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Financial Assistant

The Northwestern University Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing is a university-wide institute dedicated to fostering research that improves the health and wellbeing of the sexual and gender minority communities. It currently has multiple NIH- and foundation-funded studies and actively collaborates with community-based organizations to conduct research and translate findings into interventions. It is directed by Dr. Brian Mustanski.

Job Summary:

  • Provides day-to-day financial & accounting support using an advanced knowledge of applicable skills, methods & practices & some innovation, analysis, & reasoning to choose appropriate alternatives from among pre-defined policies & procedures to complete work that includes successive steps & involves some non-routine problems &/or decisions.
  • Applies industry and professional standards, university policy and procedure, federal and state laws and other regulations.
  • Provides administrative &/or clerical support faculty and staff.

Specific Responsibilities:

Budget:

  • Maintains & tracks individual budget accounts.
  • Coordinates annual budget process including tasks associated with the open/close processes.
  • Updates calendar, spreadsheets, templates & forms; monitors submissions.
  • Completes reconciliation procedures.
  • Creates summary reports. 
  • Coordinates &/or provides information for annual salary review process.

Analysis, Statements & Reporting:

  • Prepares account, budget, cost, expenditure &/or funds analysis.
  • Provides reports to managers/PIs in tracking payment status & notification when balances & activities do not comply with policy, procedures or are inadequately prepared. 
  • Creates reports & queries; reviews for incomplete records, data entry errors, &/or accounting mistakes. 
  • May analyze open encumbrances that are no longer valid & recommend appropriate modifications to ensure smooth processing of financial transactions. 

Transactions:

  • Completes & maintains transactions in enterprise systems.
  • Provides review and oversight of all types of financial  transactions some of which may be complex in regard to size or duration of account. 
  • Reviews; ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy.
  • Troubleshoots problems.
  • Performs vendor/account research as needed.
  • Obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates. 
  • Accesses multiple banking systems to process transactions, retrieve information, &/or initiate wire transfers. 
  • Provides financial policy interpretation to determine the validity of customer requests & ensure compliance. 
  • Contacts outside agencies, banks &/or banking systems to obtain clarification of rules &/or regulations. 
  • Enters information into database.

Grants &/or Awards:

  • Provides assistance regarding grant financial administration such as preparing financial information for grant submission.
  • Completes post award accounting.
  • Sets-up sub-contracts &/or start-up research accounts.
  • Approves expenditures on travel, consulting &/or equipment, along with various forms, such as Intra Institutional Vouchers, Requests for Accounting Corrections, the Research Assistant and Scholarship Appointments, &/or payroll adjustments, in accordance with granting agency guidelines & University policies & procedures. 
  • Processes subcontract payments according to rules & regulations of granting agencies.
  • Reconciles subcontract payments.
  • Verifies payroll funding entries.
  • Corrects charges to various accounts.

Administration:

  • Provides excellent customer service, over the phone and in person answering standard questions regarding status of requests, policies and procedures for processing transactions, &/or instructions for completing paperwork. 
  • Instructs & advises regarding options and appropriate courses of action & follows-up inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction. 
  • Provides administrative support in regard to HR matters such as hiring, onboarding, benefits, compensation, etc.
  • Completes other administrative &/or clerical activities such as organizing meetings; reserving AV equipment.
  • Coordinates office, lab &/or building repairs & maintenance.
  • Maintains inventory.

Miscellaneous

  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • High school diploma or the equivalent.
  • 3 years accounting &/or bookkeeping or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

  • Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.
  • Familiarity with financial reporting.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

To Apply: To apply for this position, navigate to careers.northwestern.edu, search for job ID 47059, and click Apply for Job.

ISGMH Diversity Statement: ISGMH’s commitment to diversity is critical to our mission of advancing access to excellence in academic programs, world-class research, and health programs. Engagement in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military service, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression will not be tolerated. Through its work, ISGMH advances the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ individuals. Staff and trainees should expect to find a diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities among ISGMH staff, trainees, research participants, and in outreach experiences. We highlight the importance of respecting and valuing this aspect of diversity among staff and trainees.

Northwestern requires all staff and faculty to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to limited exceptions. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 and Campus Updates website.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.