Finance and Administration Associate

The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the world’s leading railroad policy, research, standard-setting, and technology organization, is focused on enhancing the safety and productivity of the U.S. freight rail industry.

Reporting to the SVP, Finance & Administration, and CFO, this administrative role supports the centralized functions of accounting, finance, information systems, and human resources within the Finance & Administration (F&A) division. General responsibilities cover various complex administrative and financial areas crucial to the proper function of the Association. The ideal candidate is proactive, adept at multitasking, keenly detail-oriented, and thrives in a collaborative team setting.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Divisional Support

• Support the SVP/CFO in scheduling and maintaining the departmental calendar, coordinating with AAR department liaisons to ensure proper planning and execution of meetings and projects.

•  Assist with tracking other special projects deemed appropriate by the SVP/CFO, to include the collection, assimilation, organization, and reporting of data across various disciplines.

• Assist with the planning, scheduling and execution of periodic and annual AAR Committee-sponsored meetings and conferences, such as the Railroad Accounting Officers/Internal Audit Division conference and the Railroad Insurance Management Association conference.

• Assist with planning division and company-wide events such as celebratory lunches, all-staff meetings, holiday parties, and staff socials.

Administrative/Finance Duties

• Provide support to the Assistant Controller in the area of member dues assessments; specifically, this involves preparation and maintenance of files and records for regular and special assessments, including outreach to the members requesting annual information, verification of information received, collection of mid-year data, invoicing member railroads, and annual rate calculation.

• Prepare and maintain a primary correspondence file for the annual Research Tax Credit notifications to membership.

• Assist with assembly of annual budget documents, narratives, basic financial reports (with guidance), spreadsheet development and roll forward, updating information and presentations, as necessary.

• Maintain, organize, and update AAR Internal content via Teams (All Aboard) and SharePoint. Working with the Communications team and other departmental subject matter experts (SMEs), develop a plan to enhance and improve the effectiveness of the AAR’s shared internal portal as a reliable means of communication.

Facilities

• Assist with employee onboarding and offboarding by ensuring workspace is properly prepared, including signage, supplies, storage, and furniture needs. Maintain orientation checklist, coordinate and schedule new employee systems training, and provide facility tour for all new employees. Update and maintain SOPs for these procedures.

• Manage furniture purchases, office moves, furniture repair and disposal, carpet cleaning, and replacement of fixtures and appliances. Assist with inventory of fixed assets.

• Process facilities and administration-related invoices to ensure timely payments to vendors.

• Foster excellent space management and operations through timely and effective communication with the building management team.

• Manage and update the records storage management account with Iron Mountain.

Human Resources

• Assist in implementing administrative procedures required to support the delivery of the AAR’s full package of fringe benefits to AAR employees, including medical and dental insurance, disability insurance, life and AD&D insurance, supplemental life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts and long-term care insurance.

• Assist in managing AAR group insurance plans, ensuring participant enrollment lists are current and monthly invoices are submitted for payment, including the under-65 retiree medical coverage, determining eligibility, preparation of invoicing information for accounting, and enrollment.

• Administer the retiree life insurance census, updating eligibility information, processing monthly invoices, and initiating claim forms for payment to the beneficiaries of the plan, including obtaining death certificates and other required information from the beneficiaries and filing the claim with the providerfff.

• Support the Assistant Vice President, Human Resources/Administration in scheduling and assembling materials for the AAR Pension Board, AAR 401k Committee, and AAR Retiree Life Insurance Trust and other AAR benefit related meetings.

• Administer the AAR’s quarterly medical waiver bonus plan for employees electing to waive insurance coverage.

• Administer AAR’s quarterly reimbursement of expenses for employees participating in wellness-related activities.

• Assist with the onboarding of new hires.

The above description of responsibilities is representative of the position and the knowledge and experience a successful candidate is expected to have when hired. It is not intended to limit or preclude other responsibilities and tasks that may be associated with or added to the position based on the needs and strategic direction of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 3 years of administrative experience.
• Previous experience supporting administrative functions, including some or preferably all of the following: operations, facilities, finance, accounting, and human resources.
• Experience reporting to or directly supporting senior leadership (e.g., CFO or COO) highly valued.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality with access to sensitive information, including but not limited to vendor and customer information, personnel reports, financial data, and other related matters.
• Excellent communication and people skills, with the ability to work independently, liaise on behalf of senior staff with both internal and external stakeholders, take initiative on projects, and problem solve.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and time management skills, with a proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously and effectively.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Adobe Pro, including ability to create and edit mail merge and pdf files.
• An enthusiastic approach to taking on expanded responsibilities and pursuing continuous learning and professional growth.
• Salary will be commensurate with experience.

About AAR

Founded in 1934 and located just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall, AAR is a top-tier trade association representing major freight and passenger railroads operating in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.  In addition to representing its members on legislative and regulatory policy matters, AAR sets standards for rail cars and rail car components, certifies manufacturing and repair facilities, and audits facilities for compliance.  Its research subsidiary, MxV Rail, headquartered in Pueblo, Colorado, is the world’s leading railroad research facility, undertaking cutting-edge research for railroads and their suppliers from around the world. AAR’s information technology subsidiary, Railinc, located in Cary, North Carolina, provides IT services to the railroad industry. For more information on AAR and its subsidiaries, see www.aar.org.

AAR is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran.