Business Services Specialist

Job Summary

Do you enjoy interacting with people by answering questions and problem solving? If you enjoy working in the accounting field, multi-tasking, and have excellent attention to detail? If so, Hawkeye Community College’s Business Office has a great opportunity for to join their team.

At Hawkeye Community College, the Business Office is team-oriented working in partnership with multiple departments across campus. They are passionate about serving Hawkeye’s students, faculty and staff on a daily basis.

As the Business Services Specialist, you are responsible for providing customer service for students, staff and visitors. This includes receiving payments, resolving student/customer issues, answering questions regarding student accounts, and helping other employees with student-related or office duties as they arise. Additionally, you are part of a rotation at our front desk who greets and directs visitors as they stop in.

Hawkeye Community College is a comprehensive community college focused on meeting the needs of the community by providing quality, affordable learning experiences for a diverse student body through our Adult Learning Center, Business and Community Education Department as well as through more than 50 career and technical programs and liberal arts transfer programs. Hawkeye Community College’s mission is about empowering students, strengthening businesses and enriching communities with a vision to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Essential Job Functions

Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Participates in the rotation of front desk coverage in a friendly and professional manner including but not limited to: greeting walk-in traffic, answering a multi-line phone system, directing calls and/or visitors to appropriate areas.

• Provides general information in response to public or official inquiries.

• Collects payments from students and nonstudents such as for testing and other miscellaneous non-student related payments.

• Sets up and maintains ACH forms of payments from students.

• Assists with the preparation and maintenance of student payment plans.

• Reviews outside scholarships to ensure student qualification and the scholarship is applied to the correct term.

• Balances scholarship reports.

• Requests information and prepares Financial Policy Waivers for committee meetings.

• Prepares, tracks and delivers invoices and/or purchase orders regarding student accounts, power technology, student tools and registration statements.

• Prepares and delivers miscellaneous student and customer invoices.

• Creates and sends reminders for overdue miscellaneous and sponsorship invoices.

• Resolves student issues, answers questions regarding their account, resolves outstanding student checks.

• Counts/keeps track of the cash in the vault.

• Administers the short-term loan process.

• Sets up new vendors in Colleague and requests W-9s from vendors.

• Verifies account payable checks with invoices and prepares for mailing.

• Provides MORE orientation speeches and/or provides a video for the Business Office portion.

• Accurately inputs information and updates and/or scans data into office systems/software applications.

• Releases and applies student restrictions and holds.

• Prepares miscellaneous spreadsheets and correspondence.

• Operates a variety of office equipment, including but not limited to copy machine, fax machine, scanner, multi-line phone system, computer etc.

• Provides back up and assists other Business Office personnel.

• Participates in campus committees as assigned.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Unless otherwise approved under Hawkeye’s remote work policy, regular on campus and/or onsite attendance is considered an essential function of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate's degree in a related field and two (2) years of experience in an office setting or an equivalent combination of education and experience to total four (4) years.

• Knowledge of financial rules and procedures.

• Knowledge of general office procedures.

• Demonstrated ability related to organization, time management, and verbal communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to work with a culturally diverse student population, faculty, staff, and the general

• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal communication.

• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications, and video conferencing technology.

• Demonstrated ability to execute organization and department policies and procedures.

• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential/sensitive information with discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education.

• Experience with Microsoft Excel including formulas.

Working Conditions

Anticipated schedule is Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm with occasional evening hours during the first two weeks of each semester.

Work is performed in an office setting using technology. Requires good hand-eye coordination including visual acuity to use a keyboard and read technical information; arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp. Sit, stand, bend, lift and move frequently during working hours. During course of day, interact with students, faculty, staff and public in person, by telephone and computers.

Employment Status

Full-time, non-exempt position with comprehensive benefits program including health, dental, vision, life, and LTD insurance, a Section 125 plan for medical and dependent care expenses; holiday, personal, sick, and vacation leave; tuition reimbursement and tuition remission; and a choice of retirement programs—IPERS (defined benefit) or TIAA (defined contribution).

• Salary will be determined/based on the candidate’s education and experience.

• The wage range for this position begins at $16.32/hr.

Application Procedure

• Complete an online application at www.hawkeyecollege.edu/employment

  • Submit/upload a cover letter addressing the following:

    • Please describe your customer service experience as well as examples when you have had to utilize problem-solving skills.

    • Please share your experience working with Google Suite, Excel, and Word.

    • Please describe your experience working with money and balancing accounts or invoices.

  • Submit/upload a resume.

  • Submit/upload 3 professional references with a minimum of 1 being from a current/past supervisor.

• Priority screening is set to begin on Monday, January 13, 2025. Completed applications, along with the required materials, received after the priority screening date will be considered at the discretion of the college.

All application materials must be submitted by Sunday, January 12, 2025 by 11:59 PM CST.

Hawkeye Community College is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to equity and diversity in its educational services and employment practices: hawkeyecollege.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/equal-opportunity. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex; race; age; color; creed; national origin; religion; disability; sexual orientation; gender identity; genetic information; or actual or potential parental, family, or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices. Veteran status is also included to the extent covered by law. Any person alleging a violation of equity regulations shall have the right to file a formal complaint. Inquiries concerning application of this statement should be addressed to: Equity Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator for employees, 319-296-4405; or Title IX Coordinator for students, 319-296-4448; Hawkeye Community College, 1501 East Orange Road, P.O. Box 8015, Waterloo, Iowa 50704-8015; or email equity-titleIX@hawkeyecollege.edu, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661, phone number 312-730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.

If any applicant is in need of a reasonable accommodation in completing the application process, please notify a member of Human Resource Services.