Student Accounts Specialist

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening.
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Location:
Claremont, CA
Job Posting Title:
Student Accounts Specialist
Job Details and Requirement:
Department: Student Accounts
Supervisor: Senior Manager of Student Accounts
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Student Accounts Specialist independently performs financial analysis, account reconciliations, reporting, and daily student accounts operations. The position maintains accurate billing, cash receipts, student account transactions, and financial records and reconciles activity in the Student Information System (SIS) with the College’s general ledger in Workday. Because Student Accounts serves as a primary point of contact for students and families regarding financial matters, the position requires a high degree of patience, professionalism, empathy, and customer service, including the ability to navigate complex or sensitive conversations while maintaining accuracy and consistently following through to resolution.
The Specialist applies accounting knowledge and independent judgment to review trial balances, investigate discrepancies, resolve reconciling items, and prepare supporting documentation for financial reporting and audits. Responsibilities include scholarship, tuition remission, federal financial aid, housing and meal plans, and other student account reconciliations.
The Specialist serves as the Senior Manager of Student Accounts’ key operational partner across all areas of the department, sharing responsibility for daily operations, financial analysis, problem-solving, departmental projects, and process improvements.
The Specialist partners with the Senior Manager to develop and implement procedures, address changing priorities, and maintain continuity of service. The position also plays an active role in the consortial SIS implementation scheduled to go live in July 2027, including testing, data validation, financial integrations, and the transition to new workflows.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Answer incoming student account calls, manage the department’s primary email account, and assist students, parents, and office visitors with billing, balances, payments, refunds, and account policies. Take ownership of inquiries through resolution, including researching issues, coordinating with other offices when necessary, and providing timely follow-up.
Perform recurring and year-end reconciliations between SIS activity and the Workday general ledger, including student receivables, revenue, clearing accounts, and balance sheet accounts.
Performs reconciliations between SIS and other systems used across campus.
Analyze trial balances, general ledger detail, SIS transaction reports, and supporting records to identify missing transactions, incorrect mappings, posting errors, timing differences, and unexplained variances.
Prepare and process appropriate journal entries and financial adjustments; maintain reconciliation schedules, supporting documentation of outstanding items and their resolution.
Partner with the Senior Manager of Student Accounts on year-end reconciliations, annual balance sheet reconciliations, interim audit fieldwork, and supporting audit requests.
Prepare and review student billing statements in CX or the successor SIS and publish statements through Transact.
Post and verify billing updates, wire payments, lockbox payments, returned checks and fees, manual debit and credit adjustments, and other student account transactions.
Post student health service charges, and fines, and all other miscellaneous charges. Process returned Cashnet or Transact payments.
Process ad hoc refunds, electronic refunds, and student refund requests in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures.
Adjust tuition, meal plan and housing charges when students drop courses or request a leave of absence.
Review account activity for accuracy, investigate transaction discrepancies, and coordinate timely corrections. Perform spot audits regularly.
Analyze monthly accounts receivable aging reports, identify past-due accounts, and recommend follow-up priorities to the Senior Manager.
Contact students about outstanding balances, document outreach, and provide due diligence in collecting amounts owed.
Partner with the Senior Manager to review accounts for semester holds and remove holds after payments are received or qualifying payment arrangements are documented.
Provide guidance on policies and daily student account decisions in the supervisor’s absence.
Assist with preparing collections files and sending them to agency each semester.
Communicate policies and procedures clearly and accurately, and assist with communications for new, returning, and non-Pitzer students for fall, spring, and summer.
Research, resolve, or refer student disputes and appeals in collaboration with the responsible departments; document outcomes and provide timely follow-up.
Navigate difficult or sensitive interactions with students and families with patience, empathy, professionalism, and sound judgment; de-escalate concerns, clearly explain policies and financial information, identify appropriate solutions or next steps, and follow through to resolution.
Establish and maintain a standard appointment process using existing kiosk functionality to streamline student scheduling with the team.
Partner with communications to create and post departmental communications on social media platforms and all communications that go out to the community
Serve as a key Student Accounts partner in the consortial implementation of the new SIS scheduled to go live in July 2027.
Collaborate with the Senior Manager, IT, Accounting, Financial Aid, Registrar, and implementation partners on system configuration, testing, and transition activities.
Validate converted student account data, opening balances, historical transactions, and financial reports; investigate and document conversion discrepancies.
Test billing assessments, payments, financial aid postings, refunds, adjustments, and reporting. Document testing results and coordinate resolution of system issues.
Validate account mappings and financial integrations between the SIS and Workday by tracing transactions through to the ledger and reconciling test results.
Develop procedures and reconciliation workflows for the new SIS with the Senior Manager, support staff training, and assist with post-go-live reconciliation and troubleshooting.
Partner with the Senior Manager to research, design, implement, and evaluate new processes and procedures that better meet departmental needs, including billing, reconciliation, reporting, payments, and collections.
Document and maintain standard operating procedures and reconciliation guides; recommend internal controls and workflow changes that improve accuracy and consistency.
Work across Financial Aid, Registrar, Admissions, IT, Student Affairs, Housing and Finance and other campus offices to resolve issues, build effective working relationships, and support improvements to student accounts operations.
Represent Student Accounts in meetings as requested, gather relevant information, and report findings and recommendations to the Senior Manager of Student Accounts.
Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
The individual must possess knowledge, skills and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.
Strong working knowledge of accounting principles, accounts receivable, journal entries, general ledger activity, trial balances, and clearing and balance sheet reconciliations.
Ability to interpret Workday financial reports and trace SIS transactions to corresponding ledger activity, investigate discrepancies, and determine appropriate corrections.
Knowledge of scholarship, tuition remission, federal financial aid, housing and meal plan, and other student account transactions and their reconciliation requirements.