Accounting and Business Operations Specialist

14-Aug-2023

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

62332BR

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Financial Officer the Accounting, the Business Operations (“ABO”) Specialist has a dotted-line reporting to the ABO Manager. The Specialist will triage all incoming customer inquiries related to buying and paying for goods and services (B2P”), manage user interface with the Team’s services, provides subject area guidance to all HSCRB (Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology) users and shares a leading role with ABO Manager and ABO Team Leader in supporting all B2P functions, services, and training. Responsibilities include but not limited to ownership of the Team’s Inbox, the financial lifecycle of purchase to payment, billing agreement, and service center rate development and recharge operations, financial accounting and reporting, financial administration and financial operations including receivables, reimbursement, may include payroll and/or taxable payments.

Position Description

• Manage the customer service dimension of the ABO Team functions to ensure business needs in B2P are met with high quality results. Take ownership of the Team inbox, field and triage inquiries.  In day-to-day terms, serve as a troubleshooter, provide training on tools, systems, financial policies.
• Review and analyze service quality regularly, focusing on identifying and closing B2P service gaps, create effective communication feedback loop, track training and business needs, report on types of service requests, identify key areas for improving workflow and business process.
• In consultation with the ABO Manager and Team Leader, create B2P training materials for in-person and virtual training across all users. Conduct training sessions 1:1 or in groups and host office hours in-person or virtually as frequently as needed.  Organize and maintain repository of all training packets, job aids, checklist, to facilitate ongoing training needs.
• Proactively reach out to users in all B2P roles, identify training needs, provide training, follow up with all users and continue to build and deepen relationship across labs and admin teams aiming to better understand and anticipate department’s evolving business needs.
• Manage day-to-day purchase requisitions, payment requests, Corporate Card, and PCard purchases, travel, and other out-of-pocket reimbursement requests, and ensure requests are reviewed, documented, and approved in compliance with the guiding policies and processes in a timely manner.
• Work through complex transactions including equipment purchases and contract reviews, facilitate workflow, manage match exceptions, and responsible for reviewing and securing authorization to release requisitions requests up to $10,000 while facilitate for requests above $10,000; works closely with the Accounting and Business Operations Manager to ensure the reperformance standards are always met.
• Coordinate with all labs on department-supported purchases, including but not limited to lab coats, CO2 for incubators, Biosafety cabinet certificates, equipment, department Service Maintenance Contract renewals, coordinate with multi-user license purchases.
• Regularly resolve holds, kick-outs; review fund balance available, cost allocation, object code use; assess exceptions for escalation and resolve scenarios to ensure all financial policies are followed and customers are well-served; review aging receivables, escheatable, and recharge to ensure transactions are posted accurately in a timely manner, outstanding commitment to minimally outstanding.
• Conduct monthly/quarterly/year-end review and reconciliation of all non-sponsored faculty accounts to ensure transactions were posted correctly, unallowable expenses are captured in the correct account, errors are corrected in a timely manner, and receivables are recovered and recorded in the correct period.
• Work closely with the ABO Team Leader, review to ensure all service centers’ purchase needs are met, and financial transactions are complying; with policies may be called on to assist in maintaining the Master workbook and coordinate the monthly billing and reconciliation activities, to ensure the structural integrity of the database file is preserved.
• Assist the ABO Team Leader in implementing Billing Agreement invoicing or payment, and ensure each payment and invoice are accurately processed, reconciled, and closed in accordance with the agreement and the approval is documented and deposited in SharePoint for tracking and auditing.
• Serves as local SME on B2P, assists asset and contract review for HSCRB lab shoppers; Travel and Reimbursement policies, keeps up to date on B2P TSM and TCM (Total Contract Manager) communication, and liaise with Strategic Procurement Contracts Team.
• Support Senior Financial Officer on ad hoc projects and performed duty and assigned tasks within the scope of the Specialist.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required. Minimum of 5 years of financial operations experience including user training in a large university, hospital, or research environment.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Extensive experience with frequent and independent customer interactions in b2p environment strongly preferred. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) background is preferred.
• Demonstrate sound and independent judgement applying financial policies when problem-solving with customers.
• Solid understanding of financial risk mitigating internal controls.
• Substantial experience in developing job aids tailored to customers, substantial experience in conducting group and 1:1 training, in-person or virtual.
• Experience with approaching problem-solving with systematic use of data and data analysis, excellent proficiency in Excel, use of shadow system to support customer inquiries or compliance functions.
• Keen sense of compliance workflow and business processes in the context of internal controls for financial accounting and policies.  Experience directly working with federal fund spending policies, e.g., travel policy and guidelines using federal funds.
• The ideal candidate is a proactive and excellent team player, detail-oriented, with keen interest in reaching out to a broad spectrum of users covering a full range of B2P topics.
• Outstanding listening, verbal and writing, inter-personal skills; enjoys the challenges and demonstrates successes in working through difficult and complex B2P issues with customers who have specific business needs.
• Strong commitment to service leadership and team relationships, demonstrate knowledge and skills in managing up and community building, and providing best services to faculty, students, researchers, colleagues while working with peers across campus.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in an office setting.  This position may be eligible for a hybrid schedule and may be required to work on campus at least 2- 3 days a week after the 90-day orientation period. During 90-day orientation period, this position is required to be on-site 5 days a week.

Additional Information

All formal offers will be  made by FAS Human Resources

We regret we are unable to provide visa sponsorship

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Department Office Location

USA - MA - Cambridge

Job Code

405007 Financial Professional (N)

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Department

Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology

Union

55 - Hvd Union Cler & Tech Workers

Pre-Employment Screening

Criminal, Identity

Schedule

Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.