Staff Accountant, Bursar's Office

Engineering a world of possibilities

The Staff Accountant is responsible for managing financial operations related to graduate contracts. This position is responsible for processing graduate contracts, ensuring accurate financial record-keeping related to the contracts, and reconciling multiple A/R and collection accounts. This position will also provide customer service to students, parents, and university staff as well as providing regular support to other positions within the Bursar’s Office team.

This posting may be used to fill multiple vacancies based upon business needs.

Flexible work arrangements are available within the State of Colorado; for our policy related to flexible work options, click here.

Primary Responsibilities

Graduate Contract Processing

• Using Banner, Workday, and the OnBase system, the person in this position will process all institutional graduate contracts. In the event that the contract does not cover the balance, the Staff Accountant must contact the department to confirm payment details/intent and make arrangements with the student to collect the difference.
• Use authority to remove registration holds and set up payment contracts for students when institutional payment of tuition and fees is delayed. The Staff Accountant also has the authority to advance refunds to the students while the school is waiting for payments from the department. These decisions require extensive research, documentation, and coordination with the Office of Graduate Studies, other university departments, and with students.
• Complete a monthly reconciliation of the graduate contract clearing account, correcting all discrepancies.

Assisting with Collections Reconciliation

• Assist the Collections and AR Loan Analyst with the reconciliation of tuition collection accounts using Banner, Workday, and the OnBase system.
• Perform a reconciliation of Perkins and institutional loans between the University, our third-party servicer, and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
• During reconciliation, make adjustments to student accounts or submit corrections to the collection agency as needed.
• Review, add, or remove student holds based on the reconciliation information.

Customer Service

• Advise students, sponsors, and parents about tuition and fees and other related charges. Responsible for heavy volume of oral and written correspondence with students, sponsors, and parents.
• Coordinate with Financial Aid, Admissions, the Registrar's Office, and other departments to resolve student issues related to tuition and fees.
• Respond to emails and telephone calls with professionalism and clarity. A general knowledge of campus activities is required to be able to direct questions to the appropriate department/individual.

A/R Reconciliation and Journal Entries

• Complete some monthly reconciliation for Student Accounts Receivable. This requires an extensive review and reconciliation of multiple clearing AR accounts and an understanding of how the Accounting System student subsystem relates to the Finance system.
• Prepare and submits journal entries related to the duties of this position.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field with at least 21 credit hours of accounting classes.
• At least 2 years of professional accounting.
• Experience in an A\R module within Banner or a similar system.
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with Ellucian Banner, Workday,
• Experience working in a higher education institution.

Salary and Benefits

$58,700 - $63,300 annually 

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes:

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass