Job ID: 2023-17946 Type: Full-Time # of Openings: 1 Category: Financial Services and Procurement
Princeton University
Overview
The Department of Public Safetyâ™s (DPS) mission is to enhance the living, learning, and working experience at Princeton University by protecting life, maintaining order, and safeguarding property. DPS currently has 117 employees, which includes sworn police officers, emergency dispatchers, security officers, and administrative staff.
The budget manager reports directly to the assistant vice president (AVP) for Public Safety and manages a +$12M operational and salary budget and $3M non-operational budgets e.g. institutional expenses, non-academic department allowance, special purpose, and equipment. In addition to providing budget controls and oversight, the budget manager is responsible for reporting, financial analysis and modeling, forecasting, tracking expenses, and the payroll process. They are also responsible for the supervision of the financial analyst. The budget managerâ™s duties and responsibilities include tasks assigned to the financial analyst.
The position requires a high level of analytical and technical acumen. Competitive applicants must be able to demonstrate core competencies across accounting, business operations, basic process mapping, and project management.
The qualified candidate must be detail-oriented and have excellent organizational, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, the ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment, plan and prioritize a diverse workload, creatively solve problems, take initiative, and function autonomously and effectively in a team.
The Department of Public Safety is a 24/7, 365-day operation and may require the employee to work a flexible schedule including some weekends, holidays, or evening hours, during peak seasons and emergencies.
Responsibilities
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT â“ 30%
Financial Management
Manage the Department of Public Safetyâ™s +$12M Budget.
Monitor priorities, fiscal viability and changing conditions for DPS.
Analyze financial data and trends and generate reports for the AVP.
Curate data to ensure its accuracy and integrity.
Work with Finance and Treasury to answer questions and resolve issues related to Prime, accounts payable, journals, purchase orders, and other Finance and Treasury products and processes.
Design, develop, and prepare financial models to assist in business planning and strategic decision making.
Gain and maintain financial proficiency in financial, analytical, and other systems relevant to fiscal management.
Update Amortization Schedule and prepare schedules for Controllersâ™ office as requested.
Reconcile Concur reports for self and approve Concur reports for others in the department. This includes credit card and reimbursement transactions.
O&M (Operating and Maintenance Costs) for Capital Projects - Attend monthly meetings, analyze DPS O&M needs, track and communicate, as necessary.
Reporting and Analysis
Analyze data, prepare, and submit financial statements on an ad hoc or recurring basis to meet budget deadlines throughout Princeton Universityâ™s annual cycle related to operating budget opening and closing processes and monthly closings.
Prepare operating and overtime expense reports.
Prepare reports and provide data analysis to senior management in support of strategic financial initiatives and planning.
Design and develop reporting formats and underlying budgeting and reporting tools and processes.
Purchasing
Prepare invoices, requisitions and purchase orders in PeopleSoft and Princeton Marketplace. Coordinate returns.
Resolve questions on invoices as needed.
Assist with developing RFPs for purchases of equipment, vehicles, and software packages.
Maintain capital equipment asset database and reconcile equipment to financial statements.
Prepare journal vouchers as needed.
Coordinate asset tags to departments and send asset tag information to the Purchasing Dept.
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LABOR MANAGEMENT AND PAYROLL â“ 30%
Labor Management
Assist Human Resources and Special Projects Manager in interpreting and enforcing two collective bargaining contracts.
Prepare and maintain authorized staffing FTE reports. Maintain tracking of new positions added, vacancies, and reclassifications.
Maintain annual and step increases and other special union payments.
Provide training and awareness tools and/or programs associated with regular and routine questions about contracts.
Responsible for data in DPSâ™ scheduling system, including new employee setup, time off calculations (e.g., year-end rollover, time off accruals, etc.)
