Accountant

Position OverviewThe Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department is comprised of 23 faculty, 4 support staff, approximately 20 GTA's, 5-10 student hourlies, and 3-5 lecturers with a budget in excess of $4.5 million and over $18 million in endowment accounts. The Accountant serves as the financial resource contact for the department, responsible for accounting work, including budgeting, and payroll activities and HR for state, endowment, and some research related accounts, purchasing and travel. This position communicates daily with faculty, staff, students, and university administrators and advises the departmental chair budgeting and financial matters on a regular basis.Job Description60% - Budget & Management

• Develop, analyze, maintain, and provide forecasts on departmental accounts to ensure internal controls and accurate budget reporting to the Department Chair.
• Reconcile budgets and audit expenditures on OAC system, analyze and correct discrepancies or deviations, and provide reports to the Chair monthly on all accounts including but are not limited to all general use state funds, income, endowment accounts, student project allocations, F&A, individual faculty accounts and startup allocations.
• Work closely with the Department Chair to analyze expenses to identify and implement cost saving measures/techniques across department.
• Serve as a funding approver on all purchases, travel and miscellaneous reimbursements, travel authorizations through FITC and Concur systems.
• Provide leadership to other staff and student office assistant(s) on the matters related to accounting and financial operations.
  
  

25% - Purchasing and Travel

• Responsible for purchasing and resource management, following University, KUCR and Endowment guidelines and regulations. This includes ordering and maintaining office supplies, recruiting materials, etc. for the department.
• Provide oversight and direction to faculty, staff, and students on competitive and direct purchase of supplies, chemicals, equipment with complex specifications, and services according to applicable purchasing regulations. Resolve order discrepancies with vendors when necessary.
• Attend meetings and consult with Engineering Budget Office, SSC Finance, Comptroller, Endowment and KU Research staff to ensure that purchasing rules and regulations are strictly followed.
• Coordinate travel and reimbursements for departmental visitors including seminar speakers, hall of fame awardees, and prospective faculty and students on recruitment visits. This includes reserving hotel rooms for visitors, booking travel arrangements in Concur, collecting and filing all reimbursement receipts with engineering payable and/or SSC Finance, sending post-contact emails to external speakers to ensure they have turned in all their receipts and paperwork, and tracking to make sure speakers are reimbursed in a timely manner.
  
  

10% - Payroll & HR

• Plan, implement, and maintain an automated accounting ledger to track payroll expenditures for state and endowment funded salary and fringe payments, while assuring internal controls.
• Audit salary reports biweekly to ensure accurate payment and adherence to budgeted projections. Request funding transfers when necessary to adequately cover all positions and pools.
• Serve as the department's contact and hiring manager for lecturers/adjuncts, unclassified professional, university support, teaching assistant and research assistant contracts, and student hourly appointments.
• Maintain current staff/faculty directories and contact lists
• Provide oversight on the recruitment of all student appointments including working with HR Talent to hire student employees in accordance with developed student budget plan.
• Attend meetings and remain current on payroll, hiring manager, and equal opportunity policy and procedures. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, and training new administrative and student staff members.
• Work with students, faculty, and department staff in preparing 3G (GRA/GTA/GA) payroll appointment forms for newly admitted and continuing students and manage student sponsored tuition and staff rate forms submission each semester. Communicate with faculty on source of funding, assist with 3G system for Graduate Teaching and Research Assistants including fellowship awards, and maintain related records.
  
  

5% - Space and Inventory Management

• Coordinate with lab personnel to reconcile physical inventory records and maintain inventory monitoring system of assets as applicable to university policies and regulations.
• Work with Graduate Directors and Department Chair to coordinate graduate student office space and mailbox assignments.
• Work with the Department Chair to complete annual Space Survey and inventory audit and maintain space and inventory records throughout the year.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or closely related field and one-year related experience in professional accounting OR Associate’s degree in accounting and three years’ related experience in professional accounting OR HS diploma and 4 years of related experience.
• Strong written communication skills as demonstrated in application materials.
• Attention to detail as evidenced in application materials.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting
• Accounting experience at an institution of higher education
• Two or more years of advanced (use of functions, formulas, pivot tables, etc.) experience using Excel software as described in application materials
• Supervisory experience
• Experience with ERP system
  
  

Additional Candidate InstructionsA Complete Application Consists Of

• online application
• cover letter
• resume
• three professional references
  
  

Only complete applications will be considered. Application review begins Monday April 27, 2026. To ensure consideration, please apply prior to that date.Contact Information to ApplicantsSusan Williams

smwilliams@ku.eduAdvertised Salary RangeMinimum $54,000; commensurate with experienceApplication Review BeginsMonday April 27, 2026Anticipated Start DateMonday May 18, 2026Apply to Job