Proudly standing as the nation’s oldest HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has been a stalwart and highly respected institution of higher education since our founding in 1837. For over 185 years our alumni have emerged as leaders and left their mark on the social, economic, and political history of Philadelphia, the surrounding region, the nation, and the world. Building on this legacy, the vision for Cheyney University is to become the premier model for academic excellence, character development, and social responsibility.

Here at Cheyney, we value scholarship, diversity, integrity, respect, and service. We are committed to maintaining a vibrant educational community that is dedicated to promoting scholarship and lifelong learning for its students, offering wide student access to resources to ensure an opportunity for all to acquire an education, encouraging freedom of thought and freedom from discrimination by ensuring a respectful environment, and provide outreach and service to external and constituent communities, demonstrating their understanding of the importance and value of service.

We’re looking for exceptional individuals who share our values, embrace our mission, recognize our potential, and covet the opportunity to continue to move our historic University forward. CU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; generous retirement plans; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

Finance & Accounting Manager (Internal, External, & Special Projects) is responsible for working with the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) to provide leadership and guidance in the planning and budgeting at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. The Finance & Accounting Manager plays a most critical role as a principal budget and planning fiduciary, overseeing the alignment of budget with programmatic execution and acts as a liaison within the university to provide the departments with budgetary review, guidance, and consultation as appropriate.

This position reports directly to the CFAO and sits on the President’s Cabinet. 

This position implements the Strategic Goals for Middle States Standard VI, “to refine a department budget review process that is transparent, includes annual assessment results, a review of past allocations, and utilization of funds that used to address key strategic objectives.” Decisions in allocations and budgeting will demonstrate a strong commitment to our mission and students. The Finance and Accounting Manager will work in lock step with department heads to continually monitor their use of university resources, to comply with state and other regulatory requirements, and helps them align department activities within the institution to its budgetary process. Aligning planning and budget is crucial to achieving Cheyney’s goals and sustainability, and this position assists the CFAO and Controller in execution of this essential activity at the institution. It is imperative that financial activities across the campus are both business-case justifiable and budget-compliant- the F&A Manager role is heavily focused to this end. This incumbent also manages budgeting for projects that are out of the scope of the University’s regular functions, and is vigilant about project development, personnel, and capital, with division leads as relevant and as assigned by the CFAO or the University President.

Cheyney University’s Finance & Accounting Manager is responsible for robust budget review with department heads and managing cross divisional projects, budgeting, accounting and involvement of multiple departments, divisions, and external partners as assigned by the university Controller.

The incumbent compiles data for regular budget reports, and assembles budget reports on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis, taking proactive steps to monitor, set controls for and review ongoing spend levels with respective department, to ensure reduced and minimized instances of cost-overruns.

DUTIES

Serving as a liaison for departments, divisions, and external organizations, the Finance & Accounting Manager provides budget review, budget, and implementation guidance, including policies, and operates in a data-informed manner and catalyzes this culture within the university. This leader must demonstrate command of audience in conducting

Develop, implement, manage budget and accounting policies.

Ensuring that data and guidance on budget policies, procedures, and transactions are provided university-wide is a key responsibility of this position.

The incumbent plays a role in the following aspects including:

• Regular review of Budget updates with the CFAO and Controller
• Conducting in-depth financial analysis and budget update reports to be reviewed weekly with the CFAO and Controller
• Monthly Budget Reviews with department leadership, and quarterly reviews with the Executive Leadership Team and President
• Weekly Budget Reviews with “bottom 10” departments that may have cost overruns
• Preparing Budget and donor receipt reports as needed working closely with the Office of Advancement
• Address Procurement needs as budgeted or approved.
• Assisting managers in remaining under budget with all costs
• Creating tools and ideas for ways to accelerate productivity, speed, and accuracy in budget management.
• Support, and in some cases spearhead, the coordination activities related to the preparation of annual audited comprehensive financial statements.
• Supervision of student workers to facilitate the smooth operation of the Business Office and the accuracy of records and bookkeeping.
• Training campus business team, EA’s and relevant personnel who have business management responsibilities across the campus regarding budget process, designed to maintain the ability of the Business Office to accurately report and record expenditures.
• Assist university staff in various departments to ensure that paperwork is processed in a timely manner.
• Creating tools, ideas, and procedures to accelerate productivity, speed, and accuracy.
• Develop and manage data and reports to track and assess projects and improve future endeavors.
• Incumbents will have analytical skills, supported by effective research and planning abilities.

Requirements

• Must have a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, data science/actual or related field, or a combination of relevant education and experience.
• Formal finance and accounting training with experience with SAP, Oracle and other widely used accounting software
• At least 5 years of related experience with at least three 3 years’ experience in Budget and financial planning, preferably with a public university or government entity
• Must be either credentialed either in the field of data science, Excel super-use (such as MOS) or accounting- CPA, CFP, CPB or CMA is highly preferred
• Experience in the resolution of complaints and disputes; demonstrated ability to balance adherence to policies with a need to support student success. Accounting, business operations, banking, or related financial business
• Finance, accounting, budget, planning and audit experience, especially as it relates to P&L management and coordination activities involved with the preparation of annual audited comprehensive financial statements
• Computer experience with Microsoft office suite and higher education software.
• Reporting and financial analysis experience
• Problem-solving and project management experience
• Customer service and advising experience.
• Must be able to independently set priorities to meet the organization's needs and achieve needed results.

SKILLS REQUIRED 

• Highly analytical, and skilled in the creation of sophisticated management reports that properly analyze financial and other data, to drive effective decision-tree analysis.
• Skilled at using financial management systems to register and extract data that is used to develop recommendations and plans that address budgetary issues and help with financial forecasts
• Knowledgeable of regulatory guidance available to develop and justify budgets conforming with institutional expectations.
• Incumbent is skillful collaborator, problem solver and individual and team-based communicator.
• Incumbent understands the critical importance of accurate and complete financial records and alignment of projects with budgeting.
• Skilled at delivering written and oral information that contributes to top-level policy decisions.
• Expert proficiency in Microsoft analytical and presentation applications (Excel, Power-point etc.), regularly leveraging these tools to create and advance ELG, COT and Board-level reports, updates and overviews
• Good listener, positive reactor and realizes that their work contributes to not only daily accomplishment but long-term university success as well.
• Quantitative ability.
• Ability to effectively communicate cost implications and budgetary impacts in ways understandable to managerial decision-makers.
• The ability to prepare and present cost-benefit options.

About Cheyney University

We’re looking for exceptional individuals who share our values, embrace our mission, recognize our potential, and covet the opportunity to continue to move our historic University forward. Please note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to your phone calls about vacancies or about the status of recruitment and your application. However, relevant applicants will be contacted for interviews.

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