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Accountant III
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Position Number: 5364852
Location: Albany, NY
Position Type: Business - Accounting

Accountant III

Category: Administrative and Professional
Department: Finance
Locations: Albany, NY
Posted: Jun 27, 2024
Closes: Open Until Filled
Type: Exempt
Position ID: 178141

About The Research Foundation for SUNY:
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF) is the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country.

Our mission is to provide talent, services, and technology that empower SUNY to research, innovate, and transfer discoveries that transform the world's knowledge economy.

Our vision is to make SUNY the best place for faculty, students, and staff to research, innovate and solve the world's most pressing problems.

The RF serves SUNY by providing essential administrative services that enable faculty to focus their efforts on educating students and performing life-changing research across a wide range of disciplines including Artificial Intelligence, Clean Energy, Biotechnology, Longevity, Substance Addiction, Nextgen Quantum Computing, Environmental Health, and Resiliency. We work with the academic and business leadership of SUNY campuses to facilitate research and discovery by administering sponsored projects and delivering intellectual property and technology transfer services that fuel innovation and move ideas and inventions to the marketplace.

The RF is committed to diversity, inclusion, and a working environment that enhances productivity creates personal and professional opportunities, unleashes everyone's full potential, and fuels innovation. We hold the organization and each other to the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and ethical behavior.

Visit www.rfsuny.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn about SUNY at www.suny.edu.

Job Description:
FUNCTION AND SCOPE:

Under the general direction of the Associate Director of Financial Accounting and Reporting the incumbent is responsible for reconciling, analyzing, and adjusting general ledger (GL) accounts for monthly financial statement purposes, monitoring tax compliance issues, and assisting with investment reporting and accounting. Work as a member of the financial reporting team to provide internal and external customers with financial data and analysis needed to comply with laws, regulations, and governance requirements. Areas under this position include investments, post-retirement benefit obligations, tax reporting, other areas as assigned, as well as covering areas as a backup.

Extensive follow-up with functional areas to resolve accounting issues, which requires excellent communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Communications required also include explaining implications of exceptions noted during reconciliation and fluctuation analysis process, requesting information from other departments and from campus contacts, and updating process documentation. The position also requires the ability to make sound judgments and independent decision-making capabilities. Responsible for the functioning of internal controls over the position's assigned areas, and for remediation of issues noted during internal testing or external audits.

DUTIES:

Perform periodic reconciliations in such areas as Investments, Post-retirement benefit obligations, and other areas. Includes follow-up with appropriate RF personnel for resolution of variances encountered in the course of the reconciliation processes.
Responsible for various monthly and annual close schedules in those areas and others as assigned.
Prepare journal entries and accruals. Prepare lead schedules as well as summarize and explain variances for the financial statement lines that include assigned areas.
Accounting for, and reporting of, interest for separately invested accounts and awards where interest is due back to the sponsor.
Assist in year-end financial reporting requirements by working with external auditors and the internal financial accounting team in regard to investments for both the RF's regular operations and the VEBA Trust.
This would include preparing reconciliations, providing supporting documents, education/discussion, and investment related tax returns.
Assist in the collection and accounting of investment statements for reporting purposes throughout the year.
Prepare investment wires for internal approval.
Prepare financial statements for the RF employee benefit plans as assigned and assist in responding to audit questions on those plans.
Assist in preparing SUNY supplemental reports, IPEDs and 990 supporting schedules.
Responsible for review of internal controls, transactions, and procedures over assigned areas. This includes creation or update of process map flows over evolving processes and ensuring that controls exist to mitigate any inherent risks of financial misstatement in those areas.
Responsible for the completion of certain quarterly and annual US Government surveys that tie into financials or 990 and require the compilation of data from various departments within the required deadlines.
Monitors and reconciles non-resident transactions to ensure accurate withholdings and tax deposits.
Periodic review of payroll and A/P transactions for tax compliance.
Assist in year-end tax reporting.
Contribute to a work environment that fosters teamwork, cooperation and represent the Finance Office as a team player that seeks continuous improvement and accepts empowerment to perform duties.
Other accounting duties as assigned.

SYSTEM MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Performing and coordinating the reconciliation of data transfer between Oracle modules, specifically between Labor Distribution and Grants Management, as well as month end closing and balancing of all modules.
Assisting in running various system processes and reports which includes running processes, reports and resolving and communicating issues and exceptions.
Back-up for reconciliation of Oracle processes and month end system close.

Requirements:
SPECIAL SKILLS:

Requires knowledge of accounting principles and practices.
Knowledge of accounting standards and internal controls is desired.
Excellent people skills are essential due to interactions with campus staff.
Must be highly skilled in all standard Microsoft Office applications.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

Position requires Bachelor's degree. Two to three years of progressively more responsible accounting, auditing, or financial analysis experience preferred, preferably in a higher education or nonprofit environment with familiarity with grants.

Compensation for this position: The compensation for this role is between $72,000 to $82,000. The pay will depend on a variety of factors that may include but are not limited to experience, education, training, and certifications.

Additional Information:
As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy-related conditions, reproductive health decisions, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic characteristics/genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, military status or service, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state or local law. The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. The Research Foundation for the State University of New York operates under a contract with The State University of New York and receives no directly appropriated state funding

Application Instructions:
Applicants interested in applying MUST submit the following documents:

1. Resume/Cv
2. Cover Letter

After submitting your resume/CV, the subsequent pages enable you to upload your cover letter and additional documents.

Returning Applicants - Login to your RF SUNY Careers Account to review your application.

To apply, visit https://rfsuny.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp;jsessionid=46120211DF292619F36E004D1A99F367?JOBID=178141