Description

External Retirement Plan TRS or ORP Employment Type Employee Benefits Eligibility Benefits Eligible Full/Part time Full Time Work Schedule Additional Schedule Information
Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
Advertised Salary Commensurate with Experience Posting Date 02/04/2026 Open until filled No Closing Date 02/12/2026 Proposed Starting Date 03/01/2026 Special Instructions to Applicants Location of Vacancy Athens Area EEO Policy Statement
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).
USG Core Values Statement
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Position Information

Classification Title University Accountant III FLSA Exempt FTE 1.00 Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field, or equivalent, and 5 years of professional experience
Preferred Qualifications
• Knowledge of practices and procedures related to payroll administration

• Advanced knowledge of Payroll, Federal, State and Local tax regulations

• Experience with PeopleSoft based HCM software, or other HRMS software programs

• Experience processing payroll in a Higher Education setting

Position Summary
The Senior Financial Accountant position is part of a customer-focused team responsible for oversight and processing of the University of Georgia (UGA) payroll (approximately 25,500 W-2s generated). Responsibilities include preparation, updating, and maintaining payroll-related records, data files for payroll processing, as well as the resolution of payroll issues and customer service. This position will assist with taxable fringe processing and general ledger liability account reconciliation, the annual escheatment process and unclaimed checks, updating and maintaining retirement deductions and reports, and any necessary journal entries for these actions.

This position will be flexible and have the ability to be productive in a high-stress, fast-paced environment and meet stringent production deadlines. This position coordinates between The University System of Georgia (USG), the Shared Services Center (SSC), and UGA distributed departments regarding payroll-related issues, including: tax-related data and inquiries, account reconciliations, retirement processing, and payroll calculation/confirmation.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

• Ability to plan, organize, and schedule duties to meet rigid deadlines and changing priorities
• Detail-oriented, witha strong interpersonal and collaborative work style and the ability to develop effective working relationships and demonstrate commitment to being a team player
• Ability to work with highly confidential and sensitive information
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Proficient to advanced experience with Microsoft applications
• Excellent research and problem-solving skills
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Knowledge of governmental accounting standards, regulations, and procedures
• Knowledge of practices and procedures related to payroll administration
• Advanced knowledge of Payroll, Federal, State, and Local tax regulations
• Experience with PeopleSoft-based HCM software, or other HRMS software programs
• Experience processing payroll in a Higher Education setting

Physical Demands
Normal office needs
Is driving a responsibility of this position? No Is this a Position of Trust? Yes Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? Yes Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes Credit and P-Card policy
Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.
Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities

Duties/Responsibilities

• Updates and maintains Common Remitter for Teachers Retirement System (TRS), analyzes and corrects errors, and proactively analyzes system data to determine pay inconsistencies.
• Helps to clear reconciling items in a timely manner.
• Serves as backup analyst for Employee Retirement System (ERS) and Georgia Defined Contribution Plan (GDCP).

Percentage of time 25 Duties/Responsibilities

• Responsible for reconciling payroll general ledger liability accounts, including tax accounts (FICA EE & ER, federal, state, and local taxes), employee payroll accounts receivable, and miscellaneous payroll deduction accounts.
• May assist with other accounts as needed.

Percentage of time 25 Duties/Responsibilities

• Run and analyze payroll queries and reports to process the biweekly and monthly payroll.
• Find pay errors and resolve all issues prior to confirming payroll.

Percentage of time 10 Duties/Responsibilities

• Assists with the taxable fringe process by correctly identifying and reporting various forms of employee compensation (fringe benefits) for tax purposes, as required by the IRS.
• Ensure the value of taxable benefits is included in the employee's taxable wages in order to withhold appropriate federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes from the employee's pay.
• Reconciles taxable fringe amounts on employee checks to ensure data is loaded accurately.

Percentage of time 10 Duties/Responsibilities

• Runs report of Federal Work Study hours and sends information to applicable offices.
• Processes rent journals for units that hire employees with rent as a condition of employment.

Percentage of time 5 Duties/Responsibilities

• Monitors and communicates on all unclaimed checks beyond 90 days.
• Responsible for the annual escheatment process to send unclaimed checks to the state.

Percentage of time 10 Duties/Responsibilities

• Assists employees with payroll-related questions, including tax inquiries.
• Utilizes the Team Dynamix and ServiceNow ticketing system to respond to user requests.
• Assists distributed business offices with payroll and tax-related inquiries and provides support when needed.
• Assists with payroll system testing when needed.
• Collaborates with other Payroll Accountants, Payroll Analysts, and distributed business partners to continually improve processes and gain efficiencies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Percentage of time 15

Contact Information

Recruitment Contact

Contact Details
For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.
Recruitment Contact Name Debbie Kuppersmith Recruitment Contact Email debkup@uga.edu Recruitment Contact Phone

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover Letter

Optional Documents