Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Controller's Office supports the educational mission of Swarthmore College by providing diversified business services, including processing financial transactions and protecting monetary assets. The office reports on the financial standing of the College and provides relevant information to students, faculty, parents, donors, grantors, staff, the Board of Managers, alumni, creditors, retirees, and vendors. The Controller's Office aims to instill confidence by providing the highest quality service in a professional and confidential manner.

The opportunity:

This position is responsible for accounting of restricted funds and contracts, accounting for endowment gifts, reconciling gifts received through the Office of Advancement system, administering and financial reporting on various restricted fund activity, administering faculty mortgage program, reconciliation of bank and other accounts.

Essential Responsibilities

Restricted Gifts

• Oversees and is primarily responsible for all restricted fund activity, review of all invoices and payments to ensure correct processing in the Banner Finance system, and to ensure compliance with the donor’s terms and conditions.
• Prepares and reviews monthly reporting for faculty and staff responsible for spending restricted resources. 

Private Gifts

• Coordinates all sales of gifted securities with the College’s stock brokers, making all entries necessary and reconciling the stock receivable account in the general ledger to the balances in the College brokerage accounts.
• Works closely with Gift Records personnel to ensure that funds are recorded appropriately and in accordance with donor instructions.
• Works closely with faculty and staff to complete all requested and necessary fund transfers and budget updates throughout the year.

Endowment Gifts

• Coordinates with the Controller to ensure that endowment gifts are properly recorded.

Gift Reconciliation

• Oversees all gift activity, which includes verifying all gift receipts with bank deposits, assuring that the Office of Advancement is using the correct gift accounts, and reconciling the monthly Advancement gift totals with Finance system activity.

Bank Reconciliation

• Prepares all bank reconciliations monthly.

Mortgage Program

• Administers the Faculty Mortgage program (i.e., paperwork, payoff statements, updating variable rates, tax forms, etc).
• Prepares and electronically distributes annual IRS Form 1098 to each participant & the IRS.
• Administers the College’s Down Payment Assistance Program for all qualified faculty and staff.

Accounting Functions

• Serves as the primary liaison to the President’s Office and is responsible for the preparation of the internal quarterly financial reporting for various Presidential Discretionary and College contingency funds.  The position is also responsible for processing related transfer requests.
• Works with Gift Records personnel and the Controller to reconcile pledge receivables by adjusting for new pledges, pledge payments, write-off uncollectibles and discounting.
• Completes transfers for all faculty research, start-up, endowed chairs, and fellowship funds.
• Prepares and records the year end funding entries for Faculty Start Up and Travel funds.
• Responsible for reconciling student loan accounts to ensure that the third-party loan servicer and the collection agency balances agree with the General Ledger.
• Works in conjunction with the Provost Office and division chairs to pay out our annual student summer stipend awards.
• Prepares annual unclaimed checklists.

Who you are:

• Detail oriented with a passion for accuracy.
• Ability to exercise initiative, independence, and maturity in generating and monitoring work efforts in order to provide self-sufficient expertise.  Must be able to effectively field and work through problems as the first line of contact with constituents.  Knows when to deal with issues independently and when to consult with the Associate Controller or others for assistance. Ability to interact effectively with external organizations such as government agencies, banks, and auditors to represent the best interests of the College.
• Ability to work independently.
• Must maintain a high level of confidentiality.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting.
• 5+ years of experience in accounting, preferably in higher education and/or in gift management.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, time management, written, and communication skills.
• Understanding of US Generally Accepted Account Principles, specifically related to endowment and gift accounting and revenue recognition.
• Demonstrates and maintains expertise in specialty areas through advanced professional training or work in the field. 
• Demonstrates and maintains expertise in personal computer equipment and software, such as word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs. Maintain proficiency with integrated campus databases (Banner). Trains and consults with other users as appropriate.
• Understands how accounting data are stored in an integrated database format and is able to manipulate the data to provide management reporting.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume, including a cover letter. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

PA Criminal Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Credit Check Required by Position

Due to high fiscal responsibility performed in the essential job responsibilities for this position, a Credit Check is required prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.