Payroll
Oversight of payroll process; including auditing supervisorâ™s approvals of employeesâ™ schedules, time off and overtime, monitoring and reconciling Time and Attendance and DPS attendance records and ensuring adherence of payroll best practices and collective bargaining agreements. Create Additional Pay Forms as needed for monthly employees.
Maintain Labor Accounting data for DPS employees. Approve DPS Labor Accounting changes.
Create bi-weekly feeds from DPS scheduling system to Time and Absence Management. Verify data, resolve discrepancies/issues. Works closely with HR/Payroll systems personnel.
Provide training upon request on payroll processes to employees and supervisors.
Responsible for department time and absence management process and approvals.
Investigate and respond to employee questions regarding payroll.
Reconcile special event overtime records with payroll and attendance records; work with shift supervisors to resolve problems. Verify overtime slips.
Make billing adjustments in departmental charges as necessary and communicate with departments within the University regarding their special event charges. Calculate event billing rates annually.
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BUSINESS PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES â“ 25%
Work independently and cooperatively with various staff members to optimize the quality and flow of relevant resource data and information.
Assist Training, Personnel and Special Projects Manager, Patrol Captain, and Shift Supervisors in developing and maintaining statistics.
Assist with identifying, developing, and testing process improvement initiatives.
Learn new software applications, as needed.
Complete new employee setup, time off calculations, year-end roll over, time off accruals, reporting and analysis of the DPS scheduling system.
Periodic critical review of processes and procedures with the goal of increased efficiency and accuracy.
Examine and streamline processes, when possible, to improve accuracy and reduce processing time using the latest technology available including Prime Analytics and Cognos.
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ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION â“ 10%
Supervise the Financial Analyst to ensure that accounting duties are performed with accuracy and efficiency.
Administer annual performance appraisals; counsel and mentor employee as required.
Ensure financial analystâ™s participation in training and professional development programs.
Participate in training, workshops, and seminars to enhance business acumen.
Actively seek and participate in training and professional development opportunities.
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ADDITIONAL DUTIES AS ASSIGNED BY THE AVP â“ 5%
Qualifications
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelorâ™s degree in business administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field, with at least five to seven years of related experience.
Strong analytical and quantitative skills and the ability to manage detail and organize data and related information.
Capacity to forecast budgets and perform sound analysis and model for proposed budget changes.
High level of self-motivation and demonstrated capacity for independent judgment, planning, evaluation, decision making.
Demonstrated ability to work successfully in both a team environment and individually.
Demonstrated skills in collecting and synthesizing data and designing workflows and procedures.
Proficiency in working with computer applications and information systems, including Microsoft Excel.
Demonstrated ability to set work priorities and multi-task, learn new skills and have excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Department of Public Safety is a 24/7, 365-day operation and may require the employee to work a flexible schedule including some weekends, holidays, or evening hours, during peak seasons and emergencies. (e.g. Labor Day and Memorial Day payroll)
Individual must successfully undergo the following examinations:
Selection and screening process (written and oral)
Proficiency tests for typing & knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
Comprehensive background investigation
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Advanced degree
Experience with a complex financial accounting system, such as Prime.
Ability to handle long-term planning and budgeting to ensure resources are efficiently and effectively deployed.
Experience with data analysis and related applications (e.g., Tableau)
Experience with complex staffing models (multiple, 24/7 shifts)
Audit experience related to cost allocation issues.
Familiarity with Princeton University policies is preferable.
Proficiency in University administrative applications (including PeopleSoft financials, Time and Absence Management, HR Reporting and Labor Accounting)
Possess basic knowledge of Project Management principles with ability to utilize commercial planning and scheduling software (MS Project or equivalent)
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Ability to maintain composure during stressful or emergency situations.
Ability to type 30 wpm; must be able to type/keyboard for up to 60% of daily duty time.
Duties are performed in an office environment.
Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Princeton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the nation's service and in the service of all nations. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.Today, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct approximately 5,200 undergraduate students and 2,600 graduate students. The University's generous financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.