Position Title: Accountant

Department: Finance Office

Advertised Pay: Mid $50,000's

Campus Location: Washburn University

Application Deadline:  Application review will begin as applications are received and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants can be assured of full consideration if submitted by: July 31, 2025.

Position Summary: Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of over 5,500 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, a significant and growing number of whom are first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a dynamic faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a robust learning and working environment and curriculum. We employ more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka and strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, and a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation. In 2024, Washburn was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to Great Colleges to Work For® program.

The Accountant for the Finance Department compiles and develops financial reports and provides support for daily financial activities. In addition, the Accountant is responsible for applying generally accepted accounting principles and procedures in working with specialized accounting records and reports; assembles and analyzes data and transactions; and prepares statements and reports relating to the assigned area(s) of responsibility. The assigned location or tasks between Washburn University and Washburn University Institute of Technology will be flexible and determined by location needs.

Essential Functions:
The Accountant may be assigned to specific areas of responsibility and share some duties with other accountants on staff. The areas of responsibility will vary depending on cross-training provided by other staff and the department's needs.

Functions related to cash accounting / cash reconciliation / treasury,
• Reconcile bank accounts monthly, investigating and correcting discrepancies as required to ensure accuracy of accounts and awareness of all account balances.
• Review outstanding checklists to identify uncashed checks and communicate with payees to identify and resolve issues of outstanding checks. Remove lost checks from the positive pay file and request issuance of replacement checks per University policies.
• Reconciles various clearing and receivable accounts monthly to ensure accuracy of all accounts.

Functions related to capital assets,
• Monitor and report on spending on annual capital and equipment projects to keep administrators apprised of financial issues relative to ongoing projects.
• Analyze purchases of capital assets to determine proper accounting for such purchases.
• Enter assets to be capitalized into Banner fixed asset module.
• Run depreciation process at year-end to facilitate assessment and reporting of the University's financial status.
• Record purchases of capitalized and tracked assets into Banner and work with appropriate staff to support tagging and inventorying.

Functions related to other accounting/journal entries/account reconciliations,
• Reconcile various clearing and receivable accounts monthly to ensure accuracy of all accounts and prepare journal entries to adjust account balances to agree with detailed records, as needed.
• Journalize daily cash reports from Memorial Union and other departments.
• Analyze monthly US Bank VISA charges for verifying funding and accounting accuracy and enter into FUPLOAD journal entry for posting to accounting.
• Prepare monthly journal entries to record monthly transfers to the general fund from other funds to reimburse expenditures paid by the general fund and monthly chargebacks for services provided by University service departments to other departments.
• Prepare journal entries and monthly billing for transfers to and from the Washburn University Foundation as needed.
• Serve as an accounting resource to other Finance Office and Business Office staff as needed to assist with and facilitate timely, accurate completion of financial/accounting processes compliant with University requirements and government regulations.

Functions related to Grant Accounting,
• Collaborate with and advise principal investigators and other faculty and staff on sponsored project budget implementation and compliance to minimize or eliminate noncompliance with the project and contract financial requirements.
• Review contracts, payment vouchers, and purchase requisitions relating to sponsored projects and contracts to ensure requests comply with applicable requirements. Review all grant transactions posted to Banner each month. Request funds on a timely basis to minimize the time between expenditures and reimbursements.
• Prepare journal vouchers and request payroll reallocations to transfer matching funds and/or expenses to/from the sponsored project and contract funds as necessary.
• Compile information and prepare all post-award financial reports required by sponsors or requested by the University administration. Communicate with sponsoring agencies regarding financial aspects of ongoing sponsored project and contract activities and project/contract close-out to ensure a timely and accurate close-out with the sponsoring agency.
• Work with University departments, such as Financial Aid and Bursar, to obtain applicable amounts relative to federal financial aid programs, and prepare and submit the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards for the University's annual audit as required by OMB Circular A-133. Respond to audit requests relating to non-financial aid federal programs.

Functions related to the preparation of tax forms 1042 and 1099,
• Analyze and prepare Form 1099 (1099 NEC and 1099 MISC) for vendors at year-end and assist with questions from vendors and cleanup of vendor accounts due to 1099 issues.
• Compile form 1042 for non-resident aliens at year-end and file accordingly to IRS and recipient. Work with international students receiving 1042 to understand the next steps and pay the appropriate tax.

Functions related to Accounts Payable,
• Complete Concur (Accounts Payable) entries.

The Accountant may also perform some of the following duties based on experience and/or appropriate training. Some duties will be assigned to this position; however, cross-training will be provided for most items listed,
• Work with appropriate staff to ensure that capital and equipment project expenditures are appropriately accounted for. Provide guidance as to which accounts should be used for various project expenditures.
• Assist with establishing fund and organization codes in appropriate software programs as needed to allow for electronic tracking and processing of all account records.
• Record, compile, and organize capital asset work papers in preparation for the annual external audit.

Perform additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree,
• At least two years of experience in accounting or bookkeeping procedures, or
• A combination of experience and education equivalent to six years of accounting experience.
• Proven knowledge of business and accounting policies, processes, and procedures.
• Experience using Excel and Word software.
• Demonstrated effective organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Effective communication skills and ability to build and maintain professional working relationships.
• Experience reconciling accounts (with regard to revenues, expenses, budgets).
• Experience working with Federal and State grants.
• General accounting experience handling payment and travel vouchers.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in accounting or business administration

Exempt, Full-time, Mon-Fri,    
Background Check Required