Senior Accountant

Position Summary

The Senior Accountant works in Business Services under the supervision of the Accounting Manager. The position is responsible for processing financial transactions and preparing financial analyses and reports for campus management, UW System Administration (UWSA), and State of Wisconsin agencies using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Accountants prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and maintain financial records using the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s (UWL’s) financial systems. Additional responsibilities include proposing process improvements and the implementation of audit recommendations. Candidates will be expected to have a strong understanding of GAAP and will need to acquire knowledge of UWSA and UWL policies and procedures.

Accounting Operations

• Provide financial information to management by researching and analyzing accounting data and preparing reports.
• Prepare general ledger journal entries to account for financial transactions.
• Substantiate transactions by auditing documents and ensuring appropriate documentation.
• Assist with the development, implementation, and maintenance of written policies and procedures for financial processes.
• Improve financial operations by analyzing processes and making recommendations to increase accuracy and efficiency.
• Strengthen internal controls by preparing and recommending improvements to policies and procedures.
• Ensure accounting processes and procedures follow GAAP.
• Maintain stakeholder confidence by keeping financial information confidential.
• Prepare reconciliations of expenditures, revenues, and encumbrances and resolve identified variances.
• Prepare financial reports required by the university, UWSA, state agencies, and federal agencies.
• Advise university staff on financial processes and recordkeeping practices by providing customer service in a timely, professional manner.
• Assist with accounting for 501(c)(3) related organizations.
• Inventory and account for capital assets.
• Manage the accounting for gifts, grants, and contracts, including federal, state, and privately funded awards.
• Coordinate banking processes, including ACH transfers, wire transfers, and reconciliations.
• Develop queries to automate the gathering of financial data.
• Complete tax filing and reporting.
• Support PCI compliance initiatives.
• Assist with internal and external audits and respond to recommendations by establishing, implementing, and monitoring action plans as needed.
• Coordinate with Business Services and Accounting team members to complete projects.

Financial System Analysis

• Interpret and analyze financial data including but not limited to requests from campus management, UWSA, or federal and state agencies related to the application of federal and state statutes, UW System policies, State of Wisconsin administrative codes, and legislative policies.
• Assist in financial system upgrades including the gathering and analysis of requirements and implementation through communication and involvement of campus financial managers.
• Perform statistical analysis of financial processes to help streamline processes and provide better service.
• Assist campus management to establish appropriate business processes necessary for fiscal management and integrity.

Assist the Accounting Manager

• Assist with special reports, surveys, or audits required by the Legislative Audit Bureau and Department of Administration.
• Assist with various projects related to internal control assessments and make recommendations for processing methods to ensure the integrity and security of financial assets.
• Provide assistance in developing training programs for faculty and staff related to financial processes and systems.
• Review and recommend updates to the Business Services web pages.

Other Items

• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Benefits Information

Your benefits add an additional 40% to the overall financial package from the university.

Highlights include:

• paid vacation for 12-month positions.
• excellent flexible health insurance with low co-pays and good coverage.
• paid holidays and sick days.
• after 5 years of employment, you become vested in our retirement system which ensures income post-career.
• benefits at UWL are highly competitive with local industry and some of the strongest in state and nation.

Benefit eligibility is determined at point of hire. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only. Benefits are also pro-rated based on the appointment percentage.

About Business Services and the Division of Administration & Finance

Business Services provides a challenging and dynamic work environment for professionals to serve the diverse stakeholders of the University. We seek out highly qualified professionals and develop them into results-oriented leaders. As part of an institution of learning, we encourage the personal and professional growth of our staff by providing engaging projects and development opportunities. Additionally, the unit fosters a supportive climate by encouraging team members to work collaboratively, and we provide flexibility through an attractive leave package and a hybrid remote work model.

The Division of Administration and Finance is committed to providing quality campus services to faculty, staff, students, and external constituencies to support the university’s mission of teaching, research, and public service. The division includes Facilities Planning & Management, Budget, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, and Police & Parking Services.

Information About UW-La Crosse and the Region

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW–La Crosse) provides a challenging, dynamic, and diverse learning environment in which the entire university community is fully engaged in supporting student success. Grounded in the liberal arts, UW-La Crosse fosters curiosity and life-long learning through collaboration, innovation, and the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge. Acknowledging and respecting the contributions of all, UW-La Crosse is a regional academic and cultural center that prepares students to take their place in a constantly changing world community.

For more than a decade UW-La Crosse has been named one of Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Universities and has appeared prominently on the U.S. News & World Report list of “America’s Best Colleges” for more than 15 years, and is ranked #4 on its list of the Best Regional Public Universities in the Midwest. UW-La Crosse ranks 6th nationally among the Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges for 2018-19 by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO).

With a student population of roughly 10,500, the university offers 91 undergraduate programs, 21 graduate programs, and 2 doctoral programs through the following three colleges, the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, the College of Business Administration, and the College of Science and Health, as well as the School of Education. There are over 600 full-time faculty and instructional academic staff, 75 percent of whom hold terminal degrees. UW-La Crosse boasts a retention rate (freshmen returning as sophomores) of 84 percent, graduation rate (degree within six years) of 70 percent, and is among only 12 institutions cited nationally by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for its success in linking campus culture and university leadership to outstanding graduation rates.

The UW-La Crosse campus is in southwestern Wisconsin, nestled in a residential area of the City of La Crosse and positioned as part of a larger metro area with a population close to 140,000. The area, known as the 7 Rivers Region, is famous for its exceptional natural beauty which includes the Mississippi River on one side, majestic bluffs on the other, and views of rolling farmland and forested valleys in between. Abundant water, woodlands and varying terrain provide ample opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation. Only a couple of hours from Minneapolis or Madison, La Crosse enjoys the affordability and charm of small town living with larger city benefits. Three colleges, two world-class medical institutions, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, a restored nineteenth century downtown business district, and a number of galleries and art centers have made La Crosse a regional center for culture, entertainment, medical care, shopping, sports and recreation. More information about the La Crosse metro area can be found here: https://chooselacrosse.com/

Learn more about UW-La Crosse here: https://www.uwlax.edu/human-resources/services/talent-acquisition-and-employment/finalist-welcome/

AA/EO Statement

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. We strongly encourage women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans to apply. UWL, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)

For the UWL Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see https://www.uwlax.edu/police/annual-security-report/ or contact the University Police Department at 608.785.9000.

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Employment will require a criminal background check. A pending criminal charge or conviction will not necessarily disqualify an applicant. In compliance with the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, UW-La Crosse does not discriminate on the basis of arrest or conviction records.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply on the UWL employment website here: https://employment.uwlax.edu/postings/18361