The College of Education, Health & Human Development (EHHD) operates a centralized Finance/HR structure comprised of the Dean’s Office and associated Centers, and two departments with multiple grant and designated funded units. This position shares the financial and budgetary functions related to EHHD’s mission with a second Accounting Associate IV position. Key areas of responsibility include finance and budgeting; data collection; interpretation, development, implementation of and compliance with policy and procedure; reporting; and other duties necessary to promote a data-rich environment designed for efficiency, effectiveness, and data-driven decision making College-wide. This position is an integral part of the Dean’s Office Staffing Team, advising and assisting in envisioning, establishing and implementing appropriate and efficient business and management practices. The person in this position also represents the College and MSU at meetings and events related to his/her duties.
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Analyze and interpret current fiscal and budgetary policies, procedures, laws and historical budget information. Offers input and consultation regarding College finance to the Dean, Associate Deans, Department Heads, Assistant to the Dean, Program Leaders, Principal Investigators, and others as required. Meets regularly with relevant individuals working with budgets. Responsible for facilitating a linkage between strategic planning and financial expenditures.
2. Responsible for day to day management fiscal and budgetary operations. Includes projecting EHHD budget for the upcoming fiscal year, interpreting overall budget and expenditure activity and providing recommendations to the Dean, Department Heads, and Assistant to the Dean. Provides “at a glance” balance information and other consultation to all interested parties. Works with the second Accounting Assoc IV and the Assistant to the Dean to devise appropriate reporting methodologies.
3. Interprets University, MUS, Office of Sponsored Programs and individual sponsor rules and regulations. Instructs interested parties regarding financial policy compliance; provides consultation and advice to Department Heads and PIs regarding budgeting, accounts payable and allowable expenses, reporting requirements; short term and long term budget planning for salary, subcontract, and known expenses encumbered for budget planning; compiles budgetary spreadsheets (and expense reports in the case of PI and sponsor reporting purposes); quarterly and annual budget analysis; determines appropriate income/expenditure data for inclusion in analysis; interprets resulting data and provides financial projections; manages P-Card accounts, interprets policy and instructs P-card reporting requirements; facilitates travel and hospitality, accounts payable, BPAs, travel, makes appropriate recommendations to interested parties regarding balance of funds available. Runs and reviews monthly Banner Finance reports and reconciles all appropriate indexes.
4. Is responsible for fiscal operations relating to EHHD’s human resources, including budget planning and reconciliation of state-, grant-, and designated-funding positions; monitoring and reporting tuition waiver usage. Stays abreast of all HR budget tracking details (fringe benefits, salaries, additional compensation, etc), including centralized and auxiliary benefits allocations and costs; offers strategies to free up and better allocate budgetary resources (to transfer funds; develop programs, etc in the personnel aspects of strategic planning) in an effort to use funds in a more efficient and effective manner; projects the HR budget for the upcoming fiscal year; interprets budget and personnel expenditure activity, and provides recommendations to the Dean, Department Heads, Assistant to the Dean, and others as appropriate.
5. Oversees OSP’s Proposal Clearance Forms for prospective Principal Investigators.
6. Disseminates information. Keeps Leadership Team, Principal Investigators, faculty, and administrative staff abreast of fiscal policy and procedural changes. Regularly liaises with Budget and Business Office personnel, and OSP fiscal managers to meet requirements, monitor reporting and closing deadlines, to ensure compliance, and to monitor budget allocations. Is available for consultation by EHHD employees with grant or financial involvement.
7. Is a key member of the Dean’s Office Staffing Team. Participates in group and individual meetings for the purpose of brainstorming, sharing best practices, cross training and inter-team job duties awareness. Works as a Team member to progress the College and University mission, goals and objectives.