Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Cost Accounting

The Cost Accounting Manager oversees a team of cost accountants that analyze material, labor, or other expenses to determine cost-related performance measures; maintains the University’s cost accounting systems and ensures that expenditures are appropriately classified; analyzes cost variances and presents findings to leadership; prepares and presents recommendations for reducing costs, and provides cost-related data in support of business decisions or for use in financial reporting; manages and interprets cost audits; gathers historical cost data (materials, labor, depreciation, operating expenses, etc.), to compare budgets with actual expenses.

• Administer cost accounting for the University with particular emphasis on federal costing policies and regulations including participation on standing University leadership groups and ad hoc committees, providing interpretive guidance and implementing policy and/or process changes to facilitate compliance
• Direct financial analyses and reconciliations to optimize the University's cost recovery, ensure compliance with federal regulations, and provide cost data for internal and external reporting
• Coordinate and review preparation and submission of other cost recovery rates such as fringe benefits and internal overhead
• Serve as liaison for federal, state, and/or third party audits and reviews such as indirect cost rate proposals, internal control systems, and other costing/compliance issues
• Brief leadership on audit findings/questioned costs, providing input on appropriate responses and recommending appropriate policy/procedure changes resulting from audit findings
• Manage cost analysis with regard to personnel issues such as hiring, training, performance reviews, facilitating communication, and process changes
• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate assigned staff; manage workforce planning
• Keep current on federal regulations and cost principles to determine the University's position and potential impact on operations

Level:

– Manager

Base Description:

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

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing unit assignments. Reviews and guides work to ensure conformity to policy and effective approaches. Evaluates employee performance and recommend development opportunities. Demonstrates ability to coach employees. Presents and communicates key university indicatives and connects it to unit contributions. Provides broad guidelines. Develops, evaluates, enhances, and/or implements quality improvement practices. Recommends innovative solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees a team (typically 4 or more; no fewer than 2) full
– time direct reports of individual contributors and/or first level supervisors.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks department/area budget
– May plan, forecast, and/or assist in developing budgets
– May have final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters varied and complex problems
– Helps to develop creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature but within limited scope
– Modifies, adapts, or refines guidelines if necessary to resolve issues or problems

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices and advanced working knowledge to determine appropriate work methods for the team
– Reviews completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach
– Delegates advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Communicates key university initiatives and how unit’s work contributes to their achievement
– Presents ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and uses persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 12
• Minimum – $76,700.00
• MidPoint – $95,900.00
• Maximum – $115,100.00