Research Accounting Manager
Posting Number: JR107558
Location: Colorado
Engineering a world of possibilities
The position of Research Accountant IV (Research Accounting Manager) will be responsible for the expense management of research grants and contracts in the Office of Research Administration (ORA). This position is a key member of the research team and serves as a resource to faculty and administrators in the financial administration of sponsored research awards. Essential duties include the set-up of new awards in the financial system, expense and account monitoring, financial reporting, financial closeout and other post-award financial analysis and support for sponsored awards.
The Research Accountant IV interprets federal, state and School terms and advises Mines' research community on their application. This position requires critical thinking skills to apply regulatory interpretation to sponsored activity. This position will also be responsible for independently compiling, analyzing, and presenting financial data. In addition, they will be required to work with campus constituents including faculty and staff to manage and reconcile sponsored activity.
The departments on campus are assigned a complexity rating by the Office of Research Administration. A department's complexity rating is assigned based on sponsor, sponsor @type, expense volume, award volume, awards that consist of multiple subcontractors, and awards that consist of multiple PI-s. The set of criteria determine the level of involvement and knowledge that is required to support the department.
Complexity scale: 1 = Low, 2 = Mid, 3 = High
The Research Accountant IV would be assigned departments with a complexity level between a 1-3.
The Progressive track will also be assigned to the Research Accountant to better prepare them for the next job tier.
Progressive Track:
Participate in Audits
Perform managerial accounting reconciliation and review
Training in staff development
Perform high level ad-hoc financial reporting
Participate and lead assigned strategic development
The parameters above applies to the responsibilities listed below:
Award set-up and modifications - 15%
Create new research accounts and amend existing accounts in the School's financial system and ORA's enterprise project tracking system. Utilize information obtained from the legal agreement, proposal documents and other project related documents. Decides appropriate financial codes to input into the School's financial system to accurately administer and monitor awards in accordance with federal regulations, sponsor terms and conditions, and School policy.
Recognize gap an develop, improve best practices and standard operating procedure as new policies, terms, clause arise to better perform award setup.
Provide award setup training to new and existing Research Accountants.
Award Financial Monitoring - 25%
Monitor, review and reconcile award budgets, balances and expenses. This includes deficit monitoring and expense review both pre-expenditure and post-expenditure. Expenses must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with grant terms and conditions, the budget limits and period of performance.
This position will work with the other ORA staff (i.e. Contract Administrators) to review deficit spending requests (currently, At-Risk Spending Requests) to determine if the financial risk to the School is acceptable under current policy and practices.
Review, approve, and perform salary redistributions and journal entries as needed to ensure proper expenditure accounting.
Identify, investigate and resolve discrepancies or errors found within research accounts. Resolution will require coordination with the applicable faculty members, ORA staff members, other departments and/or project sponsor, as applicable.
When allowed under the terms and conditions of the agreement,the Research Accountant will approve faculty requests for no-cost time extensions, budget deviations, and pre-award spending.
Assist the Property Manager in the Controller's Office to ensure all equipment is titled, accounted and tagged properly within School systems and per regulations.
Develop and/or update ad-hoc reports using data from Workday, Cognos or other database applications for tracking, diagnostic and financial analysis of sponsored activity. Develop templates to improve and expedite financial administration of awards (i.e., tuition proportionate to salary calculation, re-budgeting, closeout workbook, etc.)
Recognize gaps and develop, improve effective business practices, standing operating procedures as it relates to award financial monitoring.
Serve as subject expert on the financial monitoring of awards and provide training to staff on their applications.
Generate and Analyze ad-hoc financial reporting to leadership (award expenditure volume, subrecipient volume, sponsor @type volume, etc) and make recommendation on work assignments.
Perform quality control reports to identify financial errors and resolve errors.
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Award Reporting - 10%
Prepares and accurately submits required financial reports within sponsoring agency timeframes. This position will analyze the financial statements, supporting documentation and other necessary information for each research account to ensure accurate financial reports are submitted.
Prepares and accurately submits required non-financial reports within sponsoring agency timeframes. This includes Property Reports, Patent Reports, Cost Share reports, etc.
Utilize School systems, such as Workday, Cognos and ORA's project software, to extract data needed for required reporting. Successfully navigate sponsor reporting systems to submit required reports.
Serve as subject expert on financial and non-financial reporting and provide training to staff.
Recognize gaps and develop, improve effective business practices, standing operating procedures as it relates to award reporting.
Perform quality control reports to identify outstanding and upcoming sponsor reports due.
Supervise the Research Accountants to meet reporting deadlines.
Award Closeout - 20%
Determines and performs all closeout actions required by sponsoring agency and School policy and procedures, including, but not limited to:
Maintain a detailed tracking of closeout activities
Track all outstanding accounts receivable actions to successfully coordinate the process of financial closeout between the grant sub-ledger and the school's General Ledger
Perform final expense review and account reconciliation
Serve as subject expert of award closeout and provide training to staff.
Recognize gap and develop, improve standing operating procedures as it relates to Award closeouts
Perform managerial review of all award closeouts.
Work Leader/Staff Authority/Unit Supervisor Responsibilities - 30%
Act as reviewer of award setups. Pull quality control report to review setups performed by the Research Accountants to ensure the correctness of setups within ORA. Work with assigned Research Accountants to resolve any setup issues.
Pull Quality Control reports to ensure final sponsor reports are complete, work with the research accountants to ensure Sponsor final report correctness and timeliness.
Act as approver for journal vouchers & salary redistribution performed by the Post Award team at ORA.
Lead staff training on policies & procedural changes that impact Sponsored Awards.
Formulate and update Post Award business practices
Provide direct supervision to the Research Accountant unit. Formal supervision include providing documentation to support recommended corrective and disciplinary actions, second level signature on performance plans and appraisals, and resolving informal grievances.
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