William Paterson University invites applications for the full-time 12-month position of Confidential Administrative Assistant in the Division of Finance and Budget.

With a dual reporting line to the Associate Vice President and CFO and the University Controller, the Confidential Administrative Assistant provides executive-level support and administrative support in areas of financial administration within the Division of Finance and Budget.

The Assistant works in an environment of strict confidentiality and exercises discretion and good judgment in the execution of assigned responsibilities.

The role performs certain ongoing financial administrative tasks requiring skills in the use of financial software, and also requires advanced writing skills in drafting effective communications and other documents.

Strong organizational skills within all elements of financial administration are key.  

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Perform day to day administrative tasks relating to the varied activities within the Division of Finance and Budget, including Office of the Controller, Office of Budget & Planning, Accounts Payable and Student Accounts. This includes managing incoming calls to the division and greeting visitors.
• Prepare meeting materials for the Board of Trustees, Finance and Audit Committee, Audit, and Institutional Development (FAID) Committee, including preparation of Board resolutions.
• Scheduling of meetings where large groups of attendees relating to financial administration is required.
• When needed and as directed, develop and manage communications from the Division of Finance and Budget to other University divisions/departments in an effective and timely manner. Clear articulation in written communications is key.
• Perform payment processes (automated ACH and check files) on a weekly basis.
• Assist the AVP Finance/CFO and Controller as needed with Excel spreadsheets for a variety of purposes (data analysis, monitoring certain transacting streams, preparing reports, and other purposes). These tasks may involve handling confidential financial information, therefore discretion and sound judgment are key.
• Assist in organizing one-time or occasional projects that may be undertaken by the Division.
• Assist in maintaining steady flow of certain activities between the University and external banks, such as stop payments, payfile uploads, signatory user forms processing, and other occasional tasks.
• Assist with the coordination of certain tasks related to ACH files, grant drawdowns, and annual audits.
• Prepare, process and monitor expense requisitions along with subsequent vendor invoices for the Division of Finance and Budget.
• Manage travel and food service forms processing, including reviewing forms and related transactions for compliance with established policies. Manage Gold Card process.
• Develop and maintain a working familiarity with University insurance policies and related tasks such as annual renewals and providing assistance to those seeking to file incident reports and tort claims.
• Oversee and assign the work of the student assistant assigned to office administration tasks.
• Assist with onboarding, transitioning, and timekeeping of student accounting interns.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited College or University.
• Five (5) or more years of experience working in financial operations
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office (*Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). *Candidates invited for the interview will have a skills assessment test conducted.
• Working knowledge of functionalities within Adobe pdf software is required.
• A high degree of competence with current-day common technologies and a willingness to learn other systems or technology tools as needed.
• Ability to demonstrate writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Ability to work in an online environment

Additional, preferred qualifications:

• Degree in a business-related field
• Experience working in a complex, collaborative, multi-divisional, and generally de-centralized, University or non-profit organization.

Attributes and traits:

• Ability to prioritize work and meet agreed-upon goals and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a written and oral format.
• Capable of analyzing the multi-facets of a situation and combining resources to problem solve.
• Able to collaborate in an environment with diverse constituents who may have competing wants and needs.

Invitation to apply:

Interested candidates will be prompted to: Complete an application, submit a cover letter and resume.

Submission of all documents listed above is required for consideration.

Review of applications will commence immediately.  General questions related to this application process, please contact talent@wpunj.edu

About William Paterson:

William Paterson University is the third most diverse public University in New Jersey. As a longstanding member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), we have been designated by the US Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. William Paterson University is also proud to be designated as a NASA MSI (Minority Serving Institution). The University offers undergraduate and graduate academic programs that range from liberal arts and sciences to pre-professional and professional programs; it enrolls over 8,000 students from across the country and from over 40 nations. The University is situated on a beautiful, 370-acre suburban campus in Wayne, New Jersey, just twenty miles west of New York City.