Financial Analyst - Personnel Expense & Financial Reporting
The Financial Analyst – Personnel Expense & Financial Reporting supports the monthly and year-end close processes for University of Iowa Health Care, helping ensure the accuracy and integrity of significant enterprise-wide accounting and financial reporting areas. The position is primarily responsible for personnel expense accounting and related liabilities, including compensation accruals, employee benefit obligations, and other estimates that require strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective partnership with operational and finance stakeholders.
This position is eligible for hybrid work within Iowa and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually, and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.
Position Responsibilities:
Personnel Expense Accounting & Employee Benefit Liabilities:
Prepare journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, supporting schedules, and financial statement workpapers related to salaries and wages, variable compensation, faculty compensation, contract labor, executive compensation, employee benefits, compensated absences, and other personnel-related expenses.
Support recurring personnel expense accounting processes by gathering, evaluating, and incorporating information from clinical department administrative officers and other stakeholders.
Apply established methodologies to ensure personnel expenses are recognized in the appropriate accounting period, including consideration of biweekly payroll cycles, holiday and premium pay, compensation earned but not yet paid, timing differences, and other compensation arrangements.
Investigate unusual activity, incomplete information, or unexpected fluctuations and work with the Manager or Senior Financial Analyst to determine appropriate resolution when matters require additional judgment.
Prepare assigned accounting and financial reporting work related to pension, other postemployment benefits, and compensated absences, including application of GASB Statements No. 68, 75, and 101 with appropriate guidance and review.
Prepare related journal entries, reconciliations, financial statement support, variance analyses, audit schedules, and other documentation.
Perform analytical review of personnel expense and related liabilities and identify trends, timing differences, data inconsistencies, or other matters requiring further investigation.
Develop working knowledge of PeopleSoft HR and financial data, internally developed HR transaction tools, time and attendance data, and other feeder systems and reporting tools that affect personnel expense recognition.
Partner with Human Resources, Payroll, Compensation, Carver College of Medicine, clinical departments, operational finance teams, and other stakeholders to obtain information necessary for accurate and timely financial reporting.
Develop familiarity with compensation structures, premium pay practices, labor agreement provisions, and related business processes that may affect personnel expense accounting.
Month-End & Year-End Close / Financial Reporting:
Manage assigned recurring components of the monthly close process, ensuring timely and accurate preparation, reconciliation, and analysis of assigned financial statement areas.
Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, analytical reviews, variance explanations, and supporting schedules for assigned income statement and balance sheet accounts.
Maintain complete, well-supported, and easy-to-follow workpapers in accordance with established accounting and review standards.
Investigate reconciling items, unexpected account activity, and financial statement variances and coordinate resolution with appropriate team members.
Support annual financial statement preparation and year-end close activities, including preparation of assigned schedules, financial statement support, footnote information, and audit documentation.
Respond to routine audit requests and assist with preparation of supporting documentation and explanations related to assigned reporting areas.
Assist with implementation of accounting process changes necessary to comply with relevant Governmental Accounting Standards Board pronouncements and other authoritative accounting guidance.
Maintain process documentation, accounting methodologies, and internal control support for assigned responsibilities.
IMMIC, Professional Liability & Self-Insurance Accounting:
Prepare accounting entries, reconciliations, supporting schedules, and periodic internal financial statements for Iowa Medical Mutual Insurance Company (IMMIC).
Assist with coordination and preparation of information used in the professional liability actuarial valuation process.
Prepare and reconcile professional liability expenses and liabilities using actuarial reports, claims information, insurance activity, and other supporting data.
Investigate differences between recorded balances and supporting actuarial or claims information and escalate unusual matters for review.
Prepare assigned components of the annual internal malpractice assessment process, including allocation of malpractice costs among participating entities, departments, or other organizational units.
Prepare assigned premium tax filings, regulatory reports, and other recurring IMMIC submissions.
Maintain complete documentation supporting actuarial inputs, allocations, reconciliations, journal entries, and other professional liability accounting activity.
