Student Accounts Receivable Specialist II [Full-Time]

Student Accounts Receivable Specialist II

Clackamas Community College (CCC) seeks to hire a Student Accounts Receivable Specialist II. This is a full-time, union, non-exempt, and benefits-eligible position which will work Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Please note that this is not an accounting position.

We are interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and candidates that may be from a less traditional background. We welcome applicants who bring a diversity of identity, culture, experience, perspective, and thought.

CCC is committed to continuous improvement and innovation in support of student-centered teaching and learning. We are committed to understanding and dismantling systems of oppression and to co-creating a more equitable educational system that in turn fosters a more equitable society. We strive to be a student-ready institution that supports and partners with students to promote discovery and growth. We work to mobilize community-wide awareness and action related to the college's strategic priorities and seek to build relationships in support of community well-being.

At CCC, individuals are celebrated for their experience and expertise, validated for their unique perspectives, and engaged in ways that reflect their needs and interests. To learn more about CCC visit Leadership, Vision and Initiatives.

Please note that based on our classified collective bargaining agreement, the Oregon Pay Equity Act requirements, and CCC's internal equity review process, the appointment will be made between step 1 ($29.83) and step 4 ($32.51) tied to Grade VII (salary schedule link here).

Click here to review our compensation and benefits!

Purpose of Position:

Analyze challenges and opportunities in the college's student account billing, collections and accounts receivable processes. Develop, recommend, implement, and enhance processes, practices and policies governing the billing and collection of student accounts receivable funds in accordance with internal control procedures and generally accepted accounting principles. Liaise with collection agencies to ensure the recovery of student account debts; and monitor and maintain collection agency software programs.

Student Accounts Receivable Specialist II is the second in a series of two classifications in the Student Accounts Receivable series.

Student Accounts Receivable Specialist II is distinguished from Student Accounts Receivable Specialist I in that the latter exercises minimal discretion within a narrow scope of work and follows established guidelines and procedures under routine supervision and the latter performs more complex work with greater autonomy having more significant impact on Business Office operations.

Essential Job Functions:

Billing and Collections (50%)

• Create, recommend, and implement processes and specific communications regarding late fees, monthly statements, past due accounts, and collection of those accounts.
• Review student account term balances. Assist the Bursar with the collection and reconciliation of current and former student accounts with balances due. Negotiate solutions to resolve delinquent accounts, or assign to the collection system as needed.
• Initiate and perform collection activities including, but not limited to, sending demand letters and statements to students and assigning accounts to collection agency vendors. Coordinate and communicate the activities involved in the collection assignment process. Share information about and/or train co-workers on collections process and procedures.
• Act as the primary college contact for collection agencies. Monitor collection agency activity on a monthly basis; work with agencies to exhaust all collection strategies on college accounts and ensure collection activities comply with federal and state regulations as well as college policies and procedures; process monthly reports on collection account activity and former student account activity for all three campuses; and inform the Bursar of any issues that arise.
• Maintain collection and/or other software used in the Student Accounts Department. Perform testing of patches in system to ensure processes function as intended. Partner with IT Department to program, test, or debug any issues within collection software databases as well as other software used in the Business Office.
• Manage and process third party billing for our internal and external clients, including, but not limited to, preparing invoices, and utilizing multiple software billing portals to invoice vendors for student account receivables. Provide training on billing to other departments around the college who manage their own third-party vendor relationships.
• Upload electronic accounts receivable statements for current students and certain non-traditional students for the Harmony, Oregon City, and Wilsonville Campuses on a monthly basis.
• Respond to inquiries regarding 1098-T tax reports, including correcting student account records, generating duplicate statements, and reproducing the 1098-T forms as needed.

Accounts Receivable (50 %)

• Create, recommend and implement processes regarding the collection of student accounts receivable funds while preserving sound internal controls. Responsible for preparing reports on accounts receivable activities to enhance and improve services.
• Answer questions from students, parents, staff, and third-party vendors regarding student account billings and account status; troubleshoot and resolve billing data discrepancies; liaise between the Wilsonville, Harmony, and Oregon City Campus to resolve student and staff with account questions; resolve issues; arrange third-party billing options according to policy as needed; and request guidance and support from the Bursar when needed.
• Analyze student billing data, identifying unusual/suspicious student activity. Respond to fraud-related student account matters. Gather personal identifiable information from victims, perform initial analyses of account and provide information to the Bursar and College Safety to investigate further.
• Process student credit and Federal Financial Aid refunds for the college campuses in accordance with federal Title IV regulations.
• Prepare student invoices as students request using college financial accounting system.
• Complete special projects, analyze reports and provide analysis on student accounts.
• Work with college-wide student services staff and program coordinators to research and resolve or redirect student disputes and appeals. Handle a variety of customer situations and disputes using tact, diplomacy, and patience to defuse irate/angry customers. May intervene on behalf of other office staff.
• Examine accounts with registration holds for accuracy. Remove and place registration holds as requested by other departments.
• Perform a variety of daily accounting duties including conduct routine cash management audits of tills and vaults for student services staff across all three campuses, receipting of department checks, preparing bank deposits for campus, and researching cash and check discrepancies on student's accounts on routine; investigate and resolve account discrepancies; provide guidance to staff to avoid discrepancies in the future.
• Sort and distribute student and non-traditional student payments received in the mail.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Associate's degree in related field and 2 - 4 years of directly related work experience or any equivalent combination of education and experience which provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the duties as described.

Knowledge of:

• Standard practices for accounts receivable processing and general ledger work;
• The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA);
• The Fair Debt Credit Reporting Act and Fair Debt Collections Practice Act (FRCA);
• Federal and state laws, regulations and requirements related to debt collection;
• Effective and legal debt collection techniques; and
• Microsoft Excel and Word, office procedures, and operation of standard office equipment.

Ability to:

• Exemplifying traits that reflect the College's culture, including integrity, a customer service orientation, cultural competency, trustworthiness, flexibility and a willingness to change;
• Exercise independent judgment to perform student account-related tasks including, but not limited to, analyzing student billing data and to create, recommend and implement processes and/or process improvements.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, other agencies, and the general public;
• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the classification;
• Maintain proficiency by attending training and meetings, reading materials, and meeting with others in areas of responsibility, which may require travel;
• Participate in college committees when requested or as needed; and
• Maintain student confidentiality, data integrity, and comply with all related college, state, and federal standards, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Other Job Elements

Working Conditions:

The position requires minimal (20-40%) ability to use dexterity and fine motor skills assemble, build or repair machines or other objects. Frequent (51-80% of the time) use of office equipment.

The position requires little (0-5%) physical effort such as lifting, carrying, or movement, etc. Movements required to complete work are not difficult, and only require a usual degree of agility and hand eye coordination.

The work environment is usually well-protected, with minimal hazards or obstacles (5-20%). There is little or minimal