Mgr, Accounting

Classification Title:

Accounting Manager

Job Description:

The Department of Physics at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is seeking a Manager, Accounting, to provide management and professional oversight of the financial administration functions of the Department of Physics. The Department of Physics is a large, research-intensive department with 300 employees and 63 departmental cost centers.

This position serves in a leadership role in the department with primary responsibilities including supervising fiscal assistant positions, leading the preparation of reports which summarize and forecast departmental account activities and performances, annual budget preparation and monitoring, and planning and administration of the financial record keeping, reporting and other accounting functions of all departmental accounts. It requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of basic accounting principles and UF policies and procedures relating to financial management and compliance, a customer service focus, and the ability and initiative to continually monitor, analyze, and report Physics financial activities and trends. The person must effectively manage deadlines and interruptions, seek out the root cause of any problems, and work creatively to find solutions.

The person must also have a good understanding of the different units within the organization, have the ability to work effectively with them to achieve common goals, have strong teamwork and collaboration skills, and have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with different audiences. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

General Accounting and Oversight

This position oversees all appropriated and departmental cash-based funds; prepares regular financial reports for, or on behalf of, the department, collaborates with department leadership in planning, coordinating, and implementing departmental policies and procedures as they relate to accounting, participates in the planning and administration of the department's annual budget, in collaboration with the department chair and college, ensures department-wide compliance with applicable standards, rules, regulations, and systems of internal control, including general oversight of the multi-tiered reconciliation process, reconciles all departmental cash-based and appropriated funds, as both a tier 1 and tier 2 reconciler, and serves as tier 2 reconciler for part of new-hire startup funds in the department.

Fiscal Processing and Approval

The position also serves as travel reviewer/approver for all travel request and expense reimbursements involving department funds, as a departmental approver for PCard transactions, purchase orders requested and invoice payments via myUFMarket, and as second approver for unencumbered vouchers. The position provides advice to faculty, researchers, students and administrators of the department regarding university policies and procedures relating to fiscal matters, UF GO and UFMarket. The position answers questions, and resolves complex problems.

The responsibilities also include ensuring all departmental deposits are made in a timely manner, with endorsement of incoming checks, maintenance of departmental check log, and transport of funds to the cashier's office, UF foundation office, and contracts & grants accounting office.

Additional responsibilities include initiating transfers of departmental cash-based funds and communicating budget transfer requests to college-level processors, initiating requests for all College commitments and new hire start-up relocation/moving commitments, and initiating requests to responsible staff at college.

The position prepares monthly invoices and processes E2R journal entry payments from campus users of helium and nitrogen gas in support of Cryogenic Services, manages the record keeping, reconciliation and reporting of department Cryogenic account, manages department M&S and Equipment usage funds, provides account balances to fund users and ensure compliance with policies, reviews all UF Foundation (UFF) transactions and UFF-required documentation for fund administrator approval, processes departmental awards/scholarships from foundation and/or other departmental accounts to recipients.

Supervision of Fiscal Team and Fiscal Functions

The person provides direction and training to fiscal assistants on fiscal processes and related functions, ensures that the fiscal staff adhere to rules, recommends alterations and improvements to departmental fiscal procedures as part of a commitment to continuous improvement, reads and interprets policies and procedures at the department, college, institutional, state, and federal levels as they pertain to fiscal responsibility. The position plans and coordinates fiscal processes by scheduling work assignments and setting priorities for fiscal staff, and generates quarterly evaluations of fiscal staff. This position also reviews applications, interviews fiscal candidates, and hires fiscal staff when needed.

The person attends/participates in relevant training and networking events as they relate to fiscal responsibility, communicates newly discovered information with departmental colleagues, and provides procurement, travel and PCard training to newly hired faculty.

Other Duties

Further responsibilities include space reporting, preparation and certification of annual departmental space report and ensuring accuracy and compliance, and miscellaneous duties assigned by the Department Chair.

This position also serves as backup for asset management and inventory reporting and as backup Department Security Administrator (DSA).

As the largest college on campus, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is charged with teaching the university's core curriculum. We are home to the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and the physical, natural, and mathematical sciences.

Nearly every UF undergraduate takes at least one class in our college. However, educating tomorrow's leaders is not the only task occupying our over 800 faculty.

Whether discovering new galaxies, serving on presidential task forces, or writing award-winning books, they have achieved international acclaim for their contributions to society. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is, in short, the heart of the University of Florida and the Gator Nation.

UF is the state's oldest, largest, and most comprehensive land grant university with an enrollment of over 50,000 students and was ranked 6th in the country among public universities (US News and World Report 2023 rankings), and 1st among public institutions in the Wall Street Journal 2023 survey. UF is located in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography.

UF's large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support a range of activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer a variety of programs including magnet schools and an international baccalaureate program. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at Visit Gainesville.

Expected Salary:

The salary range is $60,500 - $66,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience and the compensation includes a full benefits package.

Employment Benefits include:

Health Insurance: UF participates in state- and university-sponsored benefits programs for individuals, families, and domestic partners, and offers voluntary insurance that includes vision, dental, long-term disability and more.

Retirement Options: Attractive options include Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, State University System Optional Retirement Program, Florida Retirement System Investment Plan, and Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan.

Leave: UF staff enjoy a generous paid leave plan as well as access to a sick-leave pool, parental leave, and leave payouts.

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area and six years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Accounting and or Finance is preferred.

• Experience with the financial modules of myUFL and UF GO, and Microsoft Office programs (particularly Excel)

• Strong familiarity with University of Florida fiscal requirements

• Familiarity with foreign vendors and foreign travel policy

• General curiosity and willingness to question

• Strong customer service skills, especially when faced with an unfamiliar question or problem

• Excellent reading comprehension and written communication skills

• Ability to find the root cause of a problem and willingness to offer solutions

Demonstrated commitment to:

• Transparency through open and honest communication

• Continuous improvement by communicating struggles and streamlining processes

• Teamwork by supporting the knowledge and ideas of others

Must be able to work comfortably in a fast-paced environment with deadlines and interruptions. The number of Physics faculty, staff and graduate students necessitates a flexible individual, who can respond well to pressure and can handle multiple tasks at one time.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

In order to be considered, you must upload your cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of at least three (3) professional references.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

Health Assessment Required: No