Bennington College invites applications for a Student Billing Specialist. This role serves as the first point of contact for all student billing inquiries directed to the Business Office, making it essential for facilitating communication between students, faculty, staff, and the Business Office. The Student Billing Specialist is responsible for delivering an exceptional customer service experience that is both positive and effective. Additionally, this position involves providing general administrative support for various operational and administrative activities within the Business Office.

Reporting to the Vice President for Finance and Administration, this position maintains close daily interaction with students and supports the work of all staff members within the Business Office to ensure effective and efficient coordination of duties and coverage and operations. This position offers a hybrid work arrangement, with on-site expectations to be reviewed at manager discretion. 

General Responsibilities

1. Act as the primary point of contact for all student billing inquiries.  Accept and respond to routine inquiries in a timely manner.  Determine nature/urgency of request and facilitate expedient resolution.  Take direction and initiate actions to ensure effective/efficient work handling.
2. Enter new student billing information based on information received from the Registrar’s Office.  
3. Prepare all routine student billings and coordinate mailing to ensure that bills are mailed out in a timely manner as well as posting bills online through the student billing system.  Send out emails to point of contact for billings.
4. Process all daily transactions related to students (charges, credits, refunds, and payments), including verifying incoming wires/ACH payments received through online bank site.
5. Handle daily phone and email contact with students and parents responding to inquiries and work effectively and efficiently to resolve discrepancies in a proactive and timely manner.  
6. Manage month-end processing including entering journal entries in the General Ledger and monthly reconciliation of transactions to the AR subledger and general ledger.  Reconcile A/R accounts by tracing transactions, comparing original documents and searching in supporting files and subsidiary accounts.  Prepare correction documents as required.
7. Handle collection of old or past due accounts and establish payment arrangements on old accounts.
8. Process and maintain payment plans.
9. Reconcile financial aid billing transaction to financial aid records. 
10. Reconcile common application fees and enrollment deposits to admissions records.
11. Work closely with Financial Aid, the Office of Student Life and the Registrar’s Office to provide the best possible service to our students and their parents, providing timely and accurate information in response to inquiries. 
12. Work closely with Financial Aid, the Office of Student Life, Registrar’s Office, Campus Safety, Library and other departments to adjust bills accordingly relative to any fines or charges incurred by the student over the term.   Provide timely and accurate information in response to inquiries.
13. As directed, prepare any requested schedules from external auditors and deal effectively with any requests for information. 
14. Assist students with basic 1098 T inquiries and direct them to the online site as appropriate.
15. Verify daily deposits for student receivables, miscellaneous receivables and other receivables.  Prepare deposit tickets and send daily deposits to bank.
    
16. Provide overflow assistance with general business office functions that may include (but are not limited to) accounts receivable. 
17. Maintain accounts receivable records and organize filing and archive systems to facilitate the expeditious retrieval of information.  As directed, maintain files for record retention/disposal rules and regulations as they apply to the college.
18. Act as a liaison with other departments and outside agencies.  Promote a positive and congenial atmosphere and working relationship with students, employees, supervisors and other individuals with whom this position may come in contact.  Work effectively with other personnel to complete designated duties.
19. Use proper judgment to ensure efficiency of assigned duties and recommend improvements in work efficiency to the Controller.

Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities, as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building a community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values.  The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.

Qualifications

1. High school diploma or GED and an Associate’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience, preferably in Accounting, Business Administration, or Finance.. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
2. 3-5 years of business administrative experience and knowledge, including general administrative/financial experience, preferably in a business or finance office.
3. Demonstrated effective customer service skills.  Must be friendly and possess a professional demeanor, especially during times of stress.  Of critical importance is the ability to deal patiently with problems and complaints and to remain courteous when faced with challenging situations.
4. Basic knowledge of accounting principles, practices and methods acquired through work experience.
5. Must be able to learn/master new/changing technology.
6. Demonstrated organizational and planning abilities, and the ability to work independently and adjust to changing priorities on a variety of administrative details.
7. Must be organized and detail-oriented with the ability to multitask as well as the ability to meet deadlines.  Must be able to handle high volume of work and competing deadlines with ease.
8. Superior interpersonal skills necessary to maintain good relations and open communication with a variety of constituents.  Ability to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment.  Excellent/effective verbal and written communication skills.  Demonstrated ability to accept sensitive/confidential information/situations and to facilitate initial handling/processing.  Able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization.
9. Technical skills required including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Gmail, Google Docs or similar programs.  Experience using accounting software and student financial billing software is desired.  Ability to utilize the internet for research and other tasks as assigned.  Comfortable and proficient with all technology.
10. Must have a high attention to detail and have demonstrated ability to successfully coordinate, proofread and facilitate projects independently and/or with limited supervision.  Work requires continual attention to detail, ability to establish priorities and meet deadlines.  
11. Ability to maintain composure, organization and accuracy amid interruptions. Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.  Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make sound judgment decisions.  Must have strong organization skills. 

All offers of employment are contingent on successful completion and acceptable results of a background check. 

Compensation: The annual salary for this position starts at $60,000. 

The College

Bennington College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and tuition benefits, including Tuition Exchange scholarships. The College also offers an on-site fitness center as well as generous time off benefits.

Bennington College is a small residential liberal arts college in southern Vermont, long distinguished for its progressive approach to higher education. The College was founded in 1932 on the principle of active engagement in learning, which is manifest in individualized plans of study developed by students together with faculty. We serve a diverse student population, and our faculty and staff also reflect diverse backgrounds and identities.  Our aim is to educate students towards self-fulfillment and constructive social purposes, and we believe that equity, diversity, and inclusivity--in community and in curriculum--are vital to achieving those aims.

Nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains in Vermont, the campus consists of approximately 370 acres. The College was named one of ten with the best architecture by Architectural Digest.  From campus, it is a short drive to the cultural offerings of the northern Berkshires in Massachusetts, Albany, New York, and many of Vermont’s top recreational centers. New York City, Boston, and Burlington, Vermont are all within three and a half hours by car