Finance and Accounting Professional
Requisition Number: 71056
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 12-Apr-2026
Date Posted:
Job Summary
The Finance and Accounting Professional is a high-impact role within the Department of Chemistry, providing financial management expertise for the full lifecycle of research funding. Reporting to the Finance and Accounting Manager, this position serves as a consultant for Principal Investigators (PIs), being responsible for a complex portfolio that includes sponsored research, subawards, cost-share commitments, and internal awards.
Core Focus Areas
Research Finance Administration: manages post-award financial operations. This includes budget reconciliation, analyzing Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs, supervising subcontract purchase orders, and proactively navigating project modifications (NCEs/At-Risk extensions) and regulatory compliance through project closure.
Comprehensive Financial Accounting: Implements essential accounting functions, including journal entries, month/year-end closes, and complex reconciliations. The role ensures all fiscal operations strictly adhere to federal, state, and university policies while resolving moderate to complex accounting discrepancies.
Payroll & Personnel Funding: Leads research-related payroll processes. This includes managing funding distributions for research faculty and grad students, implementing Payroll Expense Transfers (PETs), and collaborating with HR to resolve suspense or overpayment issues.
Travel, Expense & Training: Oversees the end-to-end departmental travel and reimbursement process. This position serves as the departmental subject-matter expert, developing training documentation and leading sessions for faculty and students on travel compliance.
Strategic Support: Monitors the team's task queue to ensure operational efficiency and serves as the primary backup for the Finance and Accounting Manager.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Who We Are
The Department of Chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder emphasizes knowledge of the basic principles of chemistry, including atomic and molecular theory, the states of matter, and reactivities and properties of chemical substances. Students study the basic subfields of chemistry, such as organic, physical, analytical, and inorganic chemistry, all while developing the mathematical skills to understand fundamental chemical relationships and to manipulate experimental data. Graduates also learn safe chemical practices, including handling waste, safety equipment, assembling chemical apparatus and designing experiments.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Research Finance Administration
Manage the full life cycle of research grant funding, working with the Principal Investigators (PI), CU Controller's Office (CCO), and others to ensure the proper use of and accounting for contract/grant funding, in alignment with the conditions of all award documents and subsequent modifications.
Areas of effort and tasks within Research Finance Administration include the following:
Post-Award Financial Management & Reporting.
Oversee project budgets, including monitoring, tracking, and reconciling transactions and variances.
Handle post-award financial tasks, including creating subcontract standing purchase orders (SPO), monitoring project end dates, and leading budget allocations.
Independently monitor and analyze subawards and cost-share commitments.
Exercise discretion in resolving issues related to budget allocations and project due dates.
Proactively track and alert PIs regarding No Cost Extensions, At-Risk Extensions, and other significant project modifications.
Regulatory Compliance and Project Closure.
Review and interpret notices of award to ensure compliance with special restrictions and payroll requirements.
Analyze fringe and Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs and maintain compliance with federal and university regulations.
Identify discrepancies and communicate effectively with PIs and financial teams to resolve issues. Facilitate the closure of sponsored projects, ensuring removal of unallowable charges and adherence to the University Controller's Office recommendations.
Review and complete close-out tasks, maintaining strict adherence to due dates.
Equipment and Fabrication Financial Management.
Work closely with the Building Manager and finance team to oversee fabrication and equipment purchases, ensuring accuracy in financial setup and compliance, including all necessary documentation and approvals (e.g. Sole Source Justification, sponsor approval).
Financial Accounting
Account Monitoring and Resolution.
Perform standard accounting functions, including the preparation of journal entries, verification of accounting codes and fund assignments, and assistance in month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closes.
Carry out reconciliations, audits, data collection, analysis, retention, reporting, and records management with a focus on accuracy and adherence to established procedures.
Conduct research and provide solutions to moderate accounting problems. This includes investigating and analyzing data to ensure accuracy, and performing corrective actions as needed, within the scope of departmental guidelines.
Fiscal Policies and Compliance.
Ensure that fiscal operations are conducted in accordance with Federal, State, and university fiscal policies and procedures.
Apply acquired knowledge to maintain compliance and address related issues independently.
Payroll Administration
Payroll Management.
Manage and execute research-related payroll processes, including initiating Payroll Expense Transfers (PET), handling funding distribution, tuition remission, and clearing suspense and overpay accounts.
Ensure accurate and timely processing of payroll transactions and resolve discrepancies as they arise.
Collaborate with department staff to confirm available funding for research personnel, including graduate research assistants, research faculty, and post-docs.
Work in conjunction with the HR Coordinator and Finance Manager to process off-cycle payments, additional payments, manual adjustments, and overpayment corrections as required.
Travel and Expense Reimbursement
Expense Reports and Tracking.
Oversee the preparation and submission of travel and expense reports for the department.
Ensure that all reports have the necessary prior approvals, receipts, and documentation.
Track all departmental travel and processing steps to ensure timely approval and submission of expense reports, maintaining a systematic approach to managing travel-related expenses.
Reimbursement Reports.
Review travel card, travel, and personal expense reimbursements to confirm that expenses are allocable, allowable, and applicable across various fund @types.
Approve travel and expense reimbursement reports for processing.
Prepare, reconcile, and submit travel expense reimbursement reports. This includes collecting appropriate receipts and documentation, and ensuring expenses are allocated to the correct accounts for specific groups of Principal Investigators.
Training
Develop and maintain training documentation for faculty, students, and staff related to travel procedures. This includes creating clear and concise guidelines and resources.
Perform in-person and video training sessions for faculty and students on travel procedures.
Keep the department informed of any changes to university or departmental travel policies.
Other
Track finance tasks that come into the Finance teams' queue and work with the finance manager to ensure all items are assigned and completed.
Backup for the Finance and Accounting Manager and the administrative staff upon completion of cross-training.
Other duties as assigned.
What You Should Know
Hybrid modality: 3 days in the office during the academic year and 2 days in the summer.
Hours are typically 8 am to 4 pm or 9 am to 5 pm.
What We Can Offer
The salary for this position is $58,200 annually.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder (https://www.colorado.edu/) , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package (https://www.colorado.edu/jobs/benefits) includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage (https://advantage.cu.edu/campus/cu-boulder) program.
Be Statements
Be ambitious. Be pioneering. Be Boulder.
What We Require
A Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a directly related field from an accredited institution.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
1 year of relevant experience: professional-level experience in a payroll, accounting, or finance-related role.
What You Will Need
Excellent customer service.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and interpersonal problem-solving skills.
High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidentiality.
Understanding of contracting regulations, guidelines, policies, and procedures covering grant and contract requirements.
Ability to work effectively in a working environment with multiple interruptions.
Ability to establish and maintain positive and cooperative working relationships.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
Organizational skills and ability to manage multiple complex priorities.
High proficiency in using Microsoft Suite, Word, and Excel.
Demonstrated ability to proactively analyze issues in such a way as to foresee possible problems or concerns that may arise and to develop possible solutions and initiate related action with little close supervision.
Ability to train, navigate, and master CU systems such as PeopleSoft Finance and HR, Concur, and Cognos Reporting, or related systems.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
A current resume.
A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by April 12th, 2026 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs. (https://www.colorado.edu/jobs/)
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Finance-and-Accounting-Professional/71056 (https://apptrkr.com/7054942)
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The University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, pregnancy, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation, or political philosophy. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.
