Accounting Specialist

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America's leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.

With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Occupational Summary

Perform a variety of confidential nature and complex accounting tasks involved in maintaining financial records, reconciling accounting transactions, and supporting procurement needs for Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology Departments. The incumbent serves as a vital financial hub for both departments, ensuring seamless fiscal operations across these interconnected academic units and applying knowledge and skills to resolve complex non-routine accounting problems independently or with others.

Worked Performed

Purchasing

* Place orders upon request and assist the departments' members in resolving order difficulties in Buymburse individuals via ET&R (Employee Travel & Reimbursements), AP (Account Payable) Check or Petty Cash upon request.

* Manage purchasing activities to ensure invoices are paid and expenses are posted to non-Sponsored and Sponsored codes in a timely manner as required by the Accounting/Financial compliance rules. This includes but is not limited to gathering receipts, working with faculty/PI, lab personnel, staff, and students to complete goods receipts, and following up with procurement services and vendors to resolve discrepancies, blocked invoices, etc.

* Generate Buy@Duke orders via the Duke Marketplace or punch-out supplier catalogs, providing workflow oversight and supporting audit documentation for cost compliance, as required. Generate text orders as needed for Confirming Orders-Bill Only. Process timely Accounts Payable check requests for payments to external vendors as assigned. Order office supplies when needed.

* Payment Works: initiate and send vendor/payee registration invitations via the designated onboarding platform. Monitor and update the onboarding tracker to reflect the status of each vendor/payee. Follow up with vendors/payees to ensure timely completion of registration. Serve as a primary point of contat for vendor/payee questions or concerns. Collaborate with other departments (e.g. Procurement, AP, Corporate Card, ET&R) to resolve vendor/payee onboarding issues.

* Provide initial training and onboarding for new shoppers and submitters related to general lab supplies. Provide ongoing customer support to lab personnel and postdocs completing orders in Buy@Duke, emphasizing compliance principles of reasonable, allocable, and allowable.

* Assist with new faculty lab purchasing and lab set-up.

* Work closely with the departmental financial analyst and grant administrators on non-sponsored and sponsored reporting and resolving any outstanding purchasing issues to ensure a clean close-our process, particularly during fiscal closure.

* Serve as the main liaison with the purchasing and account payable departments.

* Maintain departmental SOPs and documentation on procurement/purchasing internal departmental processes and procedures.

* Copy Cards:
Request copy cards to be used for each course and as needed for new personnel. Make name changes/updates to cards when a course in no longer offered or when someone leaves the department.

Financial Accounting

* Procurement/Corporate Cards (P-cards)

* Coordinate with undergraduate students and faculty to expend annual Undergraduate Research Support (URS) awards. Oversee awards and process expenditures in accordance with URS Office guidelines.

* Reconciliation of annual Mentorship awards provided to departmental advisors (faculty and graduate student) of undergraduate students (distributed by DUS), processing expenditures as required.

* Provide general training/information to new…