Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The Financial Officer compiles and analyzes financial information; prepares/forecasts/plans budgets; acts as an advisor on budget, financial, and risk matters; manages research administration as required; conducts audits; acts as a liaison between departments/units to solve complex issues; provides leadership in financial and strategic planning; serves as key financial person for unit or administrative area.

• Verify financial controls are maintained; assure financial and budgetary information complies with accounting/budgetary concepts, University policy/procedure; assure approval paths, roles and authorizations are established based on appropriate access and controls; oversee cash management operations, including security and merchant standards compliance; serve as liaison to Corporate Controller's Office
• Manage audit and review procedures for administrative area; liaise with Internal Audit as required
• Manage budget for all administrative area funds, including general, restricted, auxiliary and endowment; manage development of the Initial Operating Budget, general salary increases, carry-forward and recycling; serve as administrative area(s) liaison to University Budget Office
• Project income (e.g., enrollment and tuition projections) for administrative area; consult with Budget Office and Corporate Controller's Office
• Provide strategic financial advice and counsel to the budget executive for the administrative area; develop and manage the budget planning process for the administrative area; prepare reports including analysis of historical and current trends and forecasting of future scenarios
• Certify policy, procedures and systems are functioning for administrative area through audit and review; manage risks (e.g., insurance, liability/contract issues, and privacy) within the administrative area and work with the University Risk Manager as required
• Approve or oversee approval of financial documents and transactions, including human resource, payroll, expenditure (e.g., purchasing card and travel) and budget; assure compliance with policy, procedure, restricted fund regulations/guidelines; delegate approvals as appropriate
• Oversee administrative area pre-/post-award research activities; may act as Research Administrator, Sponsored Programs liaison, Research Accounting liaison, and external auditor liaison; interact with funding agencies and sub-contractors; manage cost accounting issues
• Advise on budget management, financial controls, policy/procedure; coordinate training for administrative staff working with financial details
• Manage all receivable accounts, including write-offs, adjustments and holds; assure invoicing, billing, and payment processing controls
• Serve as Bursar for student accounting administrative area; advise parents and students on tuition and billing issues; coordinate with Registrar and Financial Aid on enrollment issues; coordinate with Continuing Education on credit and non-credit programs, invoicing and income projections; resolve problems including management of bad debt and write-offs; serve as liaison to the University Bursar
• Develop and maintain procedures, policies and systems for the administrative area; manage process reengineering as needed; consult with Information Technology staff on new financial management system; implement, manage and coordinate training for new University systems
• Hire, train, supervise and evaluate assigned staff; manage workforce planning for finance operations in the administrative area

Level:

– Principal Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates awareness of broad issues and management trends. Applies exemplary management principles. Evaluates impact of policy and adjusts accordingly. Ensures appropriate skills are developed and maintained within team/unit. Realigns staff responsibilities to meet desired changes. Provides administrative and policy direction. Develops and articulates broad goals. Fosters collaboration between units. Engages in written and verbal communications that reach a university-wide and/or broad external audience. Develops and implements solutions to highly complex and often controversial problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees teams of other supervisors/managers
– Leads a business unit

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Plans, forecasts, develops, and/or approves budgets
– Typically has final signature authority for business unit

Problem Solving:

– Encounters highly varied and complex problems that may have a significant impact on multiple units and/or the University
– Regularly develops creative and/or novel approaches to resolve the most difficult problems
– Creates an environment that encourages imaginative solutions to problems

Independence of Action:

– Work results are not clearly defined and may be frequently changing
– Sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow
– Oversees completed work of others and is accountable for unit results
– Delegates advanced tasks to others and provides guidance to team members

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– May represent the University externally
– Collaborates closely with team members and other leaders across the University
– Communicates a compelling vision that inspires and motivates others

• Comp Grade – 15
• Minimum – $109,300.00
• MidPoint – $136,600.00
• Maximum – $164,000.00

• Accounting information systems
• Attention To Detail
• Consulting
• Data Analysis
• Financial analysis
• Forecasting
• Policy analysis
• Process management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Strategic thinking