The posting
Job Description
A humble college founded before Texas was a state, Baylor now stands as one of the premier institutions of higher education in the world. Baylor has continued to invest in research and doctoral education, both solidifying and elevating its unique status as a preeminent Christian research university. Baylor is among 187 R1 institutions, just 52 of which are private universities.
Since 2011, Baylor has been named as one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For”. Great Colleges to Work For® is one of the country’s largest and most respected workplace recognition programs. Each year, Great Colleges recognizes the colleges and universities that get top employee ratings regarding workplace practices and policies across 10 areas. This recognition is based on faculty and staff responses to a related annual survey. The survey, conducted by ModernThink, is a way for colleges and universities to gain a deeper understanding of how their employees experience and view various aspects of the institution. This continued recognition further affirms Baylor as a rewarding place to build a career.
What We Are Looking For
The Financial Administrator reports to the Business Officer or designee within the Business Office of within a School or Division and advances the mission of Baylor University by efficiently and effectively gathering, analyzing and interpreting relevant financial information to process financial transactions. Responsibilities include proactively anticipating business needs and executing procurement of goods, services and expenses on behalf of faculty, staff and units while ensuring compliance with university policies and procedures, nonprofit accounting practices and federal and state guidelines. Serves as primary point of contact, subject matter expert and liaison regarding processing of all business activities for assigned faculty, staff and partners, responding to requests and providing guidance in appropriate procurement and business controls and processes to assist division leadership.
The qualified candidate will provide responsible stewardship, leadership, and management of university and grant funding through the implementation of effective financial processes and management of daily financial operations. A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related field, and three years of relevant experience are required. A master's degree and five years of experience is preferred. Additional education or experience will be considered in lieu of one another.
Additional Preferred Attributes include:
- Great collaboration and customer services skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively, and thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Maintains discretion and the highest professional standards while working with confidential information
- Ability to multitask and prioritize workload
- Superior attention to detail
- Strong business acumen, organizational and time management skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent analytical skills and proficiency in financial software
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Comprehensive learner
- Research administration experience is a plus
All applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
What You Will Do
Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
- Serve as a subject matter expert on financial system and University business policies and processes.
- Obtain and maintain University required system and business process certifications.
- Meet regularly with departmental leadership, faculty, and staff to review/discuss anticipated operational and grant management needs as it relates to transaction processing/approvals.
- Proactively serve as a liaison between the Business Officer and the departmental leadership team regarding optimizing financial transactions, including procurement and payment operations.
- Process procurement requisitions for staff and faculty members of assigned area. This includes ensuring compliance with university purchasing policies and procedures, as well as grants and federal and state guidelines, ensuring appropriate accounting, requisition methods, documentation, etc.
- Process on behalf, or review and approve expense reports for faculty and staff members to ensure accuracy and compliance with university policies and procedures, accounting, expense types, documentation, etc. This also applies to pre-travel authorizations.
- Process various student payments in accordance with Baylor policies ensuring appropriate documentation and accounting.
- Work collaboratively to resolve issues to ensure timely, accurate, and appropriate transaction processing in accordance with Baylor policies.
- Maintain an extensive understanding of the financial systems as well as updated knowledge of university and regulatory requirements, processes, and policies.
- Recommend improvements to optimize policies and procedures.
- Utilize reporting tools to monitor status, accuracy and completeness of financial transactions, accounting information, trends, and key performance indicators.
- Other duties as assigned.
What You Can Expect
As part of the Baylor family, eligible employees receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, generous time off, tuition remission, and outstanding automatic retirement contributions. Baylor has a comprehensive benefits plan that supports you and your family’s wellbeing and allows you to be a part of the life of a vibrant and active college campus. To learn more, go to Baylor Benefits & Advantages.
Explore & Engage
Learn more about Baylor and our strategic vision, Baylor in Deeds. Also, explore our great hometown of Waco and the many opportunities to engage locally. If you are new to Central Texas, This is Waco!
