Assistant Director for Financial Reconciliation, Gift Systems

Position Summary

The Gift Systems Department, located in the Office of Alumni and Development (OAD), is the central department handling donations for Columbia University. It manages and records the flow of gift income from multiple funding sources and provides receipting and document repository needs. Gift Systems upholds the University's policy of gift acceptance and ensures gifts are distributed and administered per IRS standards and donor intent.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Gift Systems, the Assistant Director will be responsible for auditing cash management controls to ensure accurate reporting of gift income. The Assistant Director’s primary responsibility will be to ensure that the millions of dollars in gift income processed annually by Gift Systems in the Office of Alumni and Development are fully distributed to gift accounts in the University’s Financial Accounting System and that fund balances are accurately reflected in both the University’s gift subsystem and Financial Accounting System. The incumbent will prepare the final reconciliation report required by senior University administrators and outside auditors; will determine whether requested adjustments and corrections comply with University, IRS and Financial Accounting Board guidelines for gift administration; will oversee staff responsible for adjustments; and have final approval authority for journals to transfer, adjust, reclassify and refund gifts. The Assistant Director will supervise direct reports and additional staff as required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a tracking system of all outstanding issues, follow up with appropriate departments, and report monthly to the Senior Director.
• Analyze credit card income reports to verify income, adjustments and fees from multiple credit card processors to our bank accounts.
• Oversee the work of one or more Gift Coordinators in preparing and reconciling the periodic feed of journals from the University’s gift subsystem (a component of the University’s Alumni and Development System) to the University’s Financial Accounting System according to the Controllers’ schedule for subsystem feeds; mailing and customizing official gift receipts to all donors; maintaining seven years of official University gift files; researching gift documentation.
• Oversee and have final approval authority for all corrections, adjustments, returned checks, and refunds prepared by the Financial Assistants; will oversee gift accounting research.
• Determine if requested journals are appropriate and in accordance with donor’s intent, the Internal Revenue Service, general accounting, and University guidelines.
• Approve or deny requests or suggest alternate procedures.
• Assist the Senior Director in identifying and reclassifying gifts processed in error or transmitted by electronic funds transfer in both ARC and gift subsystem.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned the Senior Director of Gift Systems.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of three (3) to four (4) years of experience in the management of gift processing, medical reporting, auditing, financial analysis, bookkeeping, or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• Intermediate Microsoft Office suite knowledge required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and research skills required.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills required; must be detail-oriented and have the ability to work in a high-pressured environment with changing priorities required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Columbia University’s gift and accounting systems is preferred.

Other Requirements

• The candidate must be able to work well with all levels of employees in a flexible manner.
• Subject to business needs, the Office of Alumni and Development supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.