Job Description

The Billing and Collections Specialist will report to the Controller and perform purchasing; bookkeeping; and billing and collection-related duties for affiliate program and learning center sites and participants; and general administrative duties to support the Finance Department in maintaining accurate and complete financial records. This is a part-time, in-office position based in Hartford at our YWCA Hartford Region Administrative Office.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Ensures the integrity of data for billing, programs, and grant-required information;
• Troubleshoots and resolves purchasing matters related to invoices, supplies, etc.;
• Performs monthly billing reconciliations;
• Completes paperwork for delinquent payments, initiating collection paperwork when necessary;
• Tracks, monitors, and processes purchase orders, vendor invoices, and daily receipts utilizing Financial Edge NXT, spreadsheets, and databases;
• Receives and records cash, checks, and vouchers into Financial Edge NXT, assigning each to an appropriate account;
• Regularly reviews third-party payer (DCF, Care4Kids) accounts and documentation and follows up with accurate invoicing, ensuring payments are kept current;
• Works with Central Registration to process client registrations into the childcare billing system for Early Learning Centers (ELCs) and School Age (SA) programs;
• Prepares and maintains regular program tuition postings, processes payments, and prepares and reviews regular account reports;
• Inputs various journal entries;
• Utilizes financial software (Financial Edge NXT) to support the job’s functions;
• Follows up with accounts to ensure balances are collected on time;
• Prepares various reports, such as school readiness for site managers as requested; vendor activity; deposit transactions; balance sheets, income statements, and totals by account; copier usage, and postage meter; etc.;
• Provides annual tax information for program clients and vendors;
• Reconciles or notes and reports any differences found in figures, postings, and reports in Financial Edge NXT, spreadsheets, and databases
• Maintains designated office equipment and arranges for service when needed;
• Communicates with internal and external parties on financial requests, providing general customer assistance to resolve billing, purchasing, or accounting issues;
• Maintains and resolves any issues in our filing systems in an accurate and timely manner;
• Participates in training and other personal development activities to enhance knowledge and understanding of role;
• Manages Hartford office petty cash; and
• Other duties as assigned by the Controller or Chief Financial Officer.

Requirements

Education:

• High school graduate or GED required. Associate’s degree preferred.
• Completed college coursework in bookkeeping, accounting, business, or a related field preferred;
• Professional licenses or certifications in bookkeeping or accounting desirable.

Experience:

• Minimum three (3) years’ experience required in billing, collections, and general accounting/office support functions.
• Minimum three (3) years' experience utilizing financial software.
• Minimum two (2) years of related experience within the nonprofit sector and customer service.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and billing/collection procedures.

Schedule:

• This is a non-exempt, hourly position offering 30 hours per week. Standard hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. The Department Head or direct supervisor will define the work schedule and hours. Due to the nature of the work, some weekend and evening hours may be required.

Key Competencies:

• Seeks to cultivate and develop professional working relationships with key stakeholders, i.e., staff, volunteers, interns, board members, etc.;
• Demonstrated skill in understanding others;
• Engages in (or commits to) personal and professional development;
• Demonstrates a willingness to examine one’s assumptions and attitudes;
• Maintains productive work relationships while considering multiple perspectives;
• Demonstrates awareness of one’s and others’ life experiences and their relevance in the workplace; and
• Experience resolving conflicts effectively.

Skills:

• Collaboration: Enlists active participation of others to solve problems;
• Confidentiality: Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and proprietary business information;
• Customer Focus: Builds effective relationships with customers, identifies customer expectations, tries to see issues from their point of view; offers practical solutions to concerns;
• Emotional Intelligence: Recognizes and values different ideas of others; Empathetically and respectfully accepts these differences and works cooperatively and sincerely to optimize contributions of all individuals;
• Ethics & Integrity: Makes decisions and conducts oneself consistently with the organization's mission. Respects all individuals in the work environment;
• Mission-driven: Understands programs and services offered by YWCA Hartford Region;
• Personal Accountability: Accepts responsibility for own actions, including failure; Embraces experiences as learning opportunities and not chances to blame;
• Quality Assurance: Demonstrated ability to produce accurate and timely processing of detailed accounting transactions;
• Technical Skills: Possesses the knowledge and abilities necessary to perform required job elements to established standards;
• Time Management: Allocates time efficiently to the most important issues and knows what not to spend time on; completes work in a timely manner; Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple and changing work assignments and priorities; and
• Work Relationships: Builds productive relationships in the workplace to achieve goals.