Accounting, Grants & Finance Manager

Job Summary

The job works independently to administer pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals/funding within a department or unit. The job works independently to administer a portfolio of funding, including finance management and post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals/funding within the Development Innovation Lab and affiliated programs. The job manages projects in monitoring the operating and budgets within The Social Sciences Division and/or University-wide administrative units.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes and prepares budgets and monthly forecasts, creates accounts, and works with the financial accounting system to allocate, authorize, monitor, and control expenses.
• Examines financial reports for consistency, accuracy, and compliance.
• Leads the monthly and annual close process.
• Analyzes financial data, ensures account balances are accurate, reviews of errors and inaccuracies, and provides spending analysis and recommendations.
• Approve all transactions charged to restricted and unrestricted accounts so that expenditures agree with account budgets, including travel.
• Approve and transfer payroll and expenditures, monitor invoicing and payments, and reconcile charges using monthly ledgers and Oracle.
• Oversees gift and endowment accounts, departmental operating accounts and faculty unrestricted research accounts.
• Assists in the preparation of financial statements in accordance with university accounting policies.
• Meets with Research Managers, Research Directors and/or PIs to review account portfolios.
• Support the Research Portfolio manager with budget realignments by understanding sponsor formatting guidelines, preparing supporting documents, collecting proposal elements, and processing budget modification requests as needed.
• Primary manager for the procurement process, allocation of expenditures for authorization, and advises on communications with funding agencies, subcontractors, and others at the instruction.
• Provides professional support as a primary account administrator for account owners in an intensive customer service environment.
• Provides specialized support for the research enterprise within a department or unit, including pre- and/or post-award administration for all sponsored activity.
• Serves as liaison between PIs, University administrative offices, and external agencies.
• Prepares interim sponsored project financial reports and closeout reports and works with University Research Administration to prepare budget summaries as required for sponsored project reports.
• Coordinates and ensures completion of annual, final, and ad hoc financial requirements and keeps the Principal Investigator informed of progress.
• Manages all aspects of post-award administration for the assigned portfolio including award budgeting, award management, award reporting, and award closeout.
• Manages the post-award activities for the assigned portfolio including account creation, regulatory compliance monitoring, salary allocations and effort reporting, lab order processing, invoice preparation, payment processing, cost center charges, cost transfers, summer salary processing, grant projections, grant closing processes and account closing.
• Trains and onboard new research staff on financial policies and procedures.
• Ensures service and communication to PIs, standardized information, best practices development, and that all faculty and research staff are aware of any new grant policies and changes.
• Analyzes industry trends and remains current with agency and regulatory changes.
• Monitors department/unit compliance with University, Divisional and Department policies and procedures and implements corrective actions for issues identified.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in accounting, business, finance, or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree in related field.
• Work experience in accounting or related field.
• Progressively responsible experience in administering sponsored research, pre and post-award.
• Working with enterprise-wide financial and sponsored research systems.
• Demonstrated ability to create verbal and written reports.
• Computer proficiency, including solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite, email, etc.
• Intermediate proficiency with Excel; skilled with spreadsheets and utilizing linked documents, vlookup, pivot tables, and macros.
• Proficiency in University of Chicago systems such as AURA, Oracle, Workday, PECCS, GEMS/Concur, etc.
• Proficiency with various funding agency systems.
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures related to sponsored research administration.
• Knowledge of federal rules and regulations related to sponsored research funding.