Accounting Manager

Accounting Manager

Job category: Staff

Requisition number: ACCOU001851

Full-time

Hybrid

Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL 60602, USA

Job details

Description

Under the general direction of the Controller, the Accounting Manager partners closely with the Controller to oversee the period-end close process, financial reporting, and monthly accounts review and analysis. This role plays a critical part in ensuring the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of the university’s financial information.

The Accounting Manager will assist in managing the accounting department’s workflow, coordinating priorities, and ensuring deadlines are consistently met.

Key responsibilities include preparing and updating revenue and scholarship recognition models, processing monthly journal entries and reconciliations for payroll, conducting a first-level review of accounts payable submitted through Colleague Self-Service to ensure proper accounts coding, and performing general ledger accounts reconciliations with a high level of accuracy and efficiency.

Success in this role requires possession of a strong technical accounting foundation, excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to meet both internal and external reporting deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality and professionalism.

The Accounting Manager provides thought-leadership to the university while leveraging industry knowledge and best practices to promote the mission and vision of the finance and accounting department and the university.

Education/Experience:

• Minimum educational requirement of a bachelor’s degree or master’s in accounting or finance.

• At least 8 years of experience in accounting and finance.

Certifications/Licenses:

• CPA preferred but not required.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong knowledge of GAAP and internal control procedures.

• Experience and knowledge of not-for-profit accounting, reporting & compliance.

• Must possess excellent communication and management skills, professional written and verbal skills, including report writing and organizational skills.

• Software knowledge of accounting systems, preferably Colleague, Business Objects, and Power BI.

• Experience and knowledge of not-for-profit accounting, reporting, and compliance.

• Demonstrates a strong proficiency using Microsoft Excel, including (but not limited to): pivot tables, pivot charts, INDEX/MATCH (or XLOOKUP), V/HLOOKUP, IFERROR, SUMIFS, conditional formatting, concatenating text strings, cell and workbook protections, algorithms, what-if analysis, forms, importing .csv or .txt files, etc.

• General understanding of accounting software, including the underlying application controls that are integral to our control environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting:

• Prepares revenue and scholarship models, including deferred tuition and fee revenue and scholarship for each academic term, for review by the controller before they are posted into Colleague.

• Prepares debt and lease (finance and operating) schedules, records, and reconciles to ensure the GL accounts tie to the various schedules.

• Supports month and year-end closing activities, including reconciliations of various revenue and expense accounts before the month-end closing.

• Prepares and records Vancouver financial reports, including foreign currency translation, and intercompany transactions for consolidation with Chingo campus operations.

• Supports the preparation and presents accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports.

• Payroll monthly journal entries and reconciliation (payroll taxes and benefits payments by the bank), for the Controller’s review.

• Maintains general ledger accounts codes and reviews payroll object codes in UltiPro to ensure consistency with the Adler chart of accounts.

• Assists with the implementation of internal controls for various accounting policies and procedures.

• Supports the year-end accounts closing and compliance filings, including GAAP financial audit and IRS Form 990 filing.

• Generates and records weekly authorized net transactions and reconciles with the students' accounts department to ensure all transactions are captured and correctly recorded.

• Reviews and records interest income and other income (application and other fees processed through Authorized Net).

• Any additional responsibilities assigned by the controller.

Contributed Funds, including Grants & Fund Accounting:

• Ensures proper financial tracking and reporting of restricted and unrestricted funds for significant grant-funded capital projects and other grants.

• Works with Senior Staff Accountant to ensure grants, donations, gifts, and sponsorships are properly recorded and reconciled monthly with relevant supporting documentation.

• Reconciles data between the contributed income sub-ledger and the general ledger.

Understanding Costs and Spending:

• Understands the design of the internal financial statements; understands how journal entry transactions map to the financial statements.

• Validates that account coding received in the accounts payable process accurately reflects the underlying business transaction.

• Assumes responsibility for fixed assets accounting, including tracking spending for individual projects as well as validating depreciation expense in the financial statements.

Work Environment (Physical Demands): The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 80% sitting, 10% walking, and 10% standing. This job is performed in a generally clean and healthy environment.

Salary Range: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00

Universal Core Behaviors:

Commitment to Adler’s Mission
• Acts with personal integrity, honesty, and compassion. And integrity in all professional responsibilities.
• Aligns professional actions with Adler’s commitment to community-rooted education, research, and impact.

• Contributes to a culture that advances health, well-being, and community connection — locally and globally.
• Respects and values colleagues and community partners.

Accountability and Excellence
• Demonstrates results-oriented focus and commitment to quality.
• Consistently meets deadlines and delivers work of a high professional standard.
• Prioritizes service and responsiveness.
• Seeks opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and resource use.
• Takes ownership of performance, seeks feedback, and accepts responsibility for actions.

Communication
• Communicates with respect, diplomacy, and professionalism.
• Demonstrates active listening and comprehension.
• Expresses ideas clearly and effectively in both oral and written forms.
• Keeps colleagues informed in a timely and transparent manner.

Collaboration and Teamwork
• Actively contributes to and engages with colleagues, partners, and communities.
• Builds relationships rooted in respect, empathy, and trust.
• Demonstrates curiosity, courage, and integrity in guiding work and decisions.
• Makes thoughtful, informed decisions that balance short-term needs with long-term impact.
• Works cooperatively with colleagues to achieve collective goals.
Adaptability and Lifelong Learning
• Approaches challenges with proactive problem-solving.
• Commits to lifelong learning by continuously developing skills, knowledge, and effectiveness.
• Supports and adapts to evolving needs in the work environment.

Partnership with Supervisor
• Engages supervisors as partners in achieving goals.
• Fosters open, respectful communication to maintain alignment and clarity.
• Seeks guidance and feedback when appropriate while demonstrating initiative and accountability.