Assistant Director, Billings (Financial Services)

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Job Purpose:

The Assistant Director, Billings has overall responsibility for updating, testing, and maintaining student billings tables and the billings system, processing all student billings, including tuition fees, ancillary fees, and departmental charges for each academic term for all students and preparing all relevant student tax forms. The Assistant Director, Billings conducts regular reconciliations and reasonableness assessments related to student billings for internal reporting and as part of the audit process.

This position is also accountable for processing student group levy payments and periodic reconciliation of those levy payments, along with collection of required supporting documentation, and providing oversight for external accounts receivable and centralized University billings. In addition, this position will provide back-up to the Director, Client Relations (Finance) as an integral member of the Financial Services team. The Assistant Director, Billings provides exemplary customer service and works collaboratively with other departments of the University.

Key Activities:

Student Billings

• Remains current and ensures University compliance with all Ministry legislation and regulations regarding post-secondary student billings, including the Ministry’s Tuition Fee Framework and non-tuition fee protocols.
• Compiles updated tuition, ancillary, levy and miscellaneous fees in preparation for creating billing tables. This includes ensuring:
• tuition fee increases are in accordance with the Board-approved tuition fee strategy and Ministry legislation; and
• ancillary and levy fees are in compliance with the Board’s ancillary fees protocol and have received required approvals from CASSC and/or other relevant student associations and levy groups, as applicable.
• Responsible for maintaining the integrity and maintenance in updating student billing tables, which requires a strong understanding and interpretation of Ministry guidelines.
• Leads the process for determining, reviewing, and obtaining Provost and/or Dean approvals for allowable program fees in compliance with the Ministry’s non-tuition fee protocols.
• Reviews, analyzes, and tests billing tables and billing scenarios in advance of student billings for each academic term and category of student (i.e., domestic and international, undergraduate, graduate, English as a Second Language (ESL). Works closely with IT to ensure the accuracy of system calculations and application of billings rules.
• Oversees and makes improvements to the student billings and invoicing processing.
• Responsible for data submission of fee information to Stats Canada, Ministry and provides other reporting as requested.
• Responsible for improving processes for and preparing student tax forms (T2202’s and T4A’s) in accordance with government legislation. Prepares annual summary for tax purposes, uploads forms to CRA portal and prepares file for upload to Trent portal.
• Responsible for reviewing large datasets during billing and tax processing to identify registration errors that impact student billing and tax calculations. Provides direction for correction of data to various departments, as appropriate.
• Oversees sponsorship billing process.

Student Group Levies

• Oversees and improves processes for bi-annual payments to student groups based on levy fees billed and collected from students through the student billing system.
• Conducts a comprehensive review and analysis, summarizing registration information and levy fee collections to ensure accuracy in the allocation and final levy payout to student groups.
• Maintains accurate records of levy fee collections, payments disbursed and any related financial transactions, providing transparent and detailed reports as needed for internal audits and financial reporting purposes.

Non-student Billings

• Oversees external accounts receivable and centralized university invoicing, including ensuring applicable taxes have been charged where required. This involves working with other departments to determine appropriate charges (e.g., leases, rentals, equipment sales)
• Reconciliation and Reporting
• Reconciles accounts receivable sub-ledgers on a monthly and annual basis.
• Prepares annual reasonableness assessment of tuition fees for the external auditors as part of the year-end financial statement audit. Regularly reviews tuition fee revenue for reasonableness each term. Investigates any significant anomalies and documents findings if sound rationale exists for the anomalies or makes corrections as applicable.
• Assists with the year-end audit preparation of other working schedules and financial analysis for financial statement completion related to student billings, including deferred revenue related to summer term billing and non-student receivables.
• Provides support to departments for special reports and assists IT with requests for data regarding student billings and student accounts receivable.
• Performs regular student billings system maintenance, including archiving records and clearing past due balances, to allow the system to run more efficiently.

Other

• Acts as a consultant for student billing matters between Student Accounts and other departments (Registrar’s office, Trent International, Graduate Studies, IT, student levy groups, etc.). Uses expert judgement to advise on best action to achieve desired billing outcomes.
• Participates in committees, meetings, and discussions, and attends conferences/training related to the student billings processes and systems.
• Identifies opportunities, provides insights, and implements improvements and efficiencies for the student billings process and/or systems.
• Researches, troubleshoots, and performs complex diagnosis of student billing system issues and resolves, which involves working closely with IT.
• Reviews the clearing entries for deposits posted to ensure accuracy and completeness and investigates and remedies any discrepancies.
• Oversees the assessment of interest charged on past due student accounts.
• Leads and participates in special projects as required.

Education Required:

Bachelor of Business Administration, Commerce Degree (4 years) with a major in accounting.A minor in computer, math or a CPA designation would be preferred.

Experience/Qualifications Required:

• Five (5) years of experience in an intermediate finance position.
• Three (3) years of supervisory and management experience.
• Experience with data management and data manipulation of complex datasets.
• Strong technical experience and Proficiency with writing logical computer rules and computed columns.
• High level of customer service.
• Strong communication, problem solving, time management, project management and interpersonal skills with a focus on providing exceptional customer service in a team environment.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of functional aspects of student registration and billing, accounts receivable.
• Demonstrated knowledge of privacy rules as they apply to the public sector, maintains confidentiality.
• Familiarity with University policy, procedures, and funding
• Innovative, creative, and self-motivating to identify, collaborate and implement process/system improvements.
• Able to work and learn independently - self teach from manuals.
• Must be able to multi-task.