Job No. 154416
- Job Title:
- Assistant Director for Project Accounting
- Employer:
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Colorado State University
- Location:
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Fort Collins , CO
- Posting Date:
- 13-Dec-2024
- Description:
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Description of Work Unit
The Finance and Accounting department is a unit within campus Facilities Management. It exists to maintain and improve processes that protect the financial integrity of our departmental units. Facilities Management Finance and Accounting aims to develop strong oversight and understanding of the departmental budget and construction-related accounting activities, assisting with the development of best practices that enable effective, accurate management of the financial policies, processes, and activities.
Facilities Management Finance and Accounting provide oversight of 100+ accounts and over $200 million in expenses, in the areas of budgets, accounting, financial management, and reporting, university billings, department receivables, department internal control processes and procedures, financial instruction, and the department’s integrated workplace management system (AiM). The unit also provides financial reporting services to the University community, including the Budget Office, Business and Financial Services, the Vice President for University Operations, and the President’s Office for building costs, project costs, student facilities fees, and budget book information. The team collaborates closely with Business and Financial Services (BFS) in the areas of accounting, fund management, purchasing, contracts, payments, capitalization, bonded projects, and quarterly reporting for the Board of Governors.
Position Summary
This hands-on position oversees all project accounting transactions and reporting within Facilities Management, including establishing and monitoring capital project budgets to actuals, as well as managing overall financial performance for capital projects. The role involves developing project budgets, updating them based on feedback from executive leadership, and ensuring financial controls and compliance for all capital projects. This position is responsible for reviewing and approving financial transactions, account reconciliations, journal entries, reporting, research, etc. At the same time, based on professional knowledge, experience, and discretion, this position must determine when current, proposed, or potential activities may trigger real or perceived fiscal integrity or misconduct and act to avoid possible problems. This position is responsible for interpreting, documenting, and overseeing procedural changes, including the rollout and presentation of all processes to the Facilities Management team. The position directly reports to the AVP of Facilities Capital Construction and Planning and has dotted line reporting to the Division of University Operations Business Officer for accounting-related issues only.
This position manages an accounting group consisting of nine staff and is responsible for establishing goals, setting priorities, allocating staff, interviewing and hiring, updating position descriptions, performance planning and evaluations, initiating corrective/disciplinary action, approving time entry and leave requests, and developing policies and procedures.
This position manages all plant fund/project accounting services for Facilities by performing the following duties:
Establish, monitor, and manage capital project budgets to actuals, ensuring financial accountability and the alignment of expenditures with approved budgets.
Develop project budgets in collaboration with project managers and executive leadership, incorporating comprehensive financial analysis to ensure accurate projections.
Provide financial oversight for all capital projects, including funding allocations, expenditure tracking, and financial performance reporting.
Develop and implement financial controls, policies, and procedures to manage risks and ensure compliance with university, state, and federal regulations.
Fiscal Officer for Facilities plant funds (approximately 150 Kuali accounts with over $250M in annual transactions)
ORG approver for all project-related accounts, including Remodel & Construction Services
Oversees billing for design and project management fees.
Oversees creating the open purchase order consulting agreements and billing out associated costs.
Provides oversight, direction, and training for plant fund/project account reconciliations.
Oversees reconciling of accounts, investigating discrepancies, communicating problems, and resolving issues using a variety of resources and contacts
Oversees journal entries as needed and directs others on proper corrections.
Develop ad-hoc reports from a variety of sources (AiM, Kuali, ODS, WebFocus)
Prepares and analyzes monthly gift fund project reports and decides the appropriate amount of funds to transfer and when to transfer them.
Develops and prepares all plant fund/project reporting for all Facilities Management projects, which includes the monthly plant fund summary report, state project reports, and restricted funds.
Oversees the construction project close-out and capitalization processes.
Works with Business and Financial Services and a private consultant to provide the information needed to report depreciation schedules on buildings, particularly projects with a research component.
Develop year-end project accruals and delegate work as needed to complete accrual.
Oversees accounting for state-funded projects, which includes appropriately recording six-month encumbrances and filing all associated documents. This includes direct oversight and managing entering budgets, ensuring project managers adhere to strict state encumbrance schedules, and all reporting as needed for state projects.
Responsible for oversight, enhancement, and implementation of accounting-related functions within the Capital Planning and Projects Module of the AiM integrated workplace management system.
Monitor funding sources for capital projects, ensuring the proper application of restricted and unrestricted funds to project budgets.
Collaborate with university leadership to prepare multi-year financial plans for capital projects, addressing funding strategies and long-term financial sustainability.
Analyze and provide recommendations on financial risks, funding gaps, or project overages, and develop mitigation strategies to address financial challenges in capital project management.
Required Job Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a related field.
7 years of progressive professional accounting experience
Minimum three years of supervising staff
Experience and working knowledge of accounting systems and data mining tools.
Preferred Job Qualifications
A layperson’s knowledge of construction industry principles, practices, and terminology.
Outstanding analytical abilities, including statistical techniques, financial modeling, and data management.
Strong communication skills
Ability to work effectively and autonomously in a team environment.
CPA or advanced degree with a concentration in accounting or a related field
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Integrated Work Management Systems (IWMS),e.g., Assetworks AiM, AiM IQ, WebFocus, and other data mining tools
Experience in job cost accounting and financial reporting.
Experience working with institutions of higher education or government agencies.
Experience working in large, diverse organizations.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to forecast, manage, and monitor financial performance for capital projects. Expertise in capital project financial management, including budget development, expenditure tracking, and compliance.
Exceptional communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with leadership, project managers, and external partners.
Proven ability to lead and develop a high-performing accounting team.
Diversity Statement
Personal or professional commitment to diversity and inclusion as demonstrated by persistent effort, active planning, allocation of resources and/or accountability for diversity and inclusion outcomes
- Contact information:
- Colorado State University
- Fort Collins, CO 80523
- United States
- Employer's Website:
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