Accountant

Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA Full-time Accounting

Posted on April 9, 2024

Apply Now

Accountant

The Office of Technology Management (OTM) is seeking an experienced and dedicated individual to serve as the Accountant for their department.

About the Role: The Accountant for the Office of Technology Management is primarily responsible for the administration of the $2.1 million patent expense budget; this entails properly processing over 1,250 invoices annually from over 24 different legal firms, as well as those from multiple other Colleges and Universities in which OTM has inter-institutional agreements for cost sharing of joint technologies. This position also collaborates with Technology Licensing Officers on the development path for current technologies and provide financial input for both new and ongoing license agreements under negotiation.

The Accountant must maintain open communication and a good working relationship with the nearly one hundred external companies which have licenses for the reimbursement of patent fees. Of those, an estimated twenty percent are start-up companies on deferred patent reimbursement payment plans as part of Penn State University's Invent Penn State initiative, and therefore require milestone tracking and specialized payment negotiations.

This position also handles miscellaneous financial transactions through the Shop Onlion purchasing system not related to patenting such as membership dues, software renewals, and miscellaneous legal services invoices.

Responsibilities: The primary functions of this position include but are not limited to following.

Accounts payable for patent legal work
Accounts receivable from licensees
Financial reporting to the Corporate Controller's office for financial statement preparation
Provide support for audit field work related to the Penn State Research Foundation (PSRF) financial statements
Ensuring compliance with University procedures in general accounting practices, budgets and purchasing policies
Other duties as assigned

The Accountant also provides detailed analysis of financial expense and reimbursement numbers to the Assistant Vice President of Research and Director of OTM, the Associate Director of OTM, and the OTM Administrative Support Coordinator for overall office budget management, AUTM reporting, income/expense trend analysis, and special reporting requests.

Education and Experience: This position requires a Bachelor's degree and 3+ years of work related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

The successful candidate must be able to work both independently and as a cooperative member of a team, have effective oral and written communication skills, and be detail oriented. This individual should be proactive in identifying problems and solutions, posse a strong work ethic and demonstrate initiative. Experience with SIMBA (financial system), Shop OnLion (procurement portal), and Workday is preferred. Candidate should also be proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite of applications.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to tuition discounts (75% discount for spouse and children), and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/current-employee/benefits for more detailed information.

Apply online at https://psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Staff/job/Penn-State-University-Park/Accountant_REQ_0000054669-1

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to http://www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Apply Now

Accountant

Pennsylvania State University

Sites & Partners

Services