University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Employers By State in 2021.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the University of Pennsylvania. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the University. For more information about Penn's vaccine requirements and the use of Penn Open Pass, visit the Penn COVID-19 Response website for the latest information.
Posted Job Title
Third Party Student Accounts Analyst - Student Registration and Financial Services
Job Profile Title
Accountant/Financial Analyst
Job Description Summary
The Student Accounts Analyst - Third-Party Billing manages and processes third party contracts using the Banner AR module, with dollar volumes greater than $30M annually.
The role is responsible for managing student accounts customer service delivery, business processes, workflow, policies, and procedures with an eye toward improving efficiency and the delivery of services to ensure world-class service for students, families and various stakeholders across Penn. The role will ensure compliance with relevant statutes and regulations pertinent to student receivables balancing responsive and clear customer service communications, accuracy and precision in all interactions.
The role will accurately bill third party sponsors and reconcile third party receivable accounts in a customer focused and quality manner; The role will process sponsor payments/journals and provide management reports and analysis as needed; The role requires higher level Banner functional skills to perform application of payments, design queries for student account populations including financial hold and pre-collection accounts criteria; The role will support Student Accounts department daily operations and work collaboratively with a diverse set of stakeholders and customers in a high growth academic environment.
The role reports to the Director of Student Accounts. The role will process third party contracts and payments from state, private and government sponsors, including military tuition assistance, and HUP tuition benefits for dollar volumes greater than $30 million.
The role will analyze and query Banner AR data to support billing, financial hold and collection processes, improve management of student account processes for targeted populations, and research and resolve account discrepancies with vendors and the Penn community. The role will also be responsible for communicating with students, staff, Penn community members and vendor partners for all student account issues.
In the Division of Finance, we recognize diversity and inclusion is paramount to a positive and thriving work environment; it is a business imperative. We are committed to actively fostering diversity, inclusion and cultural competency throughout our operational efforts in the Division of Finance. This role will be critical in supporting those efforts and demonstrating behaviors and competencies that reflect Penn's values.
We take pride in the myriad ways that diversity enriches our curriculum, and the cultural and social life of our campus. Penn's commitment to achieving eminence through diversity is ultimately a commitment to creating a more vibrant university so that our graduates will be both stimulated and empowered to shape a better world.
Job Description
Responsibilities/Duties
Process third party contracts using the Banner AR contract module, collect sponsor authorizations, process military and HUP tuition payments greater than $30M annually in an accurate and precise manner.
Process student account financial adjustments, process sponsor payments (check and wire), work with Treasurer's Office to research wire payments, process financial journals as necessary with a focus on customer centric delivery and ensure a positive, quality experience for all stakeholders.
Bill sponsors for amounts due, monitor sponsor receivable, remove student account credit for overdue sponsor payments, reconcile contract receivable account, provide management reports
Utilize advanced knowledge of Banner to perform application of payments, build queries for specific populations to monitor pre-collection and financial holds
Proactively analyze Banner AR information to identify outstanding balance issues, monitor refund process and develop targeted communication to affected students
Review and research student account transactions, daily system output, respond to student requests requiring update to late payment penalties, account adjustments, check posting, etc.
Assist with back to school, freshman cycle and other SRFS business processes as necessary
Proactively collaborate with One Stop Student Service Center, Student Account Collections, and Third Party Billing areas to ensure effective performance outcomes which will include business process improvement through managing the resolution of complex student account and billing matters, creating standardized workflows and standard operating procedures, training staff members, researching and developing processes for automation, collaborating on related business practices, data analysis, implementing business strategies based on analysis and coordinating with fellow staff as needed.
Manages the day-to-day responsibilities of the Student Accounts operations using various technologies like Banner, Salesforce and Microsoft Office suite programs. Manage email account and other written correspondence with students, families and other stakeholders in a clear, concise, accurate and customer-focused manner.
Analyze, research, and independently make decisions to resolve complex issues pertaining to account balances, and handles escalated customer issues in partnership with Student Accounts leadership.
Prepare and audit student payment plans and financial acceptance of the plans for accuracy. Independently review and implement special billing arrangements.
Audit, review, and reconcile student account activity from various departments that directly affect receivable balances.
Assists with testing and implementing new processes including software upgrades and conducting system audits to ensure compliance and data integrity.
Monitors multiple receivable categories based on source of payment, student, sponsored, veteran and other categories.
Drives better business outcomes through project management/process improvement from inception to implementation by effective collaboration and coordination with multiple departments and stakeholders.
Designs and tests business processes and recommends improvements.
Ensures that key deadlines are established and met.
Develops reports and identifies key performance indicators.
Perform additional duties as assigned
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree and a minimum of four years of data analyst experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. BA/BS Degree in Finance or Accounting are strongly preferred.
Knowledge of bookkeeping or accounting principles to include posting of debits and credits and General ledger posting
Experience with Banner, TouchNet, ECSI preferred
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and formulas/functions
VA Third Party Benefits strongly preferred.
Student accounts or registrar experience in a higher education workplace setting strong preferred.
Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and accurate. Able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Demonstrated organizational and prioritization skills, along with the ability to work within tight and often conflicting deadlines. Must be flexible, show effective judgement, discretion and have the ability to handle confidential financial matters.
Required knowledge includes process and data modeling, data architectural development methodology and working knowledge of databases and various higher education technologies.
Experience using data analysis tool and databases.
Demonstrated competence in systems analysis and design and the ability to quickly learn and apply new technologies.
Experienced with financial systems or student account software administration (including customization, testing and implementation).
Ellucian Banner experience.
Higher education administration experience (Student Accounts, Student Loans, Financial Aid and/or Registrar).
Excellent customer service and strong leadership skills.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Able to work independently and prioritize multiple tasks in a high-volume environment.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with other departments and diverse stakeholders in a dynamic higher education environment.
Working knowledge of FERPA, GLBA, Title IV regulations, HIPPA, PCI, and applicable privacy laws as related to student information and student accounts.
Work effectively in a highly matrixed and decentralized environment with the ability to navigate through ambiguity and demonstrate appreciation and support for diversity, inclusion and belonging in a constantly evolving academic/higher education environment.
Please include in your Workday submission a cover letter and resume. Based on the skills, experience and competencies presented by the qualified candidates, the expected salary range is between $50,000 - $55,000 for the role.
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
Division of Finance
Pay Range
$50,684.00 - $77,716.00
Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.
Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits
Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay