Senior Financial Accountant

The Senior Financial Accountant performs advanced analytical review and reconciliation of financial information and transactional data procedures, provides guidance to campus budget administrators; supports monthly and annual financial reporting; and serves as a power user of the University's financial management system.The role is directly responsible for maintaining and reconciling key accounting areas, including but not limited to cash and treasury operations, capital assets, construction project accounting, financing and debt, and federal, state, and local financial reporting and tax analysis.

The Senior Financial Accountant role is structured to support multiple functional accounting areas across the University. While individual Senior Financial Accountants may develop subject matter expertise in a primary area of focus, such as debt, capital assets, treasury operations, or auxiliary accounting, each team member is expected to maintain a working knowledge of all functional areas. This cross-functional approach ensures continuity of operations, promotes collaboration, and enables team members to provide backup support and surge capacity as needed. Accordingly, incumbents must demonstrate the ability to learn, adapt, and effectively perform responsibilities across a broad range of accounting functions while contributing specialized expertise within their primary assignment.

• Ensure conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board), and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requirements; evaluate and assist with the implementation of new accounting standards.
• Support accounting operations across all fund types (operating, plant, restricted, loan, auxiliary funds, etc.), ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to established internal controls.
• Analyze financial data including investigation of unusual transactions and variances in financial reports.
• Prepare financial schedules for use in fund accounting reports in conformity with GASB or FASB.
• Support monthly close processes, including standard and non-standard month-end entries, system interfaces, and related reporting.
• Support year-end financial statement preparation, including financial statements, footnotes, audit schedules, and year-end adjustments.
• Support external audit process of the University and related entities, including responding to auditor requests.
• Assist in preparation of annual financial reports for the University and related entities.
• Assist with state and other external reporting (e.g. HEI, ODHE, Senate Bill 6 Ratios, IPED)
• Ensure proper accounting procedures are consistently applied across the University.
• Serve as a power user of the PeopleSoft Financial Management System (FMS), including data entry, retrieval of information, analysis, and query writing.
• Assist in the design and coordination of system implementations and troubleshooting and resolution; test system upgrades, develop procedures, training manuals, and operations manuals for new systems and processes.
• Provide guidance and instruction to campus budget administrators and stakeholders on accounting practices.
• Maintain and support electronic accounting information and reporting capabilities, including reporting in Power BI.
• Assist in training new and existing FMS users on system functionality and updated processes.
• Provide guidance on accounting system inquiries and support continuous process improvement.

• Maintain fixed asset and capital project accounting records, ensuring accuracy and compliance with applicable standards.
• Ensure proper accounting for fixed asset additions, disposals and capital project costs.
• Calculate and monitor depreciation for 2,000+ assets and coordinate the annual physical inventory process.
• Collaborate with Planning, Construction, and Campus Operations department to ensure accuracy of construction-in-progress, proper capitalization upon project completion, and required accruals at year-end.
• Prepare daily and monthly journal entries related to fixed assets and capital activity.

• Complete daily bank reconciliation and accounting for activity.
• Prepare daily, weekly, long-term cash forecasting.
• Reconcile bank accounts and investment statements in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensure proper accounting for investment activity and cash transactions.
• Maintain debt schedules and record long-term and short-term debt transactions, including issuance and related activity.
• Ensure accurate recording of interest accruals and debt payments.
• Reconcile detailed debt schedules to the general ledger and prepare related journal entries as needed.
• Participate in the University's PCI compliance working group while leading campus-wide training and compliance initiatives, including evaluating new payment methods, managing Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs).

• Assist with regulatory compliance issues related to University Auxiliary departments.
• Prepare and file monthly sales tax returns in support of auxiliary operations.
• Prepare the University's Unrelated Business Income Tax (Form 990-T) filing.
• Prepare other tax and compliance related filings for the University and related entities as needed, including PCORI, Forms 990 and 990-T, and Ohio Charitable Registration.
• In collaboration with Athletics, prepare documentation to support the University's NCAA Agreed-Upon Procedures (AUP) engagement, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with reporting requirements.

• Supervise and mentor student employees, providing guidance and training to support the completion of basic to intermediate accounting functions and ensure accuracy and understanding of fundamental processes.
• Complete additional duties, special projects, and cross-functional assignments as needed to support departmental operations and ensure adequate coverage across all functional areas within the Controller's Office.
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelor's Degree

• Bachelor's in Accounting

• 3 years of general accounting
• 2 years in public accounting

• Demonstrated proficiency in Power BI, including building interactive dashboards, transforming data with Power Query, creating data models, and developing insightful visualizations to support data-driven decision-making
• 2 years with external or internal audits

• CPA or eligible to sit for CPA exam

• Thorough knowledge of GAAP, GASB, FASB, as well as internal control framework, fund accounting principles, and the basics of taxation

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated analytical thinking skills
• Demonstrated ability to perform financial analysis, interpret data, and provide actionable insights to support decision-making
• Working knowledge of complex financial ERP systems, including related business processes and procedures
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and work effectively with limited supervision; demonstrated ability to see projects through to completion
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal University departments and external partners
• Capacity to learn new systems, develop and improve financial/accounting processes, and lead and document process changes
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues, develop solutions, and implement improvements
• Demonstrated commitment to providing excellent customer service
• Advanced proficiency in spreadsheets (e.g., Excel)
• General proficiency with personal computing tools (e.g., email, internet)

Application Deadline

The search committee will review applications until the position is filled; however, for best consideration, applications should be provided  by May 15, 2026 .

Required Application Materials & Evaluation

• Experience must be  fully documented on the official application .
• The application will be used to evaluate if candidates meet the minimum requirements for the position and for consideration when determining starting pay rate.
• Experience requirements are inclusive of relevant professional experience, or experience attained through relevant internships, co-ops, student employment positions, or graduate assistantships.

Uploads

• Required: Resume (for supplemental information only)
• Optional: Cover Letter

Essential Requirement: Work Authorization

BGSU does not offer H-1B or other work authorization visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire andmaintainwork authorization throughout the employment term.