Manager, Field Accounting

Position Overview

Join the Follett Team, where employees are valued, respected, and offered career paths throughout its many campus locations.

Follett serves over half of the students in the United States and works with 80,000 schools as a leading provider of education technology, services, and print and digital content. We're higher education's largest campus retailer and a hub for school spirit and community as we operate nearly 1,200 local campus stores and over 1,600 virtual stores across the continent. We take pride in the fact that for more than 140 years, we have been helping to improve people's lives by supporting a lifetime of learning and education.

The Accounts Receivable Manager (internally called Field Accounting Manager) will provide leadership for the Field Accounting Analyst team. Responsibilities consist of providing oversight, management, and development of a group of individuals performing the functions within the accounts receivable cycle; ~10 +/- direct reports. The role will inspire the team to consistently drive results while providing high-level customer service through collaboration with store teams, campuses, and third-party vendors. The position holds the relationship with a team of Analysts to ensure accountability for proper account setup, timely and accurate billing, collections, and improvement of cash flow. In addition, the position is involved in the day-to-day activities of the role of Field Accounting Analyst and supporting store teams directly with accounts receivable duties.

The role reports to the Accounting Director, and along with another Accounts Receivable Manager, will support the growth and development of this department through innovation, collaboration, and a high-level knowledge of the accounts receivable process. The role also partners with the One Team Center ("Corporate") centralized cash application/revenue accounting team resource(s) that perform/assist in the transactional/recurring processes such as creating invoices, processing applicable sub-ledger adjustments, and applying payments. This individual collaborates with, guides, and provides direction to a group of Field Financial Analysts to ensure accounts are appropriately reflected.

This role should be flexible and willing to take on other accounting-related activities related to the campus.

Responsibilities

• Team Management: Develop and lead a team of engaged team members with the ability to execute a high standard of accounts receivable initiatives and processes while driving high operational standards to produce business results. Develop key metrics on the overall team member's performance of critical tasks with the intention of increasing the team's efficiencies/ accuracies, cash flow, customer relationships, DSO, and all other related measures.
• Partners with OTC (One Team Center) team and Accounting Director on the full accounts receivable cycle and workstreams for standard and non-standard activities, including account creation/set-up, account transactions, invoices, payment applications, account adjustments, and collections. Leads in problem-solving/resolution and communicates accounting/operational issues with field operations and OTC.
• Performs effective/prompt collection efforts on accounts/entities with past due balances and develops improved strategies/approaches while maintaining good/positive relationships. Provision/manage new/renewal of accurate account setup processes for all types of accounts receivables (ACCESS and non-ACCESS programs) associated with the campuses and other entities (including the capturing of master contact data and invoicing/payment requirements/terms, sale periods, and restrictions, key triggering dates, credit limits, and other required information).
• Collaborates with the OTC team on one-off invoicing challenges/requirements promptly to ensure payments are received as per the due date. Conducts timely (as per due dates) ACCESS reconciliations/adjustments with campus per the intention of generating the final invoice and accurate representation on the sub-ledger.
• Ensures/promotes AR company policies with account contacts (invoice terms, payment remittance information, reconciliations, etc.) Manages the overall AR tracking/dashboards/ targets on actual results along with anticipated/improved short/long term progresses.
• Assists/implements company initiatives, process improvements, and special accounts receivable projects. Analyzes accounts receivable cycle to develop more efficient procedures and use of resources while maintaining a high level of accuracy/efficiency.
• Special projects as assigned.