Director Of Business Services And Controller
Southern Oregon University
POSITION SUMMARY:
Date application must be received for priority consideration by: August 15, 2024
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: September 1, 2024
Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
Job Family Group: Administrative and Professional
Division/Department: Finance and Administration/Business Services
Compensation Range (Commensurate with experience): $98,000 - $105,000
FLSA Status: Exempt
Appointment Basis: 12-month
Time Type: Full-time
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable
This position must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver License: Yes
This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes
Lead Work/Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes
Work Location Type: On-campus
Work Hours: M-F (8:00a - 5:00p) Hours are subject to change with notice.
Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The position is located in Ashland, Oregon, on the main campus of Southern Oregon University (SOU). The Director of Business Services reports to the Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA). The position is responsible for the day-to-day activities of Business Office operations. These include oversight of campus accounts receivable, accounts payable, general accounting, travel, purchasing, support of grants and contracts, payroll, student loan accounting/billing, cash management/Bursar operations, fixed assets, UBIT, and the campus Service Center.
Business Services has nineteen employees, excluding student employees. The position assures compliance with Federal and State laws and regulations, as well as establishing and maintaining institutional accounting and business policies and procedures, and ensures adequate internal control procedures across various business activities across the campus. Maintains oversight and approves all changes to the university's Chart of Accounts for use in preparation and production of the university's financial statements, audit responses and other financial reporting activities. Coordinates activities with other external service providers in areas where the university has outsourced to provide various financial services to the campus such as bookstore operations, managed payroll services etcetera.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, or related field, and 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in business administration or accounting.
- Supervisory experience.
- Strong analytical, communication, and mathematical skills.
- Familiarity and experience with finance and human resource information systems, as well as extensive knowledge of Microsoft office products including Excel and Word.
Preferred Requirements
- CPA or Master's degree in business administration, accounting, or related field.
- Experience and knowledge of the Workday Enterprise Resource Platform, and Ellucian Banner software products.
- Experience with federal and state laws and regulations, and university policies and procedures. Commitment to continuous improvement and learning.
Essential Functions
Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive:
(45%) Duties Include
- Directly oversee the department operating budget of approximately $2m. Achieves budget objectives by scheduling expenditures; analyzing variances; initiating corrective actions. Responsible for recruitment, retention, and development of Business Service staff.
- Directly Supervise 4 -5 unclassified, and 1 classified, positions. Indirectly supervise 2 unclassified, and 11 classified positions.
- Business Services Administration: Plans, organizes directs and controls Business Services operations to insure convenient, cost-effective, and efficient delivery of services to customers (students, faculty, staff, vendors, federal and state agencies, and the public). Develops budgets.
- Responsible for setting financial and accounting policies for the campus. Develop departmental goals and objectives through developing annual and long-range plans for advancing operations in light of policy changes and advancements in new technologies in order to enhance the overall effectiveness and efficiencies in the administering programs.
- Guides financial decisions by establishing, monitoring and enforcing policies and procedures, associated with financial operations Responsible for implementing policies as they relate to: overall integrity of financial transactions being posted to the accounting records, grants & contracts accounting, capital construction accounting, payroll, audits, establishment and adherence to internal controls, and records retention.
- Oversees the payroll office operations including payroll taxes, salary and wages, benefit submission. Works in conjunction with the payroll manager and contracted vendor to ensure timely payments and submissions.
- Establishing mechanisms, policies, and procedures to ensure consistent processing and reporting all financial transactions throughout the university. Ensure financial records are maintained in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting (GAAP) Practices and, Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) regulations.
- Maintain the institutional Chart of Accounts.
- Oversee the development of coding structures used to record charges and payments on student and vendor, accounts within Banner SIS and directly support the transition to Workday ERP.
- Oversees and approves the determination for the recording of bad-debt allowances across the university, as well as recording of bad-debt write offs on student accounts.
- Oversee the process for conducting bank reconciliations between SOU and the State Treasury. Maintain a system of controls over accounting transactions.
- Ensure the timely delivery of cash associated with federal grant and loan programs, and the delivery of bond proceeds from State bond sales.
- Oversee the adherence to federal and state rules and regulations pertaining to the receipt and accounting of federal and state grants and contracts.
- Oversee the institutional cash-flow requirements, and fund balance positions, and trends, across all funds. Initiate corrective actions where needed.
- Oversees the preparation and review of forecasts across all fund types existing within the SOU financial system. Presents updates and financial forecasts to the V.P. for Finance and Administration, Cabinet, and Board, as required. Provide status of financial conditions by collecting, interpreting, and reporting financial data.
- Provide analysis and recommendations to SR Management as it relates to internal and external financing arrangements, to support campus capital construction, and capital repair, activities.
- Oversee the accounting for all capital projects to ensure the proper recognition of expenses.
- Oversee and approve the reporting of expenditures to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) & Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to ensure the timely receipt of bond proceeds in a manner that enhances the cash flow to the university for all projects being funded by State bond proceeds.
(30%) Duties Include
- Serves as the primary contact for all external and internal financial audit activities. Coordinates issuance of management responses, and ensures communication with SOU Executives. Works with campus departments to address policy and procedure updates.
- Works with the USSE to ensure Oversees the completion and publication of the SOU annual financial statements.
- Provide oversight of financial data submitted in preparation of the annual financial statements.
