Student Accounts Associate

Responsibilities include providing accurate and specialized information and services to students, parents, staff and the public. Maintain accurate student accounts for billing and refunding; placing and monitoring hold on students accounts. Review, monitor and process University Withdrawals; review and process student refunds and PPLUS loans. Monitor, evaluate and reconcile Third Party Sponsor Accounts; bill and collect current and past due Third Party Accounts.

Duties and Responsibilities
Customer Service
Provide exceptional customer service and represent Student Accounts in a knowledgeable and professional manner for student, parent and public inquires via telephone, email and walk-in. Provide guidance and solve problems as needed.
Provide accurate information regarding fee payment, holds, balances, Student Account office policies, procedures, and deadlines.
Review and process student refunds including Parent PLUS loan refunds.
Process and finalize student University Withdrawals.
Adjust as needed to maintain accurate accounting of funds to be paid or refunded.

Accounts

Reconcile Banner balances for Third Party billing.
Research errors and process corrections.
Process special handling to meet sponsor's requirements.
Analyze current services and suggest innovative improvements to facilitate easier readability of general bill and make it applicable to a wider range of clients.

Required Qualifications - Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

Progressively responsible accounting or bookkeeping experience which includes significant processing and tracking of expense or revenue transactions or other detailed financial data.
Customer service work experience requiring frequent interactions with a wide variety of constituents via phone, email and/or in-person. Experience creating positive interactions with challenging topics.
Experience organizing and prioritizing workloads, meeting deadlines, and adapting to changing priorities while maintaining a positive, effective and professional approach.
Experience using spreadsheet, word processing, and e-mail software.
Experience interpreting, explaining, and maintaining compliance with policies and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications - Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

Two years of post-secondary education in accounting or related field plus three years (or part-time equivalent) of progressively responsible accounting experience or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
Knowledge and experience with Excel.

The Successful Candidate Will

Embrace and adapt quickly to changes in priorities, processes and work environment with a positive attitude.
Prioritize and organize work effectively with minimal supervision to deliver multiple assignments accurately and on time.
Be highly organized with great attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in work product.
Be forward-looking, able to anticipate problems and proactively address them.
Have the ability to see the big picture and interpret data to discover the root cause of problems.
Maintain confidentiality of records and sensitive information.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with outside agencies, students, community members and co-workers in a team-oriented environment.
Provide exceptional customer service and represent Student Accounts and the University in a positive, professional manner.
Demonstrate excellent, professional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to accurately interpret and courteously explain policies and procedures.
Exercise initiative and independent judgment in solving complex problems and in interpreting and applying policies and procedures.

Position

Special Requirements /Additional Information
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University's rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed in this description are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties?
No