Business Administrator, Wharton Finance and Administration - University of Pennsylvania

University Overview


The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.




Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.




The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.








Posted Job Title

Business Administrator, Wharton Finance and Administration





Job Profile Title

Business Administrator B





Job Description Summary

Wharton School Overview

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals worldwide advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a diverse staff population representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.



Reporting to the Associate Director of Accounting Operations, this position provides administration of daily financial operations and procurement support for multiple orgs managed by F&A (i.e., WEE, WRDS, WI, Other). Duties include: (1) managing payment application & reconciliation of over $120M revenue annually, (2) managing the refund process, (3) leading payroll for WEE and WRDS (i.e., Workday processing, costing allocations, timekeeper, performing reconciliations on open positions), (4) managing travel and entertainment expenses for WEE and WRDS (i.e., concur, monthly reporting, ensure compliance with University guidelines), (5) general PO and non-PO management (i.e., review and assist in opening POs for vendors, tracking POs and invoices, processing and approving), and (6) Reviewing, processing, and approving WEE and WI royalty payments for faculty.





Job Description


Job Responsibilities




Incoming payments management

+ Manage the payment application of Wharton’s business units (approximately $120M annually). Process and reconcile daily incoming payments from Wells Fargo and Cybersource. Investigate unidentified payments received by the school and journal the payments as they are identified. Serve as Wharton F&A designee for desktop check deposits and journal payments as needed to Wharton departments. Reconcile and ensure agreement between bank statements, WEE financial systems, and University GLs during month end close.

+ Manage Wharton’s business units refund process including managing supplier registration/proxy suppliers, will call checks (as needed), and tracking refunds for reconciliation. Serve as a liaison for the WEE admin team to answer any questions from learners regarding refund options and trouble shoot any complex refund scenarios that may arise. Manage refund payments for non- business units on a needed basis. Manage SOP and Refund form for use across business units.

+ Serve as an administrator and oversee the Zendesk account that manages both incoming payments and refunds.






Lead Payroll for WEE and WRDS

+ Provide leadership and guidance to WRDS staff on various recruiting and hiring transactions, own WRDS hiring process including working with hiring managers and primary recruiters, guiding candidates on Workday process, and ensure that the Workday onboarding is 100% completed. Serve as an HR Analyst and Timekeeper in Workday for WRDS.

+ Work closely with the WEE Administrative Director on various Workday processes and functions including ensuring that staff hiring process is 100% completed in Workday, termination, costing allocation, and providing guidance on Workday processes. Serve as an HR Analyst and Timekeeper in Workday for all WEE units.

+ Ensure staff compensation for WEE and WRDS are consistently accurate, including reporting via Business Objects and Workday. Reconcile staff compensation monthly and provide reports for budgetary and forecast reviews.






TEM for WEE and WRDS

+ Manage Travel and Expense Management (TEM) for WEE and WRDS to ensure correctness, completeness, and accuracy on Concur reports and compliancy with University and School policies.

+ Serve as Default Reviewer and COA Approver for all Concur reports for WEE and WRDS.

+ · Provide guidance to the WEE and WRDS staff for all TEM related issues and trouble shoot any complex travel reimbursement issues.

+ Perform monthly analysis of Concur spending and provide reports for budgetary and forecast reviews.






PO and non-PO Management

+ Review and assist in opening POs for vendors who are scheduled in WEE programs via Engage platform including tracking POs and invoices for services and updating Engage line items with status.

+ Process and approve POs and non-PO payments including WEE royalty payments, Wharton legal invoices, and invoices paid by multiple departments within the School.

+ Serve as back up for Procurement Specialist and assist in Zendesk ticketing system for Procurement.

+ Assist in year-end close and provide support for annual tax reporting (990) for WEE and WRDS.






Assist in training for WEE and WRDS staff with financial responsibilities and provide support when there are teammates on leave or out of office.




P e r f o r m addit i on a l du t ies a s assi g n e d




Qualifications

+ Bachelor’s degree with 2-3 years of related experience in business office operations, or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

+ Proficiency in financial analytics and Microsoft Office (particularly Excel) is essential.

+ Experience with University’s financial systems (BEN, Workday. Concur, Business Objects) is preferred.

+ Must be able to communicate effectively with business units, demonstrate a high level of organization, and attention to details.

+ Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, manage multiple projects concurrently, and remain flexible in order to adapt to changing priorities.










Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania









Department / School

Wharton School





Pay Range

$43,919.00 - $68,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.










Affirmative Action Statement Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.




Special Requirements Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.




University Benefits

+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.




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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay



The University of Pennsylvania's special character is reflected in the diversity of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community that draws on the strength that comes with a substantive institutional commitment to diversity along dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, veteran status, interests, perspectives, and socioeconomic status. Grounded in equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and affirmative action, Penn's robust commitment to diversity is fundamental to the University's mission of advancing knowledge, educating leaders for all sectors of society, and public service. The University of Pennsylvania prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.