Acquisition Accounting Specialist

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

Reporting to the Head of Resource Acquisition & Metadata Services, and working closely with departmental colleagues, in particular the Coordinator of Ordering, the Acquisition Accounting Specialist will ensure the integrity of the accounting, financial reporting, procurement, payments and financial compliance for the research collections of the VCU Libraries across all library and university enterprise systems, including Alma, Realsource, Banner, and Bank of America Works. Following ARMICS protocols, this position will prepare, process, reconcile, and maintain accurate and complete records of all financial contacts and transactions, including vendor records, purchases, subscriptions, invoices, payments, and cancellations. This position will be the primary requisitioner and receiver in the university procurement system, processing over 250 requisitions and 400 receipts in Realsource per year across 6 Banner indexes. This position will be the primary accountant of invoices & receipts in the Libraries’ management system, Alma, processing over 2,300 invoices, 7,500 physical item receipts, and 29,000 expenditure transactions per year across 133 funds. The Acquisition Accounting Specialist will prepare and interpret reports from these systems, apply problem solving skills, and articulate a number of optional approaches recommending a course of action to resolve problems proactively to ensure accurate expenditure of budgets. 

This position interacts with multiple online university and library systems, so the flexibility and willingness to learn new platforms are key to success. The successful candidate will have excellent data entry skills with a strong ability to proofread and edit their own work, as well as data interpretation skills and the ability to recognize anomalies in vendor and system generated data. This position requires independent time management and discernment in task prioritization to meet established monthly and fiscal year deadlines while balancing daily transactions that impact the workflows that deliver access to library collections.

The library offers opportunities for training and professional development, and the successful candidate will be part of a supportive and hardworking team of colleagues that advance the mission and vision of the Libraries.

The main responsibilities of this position include:

• Record all receipts and invoices of the ordered materials for the library collections in the Alma library management system. Troubleshoots errors in data and data imports, such as EOR and EDI data.

• Record all orders and receipts for library collections, including declining balance purchase orders, using Realsource and various vendor systems and websites. Facilitate vendor registration in eVA and Realsource. 

• Reconcile all fiscal transactions across systems against the departmental indexes of the Banner finance system. Perform journal vouchers for accurate distribution of expenses. 

• Collaborate frequently with departmental colleagues to resolve problems and answer questions from vendors, library, and university stakeholders. 

• Collaborate closely with colleagues in the Finance and Administration departments of the university to ensure exceptional stewardship and access to library collections. 

• Communicate clearly, effectively, and personably, orally and in writing, with the diverse VCU community, as well as vendors.

• Interpret and comply with all library and university procurement and accounting policies, ARMICS, and maintain all relevant certifications and training in good standing.

• Supporting the mission and goals of the Libraries by serving on committees, task forces, or project teams.

• Performs other related duties as assigned. 

Required Qualifications: 

• High school diploma or equivalent

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail

• Ability to function well in a complex, fast-paced, multitask work environment that regularly includes varied workflows with multiple deadlines.

• Ability to assemble and analyze data to prepare reports and suggest potential solutions to the financial issues being analyzed

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively in a large complex organization with the ability to work both independently and as a contributing member of a team

• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

• Experience with academic libraries and searching library resources.

• Working knowledge of PDF creation and Adobe Pro, Intermediate to advanced knowledge of spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel as well as Google Suite applications.

• Working knowledge of University procurement policies and procedures, including experience with RealSource and Banner Finance

• Practical knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

• Experience with accounts payable and corporate purchasing cards