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Requirements

Senior Accountant, General Accounting Office - Office of the Chief Financial Officer - Georgetown University

The General Accounting Office (GAO) in the University’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) is responsible for the integrity of the University's financial records and systems and for assuring that the transactions entered into the University's General Ledger are recorded in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the Accounting Policies of the University. GAO promotes the efficient use and stewardship of University resources and compliance with laws, regulations and reporting requirements through technical financial and analytical skills, and expertise in accounting knowledge.

Job Overview

The Senior Accountant is responsible for the efficient and effective monitoring of the University’s general ledger transactions. They work under tight deadlines on a multitude of accounting activities, including review of general ledger, coordination of month-end close activities, and review of assigned financial statement line items, year-end audit preparation, and special projects.

Specific duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Play a key role in the University's financial management which includes reconciliations of complex University cash accounts
• Ensure compliance with internal accounting controls, and verify account activity and account balances of assigned financial statement line items
• Participate in the University’s month-end and year-end financial close process, including accounting for complex transactions
• Review/reconcile other assigned balance sheet accounts and prepare adjusting journal entries to ensure accurate reporting and ledger maintenance
• Monitor monthly financial reports, and identify anomalies such as the use of wrong funds and transactions that impact revenue and expenses and initiate corrections as necessary
• Review/approve journal entries and other ad hoc transactions
• Perform ad hoc review of various University accounting processes and provide guidance regarding necessary policy updates
• Provide training as needed, and assist with designing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure timely and accurate accounting for University activities 
• Support other aspects of accounting across the General Accounting Office on an as needed basis

The Senior Accountant has solid accounting skills, leadership and good judgment - all critical to the University’s success - and applies them to the development of an atmosphere of teamwork with department personnel, other Georgetown departments, and OCFO leadership.

Work Interactions

The Senior Accountant works closely with other units’ financial management teams to ensure pertinent data is accurately captured in the accounting system, and relevant internal control policies and guidelines are adhered to.

They also interact with the University’s Controller, Assistant Controller and colleagues in the Campus Accounting Team in reconciling general ledger accounts and, ensuring all necessary accounting entries are recorded. 

Specific work interactions include but are not limited to the following:

• Support staff across the campus community, providing guidance and resolution on accounting issues and general financial administration inquiries
• Participate in unit, campus‐ and university‐wide financial meetings, task forces, and working groups as assigned
• Attend and participate in mandatory and recommended training and development opportunities
• Support in other areas as assigned, including providing back-up to other General Accounting Office team members as needed
• Coordinate with the Office of Revenue and Receivables on the accounting treatment of cash receipts for billed revenue-generating agreements
• Collaborate with key points of contact in the Office of Student Revenue and Receivables to discuss outstanding items on tuition cash transactions and electronic funds transfers for external scholarships
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Office of Gift Administration to discuss outstanding items on gift related transactions.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
• Certification as a CPA
• 8 years progressive experience in financial accounting, reporting, and audit
• Strong technical accounting and financial expertise, including ability to initiate, review, track, and to monitor financial transactions/requests through to completion
• Leadership, good judgment and the ability to learn and communicate University policies to a variety of stakeholders
• Experience writing fiscal policies and procedures
• Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, including ability to triage and escalate complex issues to appropriate personnel
• Great attention to detail
• Service and team orientations and a professional demeanor
• Ability to think outside the box and solve problems creatively
• Strong time management skills, with the ability to prioritize work and multi-task to meet deadlines

Preferred Qualification

Experience in a complex higher educational institution or not-for-profit organizations

Work Mode: Hybrid. Please note that work mode designations are regularly reviewed in order to meet the evolving needs of the University. Such review may necessitate a change to a position’s mode of work designation. Complete details about Georgetown University’s mode of work designations for staff positions can be found on the Department of Human Resources Mode of Work Designation .

Current Georgetown Employees:

If you currently work at Georgetown University, please exit this website and login to GMS (gms.georgetown.edu) using your Net ID and password. Then select the Career worklet on your GMS Home dashboard to view Jobs at Georgetown.

Submission Guidelines:

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at Georgetown University you must submit a resume for each position of interest for which you believe you are qualified. Documents are not kept on file for future positions.

Need Assistance:

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please click here for more information, or contact the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action (IDEAA) at 202-687-4798 or ideaa@georgetown.edu.

Need some assistance with the application process? Please call 202-687-2500. For more information about the suite of benefits, professional development and community involvement opportunities that make up Georgetown's commitment to its employees, please visit the Georgetown Works website.

EEO Statement:

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits:

Georgetown University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, retirement savings, tuition assistance, work-life balance benefits, employee discounts and an array of voluntary insurance options. You can learn more about benefits and eligibility on the Department of Human Resources website.