Senior Manager of Financial Reporting & Accounting
Job Details
University of Delaware
Job No: 502834
Work Type: Staff
Location: Newark, DE/Hybrid
Categories: Financial Services and Procurement, Full Time
Pay Grade: 33E
Context of Job: The Senior Manager of Financial Reporting & Accounting provides leadership and oversight of the University’s external financial reporting, interim reporting, and key accounting functions. Under the direction of the Assistant Controller, the Senior Manager ensures the timely and accurate preparation of financial statements, oversees the coordination of audits, manages accounting and reporting processes, and supports initiatives to enhance transparency and efficiency across University Finance.
This position supervises a professional accounting team and collaborates closely with the Budget Office, Decision Support, Treasury, and academic and administrative units across campus. The Senior Manager plays a critical role in interpreting complex financial information, improving processes, maintaining compliance with accounting standards, and providing high-quality financial reporting.
Major Responsibilities:
Financial Reporting & Audits
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the preparation of the University’s annual audited consolidated financial statements, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with GAAP and FASB standards.
- Direct and review the development of audit workpapers and supporting documentation for the financial statements
- Partner closely with the Manager of Technical Accounting & Compliance and the Assistant Controller to resolve complex accounting questions, implement new reporting standards, manage audit deliverables, and prepare materials presented to the Audit Committee.
Oversee the preparation and auditor review of the NCAA Statement of Revenue and Expense, ensuring the report’s accuracy, compliance with NCAA guidelines, and timely submission.
Interim Financial Reporting
- Provide leadership and direction for the University’s periodic interim financial reporting process, including the coordination and oversight of all required closing activities. Establish and manage reporting timelines to ensure the timely and accurate completion of interim reports and analyses.
- Oversee and continuously enhance the University’s analytical reporting package, prepared three times annually. Conduct financial analyses to interpret interim results and identify significant variances.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with the University Budget Office and other financial teams to ensure consistency between GAAP-based financial results and budget basis reporting.
Accounting Processes & Closes
- Provide oversight and direction for the University’s financial accounting and closing processes, ensuring accurate and timely recording of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses.
- Lead the review and approval of monthly, quarterly, and annual closing entries, maintaining internal controls and documentation standards to support financial reporting. Oversee reconciliations, analyses, and journal entries to ensure that accounting activity is complete, consistent, and properly supported for both interim and year-end financial reporting and audit requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement in accounting operations by identifying and implementing opportunities to enhance efficiency, automate recurring processes, strengthen internal controls, and streamline workflows across financial systems.
State Appropriations Management
- Oversee the accounting, reporting, and annual audit of State of Delaware appropriations provided to the University. Manage staff responsible for requesting and recording monthly revenue draws from the State of Delaware and ensuring timely reconciliation of related bank activity.
- Collaborate closely with academic colleges and administrative units that spend state funds to ensure compliance with appropriation purposes.
- Lead the preparation of annual financial statements and supporting workpapers for the State of Delaware Appropriations Audit, coordinating with external auditors and state officials to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable reporting standards.
Unclaimed Property & Escheat Compliance
- Oversee University-wide compliance with unclaimed property (escheat) laws and reporting requirements. Establish and maintain procedures to identify dormant property, including uncashed checks, credit balances, and other obligations.
- Supervise due diligence outreach to owners, ensure timely reporting and remittance to the appropriate states, and maintain complete documentation for audit and compliance purposes. Coordinate with Accounts Payable, Payroll, Student Accounts, Development, and Treasury to resolve exceptions and prevent recurrence.
- Monitor statutory changes, maintain an annual filing calendar, and coordinate with external auditors or consultants as needed to ensure ongoing compliance and risk mitigation.
Technology, Systems, and Process Optimization
- Provide strategic leadership in enhancing the University’s financial systems, reporting tools, and data integrity across various platforms.
- Serve as a subject-matter expert in financial system functionality in upcoming ERP project, ensuring that accounting and reporting needs are met through accurate configuration, strong internal controls, and efficient workflows.
- Collaborate with Information Technology, the Decision Support team, the Budget Office, and other administrative units to design, test, and implement system improvements and reporting enhancements that support strategic decision-making and financial transparency.
- Partner with the Decision Support team to guide the design and development of Tableau reports and dashboards, providing direction on report content, data sources, and financial definitions to ensure outputs align with GAAP reporting standards, institutional needs, and Controller’s Office requirements.
- Identify and execute opportunities to automate recurring processes, strengthen system controls, and improve data accuracy to increase efficiency in the financial close and reporting cycles.
- Represent the Controller’s Office as a key participant and subject-matter expert in financial system upgrades, implementations, and modernization projects, ensuring reporting capabilities, data integrity, and compliance requirements are incorporated throughout project design and execution.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; Master’s degree or CPA certification preferred.
- Seven years of progressive accounting and financial reporting experience, including at least three years in a supervisory or managerial role.
- Demonstrated experience in financial statement preparation, external audits, and compliance with GAAP and FASB standards.
- Experience in higher education or not-for-profit accounting preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial ERP systems.
- Proven ability to interpret and communicate complex financial information to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
Leadership and Interpersonal Skills
- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and mentor professional staff in a collaborative and performance-driven environment.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build partnerships and influence decision-making across organizational levels.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey financial concepts to diverse audiences.
- Proven capacity for strategic thinking, initiative, and accountability in managing complex projects and deadlines.
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