Assist with external audit, regulatory examination, and other review processes related to IMMIC and professional liability accounting.
Non-Patient Revenue & Receivable Accounting:
Prepare and maintain assigned material non-patient receivable accruals, reconciliations, journal entries, and supporting schedules, including professional service and similar arrangements between Carver College of Medicine clinical departments and external healthcare organizations.
Obtain and evaluate information from clinical departments and other business owners to support recurring accruals.
Reconcile assigned receivable balances and monitor collections to help ensure amounts are recorded accurately and resolved on a timely basis.
Review deposit activity and assist in ensuring receipts are applied to the appropriate general ledger accounts.
Investigate aged balances, unusual fluctuations, missing accrual information, misapplied receipts, and other reconciling items and coordinate resolution with appropriate stakeholders.
Perform analytical review of assigned non-patient revenue and receivable balances and identify matters requiring additional follow-up.
Maintain documentation supporting material accrual assumptions, reconciliation procedures, and recurring receivable accounting processes.
Technical Accounting, Systems & Process Improvement:
Assist with technical accounting research and implementation of new or emerging GASB standards and other accounting matters affecting assigned areas.
Prepare or contribute to implementation workpapers, internal control narratives, accounting documentation, and other technical support.
Identify opportunities to improve reconciliations, journal entry support, analytical review, documentation, and recurring accounting processes.
Use Excel, SQL, Power BI, reporting tools, and other available technologies to improve the efficiency and consistency of assigned work.
Partner with finance, analytics, Information Technology, and operational stakeholders to support reporting and workflow improvements.
Maintain process documentation, job aids, and cross-training materials for assigned responsibilities.
Identify recurring issues, inefficient processes, or data quality concerns and communicate opportunities for improvement.
Participate in cross-training and knowledge-sharing within the Accounting & Financial Reporting team.
Foster strong working relationships with stakeholders across UI Health Care, the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, and external organizations.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
1 year of accounting, auditing, financial reporting, financial analysis, or related finance experience.
Demonstrated understanding of accrual accounting, journal entries, account reconciliations, and basic financial statement concepts.
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to organize work, manage multiple priorities, and meet established deadlines.
Ability to investigate variances and reconciling items and communicate questions or concerns appropriately.
Ability to learn complex accounting processes, financial systems, and business operations.
Ability to work independently on established processes following appropriate training while seeking guidance on unusual or complex matters.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with finance and non-finance stakeholders.
Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
Demonstrated experience working effectively in a welcoming and respectful workplace environment.
Desired
Certified Public Accountant license or progress toward CPA licensure.
Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
Experience in healthcare, academic medicine, higher education, governmental accounting, or another large and complex organization.
Experience with personnel expense accounting, payroll accruals, variable compensation, employee benefit liabilities, pension, OPEB, compensated absences, or similar accounting areas.
Exposure to GASB standards or governmental accounting.
Experience with self-insurance, professional liability, captive insurance, actuarial estimates, or other accounting estimates.
Experience with non-patient receivables, contractual revenue arrangements, or similar accrual and reconciliation processes.
Experience using PeopleSoft or another large ERP or HRIS environment.
Experience working with payroll, time and attendance, compensation, or other operational systems that feed financial reporting processes.
Experience with relational databases, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, or other reporting and data visualization tools.
Demonstrated interest in process improvement, automation, and strengthening accounting documentation and controls.
Application Process: To be considered, applicants must upload a cover letter and resume (under the submission of relevant materials) that clearly address how they meet the listed required and desired qualifications of this position. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification.
Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. For questions, contact Sharon Walther at sharon-walther@uiowa.edu.
This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization now or in the future.
Equal opportunity employer
The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.
Persons with disabilities who need assistance or accommodations with the application or interview process may contact University Human Resources/Faculty and Staff Disability Services, (319) 335-2660 or fsds@uiowa.edu. For jobs in UI Health care, please contact UI Health care Leave & Disability Administration at 319-356-7543.
