Bank Reconciliation Specialist

Job Description

Accountant I (Hybrid) | Washington University in St. Louis

The Tone:
This is a full-time, hybrid role at Washington University in St. Louis, located in Saint Louis, MO. Washington University is a leading academic and research institution committed to excellence in education and discovery. This position within the Controller’s Office is vital for ensuring the accurate and timely reconciliation of the university’s operational bank accounts, including those for Off Campus Housing, thereby safeguarding financial resources and supporting robust financial reporting.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Hybrid Saint Louis, MO
• Pay: $23.37–$36.19 hourly
• Team: Controller’s Office
• Mission: Ensure the accurate reconciliation of all operational bank accounts and manage financial exceptions to uphold the university’s financial integrity.
• Tech Stack: Workday, IBI WebFocus, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, 10-Key Calculator

What You’ll Actually Do
• Bank Reconciliation: Maintain a working knowledge of bank reconciliation procedures and systems, accurately reconciling bank accounts to Workday transactions, meticulously researching discrepancies, and collaborating with departments to resolve issues, all while ensuring compliance with University policies.
• Financial Exception Management: Proactively manage various bank exceptions, including foreign checks, returned payments, and positive pay exceptions, carefully reviewing positive pay items for potential fraud and promptly reporting any suspicious activity to management.
• Accounting Operations: Prepare precise general ledger entries and execute ad hoc bank transactions within Workday, analyze various daily exception reports to ensure compliance, complete comprehensive account reconciliations, and thoroughly review account analysis.
• Credit Card Oversight: Conduct a detailed monthly review of credit card activity, analyzing associated fees to ensure they align with contracted rates, preparing necessary allocations to accurately charge departments, and vigilantly analyzing activity for potential fraud.
• Audit and Fiscal Support: Assist significantly with fiscal year-end processes, preparing required schedules, and gathering, analyzing, and compiling financial information, while also serving as a key resource by working with and providing information to both external and internal auditors as requested.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates foundational accounting knowledge, making this an excellent early career opportunity.
• Experience: A minimum of one year of relevant accounting work experience is required to perform core reconciliation and financial analysis tasks.
• Skills: Proficiency in Accounting, General Ledger (GL), Microsoft Excel, and possessing strong Communication and Detail-Oriented abilities are essential for success in this role.
• Bonus: A Bachelor’s degree specifically in business or accounting, coupled with prior direct banking or account reconciliation experience, will be highly advantageous.