FinOps Accounting Manager

About the Job

Provides strategic leadership, oversight, and direction for the Accounting function of the Finance Operations Center. Coordinating staff development and workload, developing strategic plans and initiatives, and implementing policy and processes on behalf of the central process owners in support of university financial transactions. Reports to the Finance Operations Center Director and has a dotted reporting line to the University’s Director of Accounting Services, ensuring streamlined strategic and operational collaboration.

This position manages accounting and payroll accounting system entry for the entire University of Minnesota system.

• Prepare and validate journal entries, payroll distribution entries, and retro payroll distribution entries for the University, following University of Minnesota policy, generally accepted accounting principles, and following fund accounting rules for all types of funds.
• Maintain working knowledge of department processes and up-to-date written procedures, standards and metrics.
• Partner with accounting and payroll accounting process owners to modify business processes to meet current needs of the University.
• Ensure requests from colleges/departments for services and financial transactions comply with University policy; work with departments to ensure policy is understood, and work on behalf of policy owners to enforce policy. Work in partnership with the Director of Accounting Services to ensure entries made and services performed by the team are compliant with University policy. Support business process updates to improve efficiency and compliance.
  
  Report challenges and potential policy violations promptly.
• Work with finance support staff and leaders to ensure accurate and complete entries are made, team processes are effective and efficient, and service‑related issues are promptly addressed.
• Partner with the Human Resources Operations Center to coordinate work on shared service requests.
• Oversee and complete complex financial transactions and high‑level balance sheet account reconciliations as requested.
• Manage periodic and year‑end reporting related to services provided and team performance, and as requested by the Director of Accounting Services or the University's Controller.
• Analyze financial data and reports for accuracy; investigate and address any discrepancies.
• Work with requesters, approvers and Chief Financial Managers (CFMs) to ensure entries made have clear business justifications and support that meet documentation standards.
• Review financial transactions, reconciliations and financial reports as needed and work with staff and CFMs to resolve discrepancies, find opportunities for more accurate financial documentation, pinpoint concerns surrounding fiscal control, and work with RRCs to resolve identified issues.

• Establish long‑term departmental plans and priorities, allocate human resources, and manage workflow.
• Oversee onboarding for new team members.
• Provide training and coaching to develop and maintain a team that is knowledgeable of accounting processes, business trends, technology applications, and the University of Minnesota.
• Provide feedback on performance and assist with professional development goal setting and achievement.
• Motivate and engage the team by helping them understand how and why their work is an important part of achieving the University’s mission.

• Complete professional development, education, and training activities, consistent with the responsibilities of the position. Complete continued learning and development appropriate to work duties and for the pursuit of individual, unit, and institutional success.
• Develop and add to training manuals and procedures for the Operations Center.
• Develop and implement opportunities for staff development based on individual and departmental need including ongoing skill training, DEI development, professional learning, service & scholarly activity, and engagement & well‑being.

• In…