Cabrillo College

Financial Support Specialist - Emergency Grants

Job# 2021-01287

Salary: See Position Description

Deadline: 11/16/2021 11:59 PM Pacific

Full job description and OFFICIAL application available ONLY at: http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=212256

Employment Opportunity

Are you interested in creating an amazing educational environment for students who are part of an equity driven community? Staff at Cabrillo College support quality programs and services to students that promote their diverse and evolving needs as they progress toward their individual educational goals. Come join us in our vision to improve the world, one student at a time!

This full-time, (40 hours per week), 12-months per year position provides difficult and highly responsible accounting support of the Emergency Grants program and director to ensure sound expenditure management and compliance; performs a variety of paraprofes­sional duties in preparing, maintaining, verifying accuracy and appropriateness, and processing account­ing transactions; prepares budget records and reports and monitors expenditures for general, categorical and grant-funded programs and services; and performs related duties as assigned.

NOTE:  This is a two (2) year assignment position scheduled to start ASAP. 

Starting Salary Range: $4,524- $5,238 per month, maximum initial salary step placement on the classified salary schedule is step 4; plus 5% annual increases up to step 7.

Benefits: Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, life, short and long term, and vision (optional) insurance provided at a share of cost on a pretax basis, CalPERS Retirement and an Employee Assistance Program. Please see the Benefits link on the HR webpage for more information. 

The ideal candidate will share Cabrillo's commitment to educating its racially and socioeconomically diverse student population. Cabrillo College serves approximately 11,400 students per term, of which 44% are LatinX, 5% multi-ethnic, 2.75% Asian, 1.25% African-American, 1% Filipino, 0.25% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.18% Pacific Islander as of Fall 2019. In 2006, Cabrillo College was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution, reflecting the great responsibility that the College has to the educational attainment and economic well-being of the surrounding community.

As a classified staff member at Cabrillo College, you will join a vibrant community of professionals and educators working together to provide a positive educational environment where our students experience diverse academic and cultural perspectives.

Examples of Duties

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class.

• Reviews or prepares and processes a variety of accounting documents for approval including vendor invoices, check requests, travel and conference requests, employee reimbursement requests, credit memos and other expense-related forms; verifies accuracy, completeness, correct accounting codes and proper authorizations; verifies compliance with funding source provisions and District policies and procedures; requests corrections and additional supporting information when necessary; posts trans­actions to proper general ledger accounts; works with Finance and Emergency Grants staff to resolve funding availability, account code and compliance questions and issues.

• Maintains, updates and reconciles a variety of budget workbooks and expenditure spreadsheets to the District enterprise finance and accounting system; monitors encumbrances and expenditures and calculates budget usage and fund percentages; verifies and reconciles payroll workbooks for faculty and staff and Teaching Unit (TU) allocations, and initiates action to resolve and correct any discrep­ancies; ensures expenses are posted to the correct budget accounts and time periods; ensures faculty units are correctly assigned; researches and prepares budget and TU transfers and expen­diture adjustments to correct discrepancies and submits for approval; prepares monthly reports to the division dean on the status of all accounts; reconciles and prepares division accounts for year-end close in accordance with Finance instructions, ensuring all budget transfers and journal entries are posted to the correct periods by established deadlines; closes blanket purchase orders.

• Assists or participates in preparing budget projections and budget scenarios and setting up budgets for general fund, single- and multi-year categorical and grant-funded programs; verifies and calcu­lates payroll and benefit chargeback costs; verifies the accuracy of postings to payroll; verifies the allowability of planned program expenditures; prepares journal entries and budget/expenditure transfers as required; ensures requirements for match­ing and in-kind funds are planned for; recon­ciles and prepares monthly reports on grant accounts; verifies expenditures are on track with grant awards and allocations; prepares grant financial reports; may periodically meet with deans, program coordinators and other staff to review grant and spend­ing activities and ensure timeliness of reports; makes recommendations to the dean, directors and grant staff on expenditure patterns to ensure conform­ance with grant terms.

• Coordinates division purchasing activities, including purchases using State Institutional Equipment funds, with department chairs, faculty, administrators and staff; researches requests and verifies approvals; obtains informal bids and compares vendor costs; prepares requisitions and blanket purchase order requests and supporting documentation; monitors delivery status; resolves any invoicing discrepancies with Purchasing and/or Accounts Payable staff; maintains information on appropriate budget numbers and cost center, activity, object and project codes applicable to the division and its programs and services.

• Coordinates the hiring of student workers and temporary hourly workers with Human Resources and division staff; verifies the availability of funds and accuracy of hiring documents; verifies accuracy and processes timecards; maintains the division absence/sick leave replacement spreadsheet.  

• Provides information on District/program policies and procedures, explains their application and answers questions or provides additional information to ensure understanding; works with division and program staff to reprogram surplus funds to enhance program activities; serves as a resource in providing information on expenditure and compliance issues, compiling data and preparing reports.  

OTHER DUTIES

• Prepares work orders for facility and equipment installations and repairs; prepares and tracks Infor­mation Technology work requests.

• Prepares and maintains a wide variety of supporting records and files. 

• Performs general administrative and clerical support duties as required.

• Demonstrates sensitivity to and understanding of diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disabi­lity, gender identity, sexual orientation and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff.  

• Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• Understanding of, and sensitivity to, the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation, of community college students, faculty and staff; AND

• Graduation from high school or GED equivalent, supplemented by college coursework in accounting; AND 

• Experience with progres­sively responsible paraprofessional accounting, bookkeeping or financial support experience (three {3} years desired); OR

• An equivalent combination of training and experience.

Please note: Additional experience may be substituted for the education.

Desirable: 

• Experience in an educational setting

• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, such as Colleague 

• An associate degree in accounting or business admin­istration and experience in a college or university or another governmental agency is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• District policies, procedures and practices governing budgeting, purchasing, accounts payable and receivable processing, cash receipting and related financial transactions.

• Paraprofessional accounting/bookkeeping methods and practices and associated internal control policies and procedures.

• Methods and techniques of general ledger posting and reconciliation.

• Business math.

• Use and operation of applicable modules of the District’s enterprise accounting and finance systems.

• State and federal laws and regulations pertinent to application for and administration of grants and categorically-funded programs for a variety of programs and functions at a level of detail necessary to carry out assigned responsibilities.

• General understanding of sources of information relating to requirements for administration of grant and categorical programs such as Title • V of the California Education Code and other applicable laws and regulations. 

• Customer service practices and etiquette.

• Principles and practices of sound business communication including English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

• Office practices, procedures and equipment including database and spreadsheet software and other business software applications.

Skills and Abilities to: 

• Read, understand, interpret and apply District, state, and federal requirements and guidelines for the develop­ment of general fund and program budgets and the financial administration of grant and categorically-funded programs, particularly with regard to the allowability of expenditures.

• Make highly detailed comparisons, calculations and tabulations of financial data and review account­ing and related documents accurately and with high attention to detail.

• Understand and apply rules, regulations, policies and procedures and apply them in a variety of procedural situations.

• Organize, set priorities, work independently and exercise sound judgment within established guide­lines.

• Operate a computer using spreadsheet and other standard business software; operate other standard office equipment.

• Maintain a variety of financial records and files, including confidential documents and records.

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. 

• Understand and follow written and oral instructions. 

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.

• Uphold the District’s mission, values and objectives including equity and Guided Pathways.

• Support an inclusive work environment that fosters diversity, respect and engagement.

Cabrillo College is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of qualified applicants.