1251 Financial Specialist II

Posting # 1251

Posting date: July 23, 2025

Posting close: Open until filled, Interviews anticipated to begin the week of August 4, 2025

Location: Sioux City

Begin: Immediately

Overview

Northwest AEA provides visionary leadership and quality, student-centered services through relationships with families, schools, and communities. In short, our focus can be summed up in these four words: Inspiring Learning. Changing Lives. 

Our vision is to be the first contact for timely and ongoing support to improve the performance outcomes and well-being of all learners.

About the Agency

Northwest AEA provides special education and school improvement services to 34 public school districts and 32 accredited, non-public schools. The agency serves 45,000 students and more than 5000 educators in a 10-county area of Northwest Iowa (Lyon, Osceola, Sioux, O'Brien, Plymouth, Cherokee, Woodbury, Ida, Monona, and Crawford). 

Our headquarters is located at 5800 Discovery Blvd., Sioux City, with regional offices in Cherokee, Denison, Le Mars, Onawa, and Sioux Center.

Why Northwest AEA?

Our vision, mission, and anchors guide our actions. Staff at Northwest AEA believe that what they do inspires learning and leads to changed lives for the students, staff, and families we serve. Our work is anchored in building positive, professional relationships with stakeholders and with one another. We embrace responsiveness in how we serve so that students, staff, and families can see improved results.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Qualifications:

• High school graduate with accounting and/or business office emphasis.


• Data entry and general bookkeeping experience.

Job Purpose:  To achieve productivity and accuracy in a multi-task clerical position with emphasis on payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Perform duties related to semi-monthly payroll processing.


• Maintain privacy and confidentiality of AEA employee’s payroll information.


• Maintain and approve leave records for all staff.


• Final processing of payroll, printing reports, deposit notices, checks, and electronic files for direct deposit.


• Review and execute EFT and wire transfers related to payroll processing


• Manage all aspects of accounts receivable.


• Retrieve and compile information to assist the various auditors.


• Build and maintain a detailed knowledge of benefits, leaves,


• Maintain reports as required by law, including electronic federal/state tax deposits


• Complete all aspects of employee on-boarding and off-boarding and provide necessary documentation.


• Monitor employee open enrollment, update data with the vendors, and update the data in the financial software.


• Provide assistance to current and new staff concerning health insurance and other employee benefits.


• Reconcile and process payments for medical, dental, life and long-term disability premiums.


• Work with medical, dental, and life insurance providers to resolve issues and discrepancies.


• Maintain data in payroll and human resource systems.


• Assist in work related to fiscal year-end close.


• Monitor bank cash flow activity.


• Assist the business manager as needed.


• Other duties as assigned.

It is the policy of Northwest Area Education Agency not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Jerome Schaefer, Equity Coordinator, 5800 Discovery Blvd., Sioux City, Iowa, 51111, 712-222-6114.