Accountant

• 
  CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process . Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
  

• 
  CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
  

• 
  If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants .
  

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Office of Technology Management (OTM) is seeking an experienced and dedicated individual to serve as the Accountant for their department. 

About the Role: The Accountant for the Office of Technology Management is primarily responsible for the administration of the $2.1 million patent expense budget; this entails properly processing over 1,250 invoices annually from over 24 different legal firms, as well as those from multiple other Colleges and Universities in which OTM has inter-institutional agreements for cost sharing of joint technologies. This position also collaborates with Technology Licensing Officers on the development path for current technologies and provide financial input for both new and ongoing license agreements under negotiation.

The Accountant must maintain open communication and a good working relationship with the nearly one hundred external companies which have licenses for the reimbursement of patent fees. Of those, an estimated twenty percent are start-up companies on deferred patent reimbursement payment plans as part of Penn State University’s Invent Penn State initiative, and therefore require milestone tracking and specialized payment negotiations.

This position also handles miscellaneous financial transactions through the Shop Onlion purchasing system not related to patenting such as membership dues, software renewals, and miscellaneous legal services invoices. 

Responsibilities: The primary functions of this position include but are not limited to following.

• Accounts payable for patent legal work
• Accounts receivable from licensees
• Financial reporting to the Corporate Controller’s office for financial statement preparation
• Provide support for audit field work related to the Penn State Research Foundation (PSRF) financial statements
• Ensuring compliance with University procedures in general accounting practices, budgets and purchasing policies 
• Other duties as assigned

The Accountant also provides detailed analysis of financial expense and reimbursement numbers to the Assistant Vice President of Research and Director of OTM, the Associate Director of OTM, and the OTM Administrative Support Coordinator for overall office budget management, AUTM reporting, income/expense trend analysis, and special reporting requests.  

Education and Experience: This position requires a Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years of work related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

The successful candidate must be able to work both independently and as a cooperative member of a team, have effective oral and written communication skills, and be detail oriented. This individual should be proactive in identifying problems and solutions, posse a strong work ethic and demonstrate initiative.  Experience with SIMBA (financial system), Shop OnLion (procurement portal), and Workday is preferred. Candidate should also be proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite of applications.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to tuition discounts (75% discount for spouse and children), and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/current-employee/benefits for more detailed information.

The pay range for this position, including all possible grades is:

$61,800.00 - $89,600.00

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure. 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here .

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. 

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster

PA State Labor Law Poster

Affirmative Action

Penn State Policies

Copyright Information

Hotlines

University Park, PA