Assistant Director, Finance & Accounting

Under the direction of the Business Office Director, the Assistant Director of Finance and Accounting provides operational leadership for accounting, grants management, procurement compliance, and financial reporting for the Lake County campus. This position serves as the campus Grant Finance Designee and is responsible for ensuring compliance with institutional, state, and federal financial requirements related to grants, gifts, accounting, procurement, travel, and asset management.

This role supports strong internal controls by overseeing accounting, reconciliation, and compliance functions that are intentionally separated from student payment processing activities.

Pay Range: $50,000 - $57,000 per year

Location: East Chicago with frequent travel to Gary and Crown Point, some regional and statewide travel is required

Major Responsibilities:

Grants and Gift Fund Management

• Serve as the campus Grant Finance Designee as defined by the Systems Office.

• Ensure compliance oversight for grant and gift procurement and travel business processes.

• Assist with grant proposal development, budgeting, extensions, and award setup, including required forms and file maintenance.

• Manage grant accounting activities, including pre‑ and post‑award administration, budget modifications, journal entries, payroll costing allocations, payroll accounting adjustments, and required financial reporting.

• Maintain grant award tracking, documentation, and task management using Asana in coordination with the Systems Office Grants Officer.

• Train project directors and provide ongoing financial guidance to support compliant grant administration.

• Manage gift fund accounting activity, billing, and reporting.

Accounting, Reconciliation, and Financial Reporting

• Perform and oversee accounting and reconciliation activities in accordance with College policy, ensuring appropriate separation of duties from cash handling functions.

• Prepare and review journal entries, accounting adjustments, and supporting documentation.

• Oversee inventory and fixed asset accounting, including asset additions, transfers, tagging, and disposals.

• Prepare routine and ad hoc financial reports and analyses to support campus leadership and decision‑making.

• Support audit preparation and respond to financial and compliance inquiries as assigned.

Procurement, Purchasing, and Travel Compliance

• Approve Workday procurement transactions, spend authorizations, and expense reports in a compliance review capacity.

• Provide purchasing and travel guidance to campus employees, ensuring appropriate documentation and policy adherence.

• Provide procurement support, including obtaining quotes, coordinating bids, supporting contracts, managing purchase order cancellations, and processing disencumbrances.

• Process vendor setup and maintenance, including new vendor requests and credit applications via DocuSign.

• Coordinate travel arrangements, including airfare and lodging, in accordance with College policy.

• Maintain procurement‑related documentation and reference materials.

Operational Support and Cross‑Training

• Collaborate closely with the Assistant Director of Bursar Operations to support seamless finance operations while maintaining required separation of duties.

• Provide cross‑training and backup support for business office functions during peak periods or staff absences, consistent with internal control requirements.

• Represent the Business Office in compliance‑focused, grant‑related, and operational meetings as assigned.

• Perform other duties logically associated with the position to support campus financial operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated experience in accounting, grants management, procurement, or financial compliance.

• Knowledge of internal control principles and regulatory compliance requirements.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and documentation skills.

• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving as a grant finance or compliance designee.

• Experience with Workday, Banner, Asana, and DocuSign.

• Experience in higher education, public sector, or grant‑funded environments.