutions, Enterprise Business Systems (Kuali, SAP, BI and Cognos), TeamDynamix, Transact, CashNet, Simphony, and CashPro; experience in retail accounting; knowledge of legal system terminology and experience with applicable state, local, and federal laws pertaining to evictions; familiar with Capital Asset Management (CAM). 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Resume, cover letter and 3 professional references required. 

Work Hours

Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM, including some evenings or weekends based on business demands.

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Bidding eligibility ends April 29, 2025 at 11:55 P.M.

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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