Disbursements Manager

Posting Summary:

The Office of Disbursements at Teachers College, Columbia University, is seeking a Disbursements Manager to provide operational oversight of the full payment disbursement lifecycle.

Job Summary/Basic Function:

BASIC FUNCTION:
Under the direction of the Director of Disbursements, the Disbursements Manager will be responsible for providing operational oversight for the full payment disbursement lifecycle. The Manager will be accountable for ensuring timely, accurate and compliant processing of the College's payrolls, vendor obligations, and employee reimbursements ensuring all financial disbursements align with contractual agreements, regulatory mandates and College policies. The incumbent will provide direct supervision of the Payroll and Accounts Payable Supervisors, overseeing an extended team of five.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Payroll & Accounts Payable Support:
• Manage and serve as final approver for the full processing cycle of 3 distinct Payroll and Accounts Payable activities including employee payroll, tax agency payments, tax return filings, union deductions, vendor payments, and employee business and travel-related expenditures.
• Process and reconcile all Payroll wage and tax data imported to LTtax, a Sovos product.
• Ensure all payroll and vendor-related tax liabilities and withholdings including deductions, are paid to the appropriate agencies in compliance with federal, state and local regulations while managing the integration of payment data into the General Ledger for transparent financial reporting.
• Investigate and respond to all General Ledger inquiries, discrepancies, processing necessary adjustments in compliance with College accounting standards.
• Respond to Payroll and Accounts Payable tax-related notifications, and customer service inquiries to ensure timely and accurate resolution.
• Provide support in determining tax filing requirements for multi-state and local jurisdictions.
• Ensure full compliance for non-resident alien populations by managing tax account registrations, and conducting timely reconciliations to align payroll data with regulations.
• Prepare and file all original, corrected, and amended tax forms ensuring the timely submission of all federal, state, and local tax returns including forms 941, 945, 1042-S, W2 and 1099 series, with the appropriate tax authorities.
• Maintain all State Unemployment (SUI), Disability (SDI), Local, and Paid Family Leave (PFL) withholding rates in Banner, including managing all tax table updates.
• Collaborate with various College departments to fulfill audit requirements and reporting obligations.

Process Improvement & Technology:
• Assist the Director and Financial System’s team in developing short and long-term goals for business process improvements, enhancing internal controls and spearheading technological innovations.
• Oversee and resolve all system integration issues related to disbursements.
• Assist in testing, reviewing, and authorizing all financial system upgrades.
• Authorize critical updates within the Banner, Sovos (LTtax, TaxNav), Unimarket, and Emburse Enterprise environments.
• Participate in cross-functional and related project initiatives to ensure proposed updates and changes to business processes consider the full impact, scope and other requirements for the Disbursement functions.

Team Leadership & Process Training:
• Supervise, coach and mentor professional and union staff.
• Identify staff development needs and coordinate appropriate training to build and enhance departmental skills and knowledge.
• Serve as the primary College liaison providing training and guidance to end users on Payroll and Accounts Payable policies and procedures.
• Serve as a primary administrator for software managed by the Disbursement’s Department (Emburse Enterprise (Chrome River), Unimarket, Lttax, and TaxNav).

Other Duties as Assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a relevant related field or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant work experience.
• 3 years of recent experience in Accounts Payable and/or Payroll Management in a related position
• 3 years of supervisory experience
• 3 years of recent experience with federal, multi-state, local, and NRA taxation payments
• Experience with employee reimbursement and e-procurement systems
• Analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a dynamic team-oriented environment
• Experience with an ERP System
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with integrity and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience in Payroll Management and multi-state Tax Filing
• Experience with the Ellucian BANNER ERP System
• In-depth knowledge and experience with payroll withholding & unemployment tax systems.
• In-depth knowledge of international tax software solution for non-resident alien tax compliance
• CPP/CAPP or similar certification
• Experience in higher education or not-for-profit organizations
• Experience providing training and guidance to end users on Payroll, Accounts Payable, and financial system processes
• Demonstrated ability to lead process improvement initiatives, implement financial system upgrades, and streamline workflows.