Financial Associate II

Grade: 055 FLSA Status: Non-exempt Company Description By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

SUMMARY: The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) educates design, research, and scholarship leaders to make a resilient, just, and beautiful world. The GSD offers degree programs across a range of design disciplines—architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, urban design, design engineering, and real estate—as well as advanced research programs that cut across these disciplines and a robust public program of lectures, exhibitions, and publications. The immense variety of people, programs, and ideas at the School sustains a vibrant and rich environment for learning, inquiry, and collaboration, unlike any other design school. For more information about Harvard GSD see: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/ . Reporting to the Controller, the Financial Associate II performs a diverse array of payroll, accounting, and financial support duties, and works closely with staff members throughout the GSD, serving as an information resource and key liaison for financial inquiries. Key responsibilities include: TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Act as a subject matter expert and principal source of information on interpretation of payroll policies and procedures and establishing processes and standards for key controls at the GSD. Understands Harvard policy, federal and state regulations, work-study policies, and VISA situations to ensure compliance. Interpret complex reports and proactively make assessments on rectifying any compliance or payroll issues. Interprets Federal, State and Harvard policies regarding student and non-student temporary employment. Communicates policies to payroll coordinators and keeps them updated on any policy and procedural changes. Coordinate quarterly payroll coordinators meetings to provide updates and share best practices. Provides training for new departmental payroll coordinators. Serves as local expert and primary liaison with other departments, including Central Payroll, Harvard Student Employment Office, GSD Financial Aid Office regarding the student/temporary weekly payroll. Serves as a principal source of information on interpretation of weekly payroll policies and establishing procedures for the GSD as in pertains to student, temporary and LHT positions. Manage security set-ups, train and offers direction to 15+ payroll coordinators regarding payroll deadlines, business processes, processing, and troubleshooting of the weekly/bi-weekly payroll. Work closely with GSD HR Office and Faculty Planning to review all staff hirings and paid appointments for biweekly staff, faculty, and teaching fellow payrolls for completeness and accuracy prior to PeopleSoft database submission and approval. Collaborates with HR and Faculty affairs to improve efficiencies, workflow, and compliance best practices. Review and approve additional pay requisitions and uploads for the biweekly staff, faculty and teaching fellow payrolls for completeness, accuracy, and submission to the PeopleSoft database. Review biweekly payroll register for completeness and accuracy and to detect and correct errors. Review weekly payroll register for reasonableness and adherence to student employment guidelines for maximum work hours. Review and submit retroactive timesheets and request off-cycle payment for unpaid hours worked for students who are no longer employed at the GSD. Review off cycle payment for appointment ends. Process PeopleSoft coding changes for staff, faculty, and teaching