- Reviews and approves accounting treatment of all financial transactions within the annual financial statement, including preparation of the Financial Statement
- MD&A (Management Discussion & Analysis), and the footnotes to the financial statements. Works with staff to coordinate the delivery of data requests from external auditors. Answers all auditor questions, and provides support on SOU's compliance with GASB and GAAP accounting standards as it relates to the information to be presented in the SOU Annual Financial Statements. Coordinates communication with outside organizations who will be included in the SOU Financial Statements
as a 'Component Unit'. Works with external auditors to resolve any issues prior to the completion of the annual financial statements, to allow them to be able to issue their opinion on the presentation of those statements. Oversees and approves the reconciliation of the Official SOU Annual Financial Statement to the SOU Banner Financial Records and Workday ERP records. - Ensures compliance with the State of Oregon, Statewide Accounting & Reporting Services (SARS) reporting requirements. As a state entity, SOU is also included as part of State or Oregon Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and must meet any State reporting requirements in preparation for the publication of the State Financial Reports. Works to ensure the completion of a separate set of annual financial statements on behalf of the North Campus (Raider) Village Housing Project. Since this is a special public-private-partnership arrangement, it requires the development of a separate set of financial statements, which are then audited by a separate set of external auditors. Given the housing partnership arrangement is with a private organization who is subject to FASB (rather than GASB) accounting standards, it requires the need to also remain up to date with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) accounting standards in addition to those of GASB. Responsible for working with the external auditors to resolve any issues, as well as responsible for approval of the final financial statements before publication.
(20%) Duties Include
- Oversees the development, and maintenance, of institution-wide financial reports. Such reports are made available to the campus community and external parties, in order to ensure data consistency and accuracy of financial information.
- Provides consulting advice on financial and accounting matters.
- Manages, conducts, and participates in special projects for implementing technology, improving customer services, acquisition of new debt obligations and management of ongoing debt activities, project ROI or pro-forma development or analysis, developing and implementing new institutional policies and procedures, and developing new programs and approaches. Some projects are self-initiated; some may be at the request of the VPFA; some at the request of the SOU Board. Represents the university at various HECC, USSE, and institutional, committees or subgroups.
- Responsible for working with internal auditors . This includes working with campus departments involved to provide management responses to any audit findings. Develop and authorize financial system internal controls, and monitor progress to ensure compliance and implementation with proposed changes in response to audit findings.
- Provide direct support to the VPFA through research and analysis, and campus support in their absence. Includes review and signing off on contractual agreements as established by the Delegated Contract Signature Authority document published at SOU.
(5%) Emergency Response (Finance Section Chief, under Incident Command System)
This position serves as a member of the Crisis Management Team (CMT) which operates the emergency operations center. The CMT is responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness, emergency management or disaster management functions at a strategic level during an emergency to ensure the continuity of the operations of the organization. The common functions of the CMT is to collect, gather and analyze data to inform decision making and protect life and property. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Regularly attend and actively participate in monthly CMT meetings, training activities and instructional sessions.
- Complete Crisis Management Training as required, including position specific trainings.
- Ability to plan, direct and coordinate complex emergency management projects to achieve desired goals.
- Familiarity with the Emergency Operations Plan and special communications and instructions.
- Ability to physically respond and work at the designated Emergency Operations Center (Lithia Pavilion).
- Ability to safely take charge of a situation while maintaining effective leadership and communication skills during an emergency.
- Respond immediately to incidents requiring CMT member response both during business hours and outside of regular business hours: *Members may be placed on 'stand-by' or directed to report immediately to a specific meeting location. For those unable to respond immediately, please notify the team lead. Otherwise, once activated, the members of the team set aside all other duties and place the critical incident as their top priority. *
- Ability to comprehend the emergency response methodology and terminology and have the ability to stay focused, to effectively deal with highly stressful conditions and events.
- Ability to receive detailed briefings and respond accordingly.
- Able to conduct all tasks to ensure the safety and welfare of yourself and others.
Other duties as assigned:
- Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
- Other duties as assigned by the VPFA
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
- Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
- Expressed ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, under pressure of deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
- Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
- Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
- Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
- Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
- Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
- Willingness to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
- Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
- Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.
- Works Collaboratively. Cultivates connections with others that contribute positively to the well-being of those involved.
- Works toward a common objective through the sharing of ideas and distribution of responsibilities across team members.
- Strong interpersonal skills including collaboration, professionalism and strong consultative skills conducive to building and maintaining positive relations with administrators, co-workers, staff, faculty, union representatives and other members of the campus community.
- Growth Mindset. Demonstrates consistent resiliency to promote positive change through adversity. Identifies potential change opportunities and actively seek to adapt. Assesses and utilizes creative strategies to create individual, organizational, or societal change within a situational context.
- Initiative and Follow Through. Takes initiative to identify and assess needs creating measurable objectives, and building relationships with people who will be able to help achieve those objectives. Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, anticipate needs, prioritize multiple tasks, follow through, and work independently without supervision while handling frequent interruptions and rapidly shifting priorities. Skilled at keeping detailed records and following up on various issues. Skilled at streamlining processes to create efficiencies when necessary.
Physical Demands
- Normal office activities such as sitting/standing at a desk, using a computer, answering phones, and communicating in person both in writing and via phone with others.
Special Conditions
- Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
- Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
- Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
- This position classification has been defined as exempt and is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- The person holding this position is considered a mandatory reporter under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
_________________________
SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.
Diversity Statement:
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.
SOU Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together - who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (https://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (https://www.ctsi.nsn.us/) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We [you may say I or the name of a program/department] encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on, and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.
Notice to Prospective Employees
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the 'Clery Act'), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.
An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR)can be accessed at the following link:
https://inside.sou.edu/security/statistics.html. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy please visit the Campus Public Safety Office at 382 Wightman Street, Ashland OR 97520. For more information call 541-552-6258, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.
To apply, please visit: https://sou.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Southern_Oregon_University/job/Southern-OregonAshland-Campus/Director-of-Business-Services-and-Controller_R0000388
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