South Midwest HERC

Towson University (TU) has earned distinction as both a top-100 public university and one of the nation's great colleges to work for. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University fosters a climate that is grounded in respect to cultivating the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.

The Accounting Manager role oversees core accounting operations, including reconciliations, journal entry review, monthly, quarterly, interim and annual close, and financial reporting. This role provides leadership, coaching, and structure to accounting staff, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and University System of Maryland (USM) policies. The manager plays a key role in preparing financial statements, supporting audits, and improving accounting processes across the department. Telework may be available for this position up to two days per week following the completion of 90 days of service in good standing.

Responsibilities and Duties

Leadership & Staff Development

• Supervise accountants, providing coaching, training, and performance feedback.
• Assign work, manage deadlines, and ensure accuracy and completeness of deliverables.
• Develop staff capabilities through structured guidance and ongoing training.
• Develop training materials and videos where needed.
• Promote consistency and standardization across accounting processes.
• Monitor and keep track of document workflows, inefficiencies, controls.

Financial Reporting & Close

• Prepare and review financial statements (monthly, quarterly, interim and year end) and related schedules.
• Review and monitor monthly close activities, including review of journal entries and variance analysis.
• Ensure reconciliations are completed timely and accurately working in partnership with the other Accounting Manager role.
• Support preparation of audit schedules and respond to auditor inquiries.
• Develop and maintain accounting metrics to report to Asst Controller and Controller (i.e. close status updates, percentage of completion, etc.)
• Manage month, interim and year end calendar, checklist meetings and progress.

Reconciliations & Analysis

• Assist with regular review of reconciliations, balance sheet and ARCs.
• Identify errors, research discrepancies, and implement corrective actions.
• Review and evaluate financial data and account balances for accuracy, completeness, and reasonableness, proactively identifying risks and communicating findings effectively.

Audit & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with GAAP, GASB, USM and state policies, and internal controls.
• Assist with implementation of new accounting standards and system requirements.
• Maintain documentation and support audit readiness throughout the year.
• Coordinate review and collaboration with other Accounting Manager to determine what needs to be reviewed and tracked.
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Systems & Process Improvement

• Utilize Stratus, PeopleSoft, and other systems to support reporting and analysis.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
• Support testing system upgrades and new business processes.
• Collaborate with campus departments to resolve accounting issues and improve workflows.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree and at least four years of accounting experience, including at least one year of supervisory experience.
• Requires a strong understanding of business processes and advanced technical accounting knowledge under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), with the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions.
• Demonstrated expertise in month-end close, account reconciliations, and financial analysis is essential.
• Must possess a solid understanding of financial statement preparation, along with strong technical and analytical skills, including the ability to interpret complex regulations and financial information.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills are required, along with proven experience managing and developing staff. High emotional intelligence is critical, with the ability to coach, guide, and provide constructive feedback, including navigating challenging conversations, to support team performance and collaboration across internal and external stakeholders. Advanced Excel proficiency and strong critical thinking skills are required.

Preferred:

• CPA, knowledge of PeopleSoft and Oracle.

Salary and Benefits 

Targeted salary range at $90,000-$95,000 annually and full University benefits that include 22 days of annual leave, up to 17 holidays, personal and sick days; excellent health, life, and retirement plans; and tuition remission. To learn more about our benefits, click here. TU also offers a variety of great perks and discounts, which can be found here.

This position will be open for a minimum of 14 days. A cover letter and resume with your online application is required. 

About Towson University

The largest comprehensive university in the Baltimore area, Towson University is nationally recognized for its excellent programs in the arts and sciences, communications, business, health professions, education, fine arts and computer information systems. Located in suburban Towson, eight miles north of Baltimore, our beautifully landscaped, 328-acre setting offers a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a wealth of university and community resources. Towson University's educational experience branches out to off-campus locations throughout Maryland, including a number of online options. Our many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. Towson University is a founding member of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU).

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