Requisition Number:
74101
Location:
Boulder, Colorado
City
Boulder
State
Colorado
Employment Type:
University Staff
Schedule:
Full-Time
Posting Close Date:
23-Aug-2026
Date Posted:
07-Aug-2026
Close All
Job Summary
The Finance Program Manager provides advanced financial administration support for a complex portfolio of federally and non-federally sponsored research projects within the Institute. This position serves as a key partner to Principal Investigators (PIs), project teams, Institute leadership, and central university offices throughout the full award lifecycle, including proposal development, post-award financial management, compliance oversight, financial analysis, reporting, and award closeout. The position is responsible for ensuring that sponsored project activities are managed in accordance with sponsor regulations, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), University policies and procedures, and applicable state and federal requirements.
This role requires substantial expertise in sponsored project budgeting, financial forecasting, compliance monitoring, accounting, and financial management in a higher education or research environment. The Research Finance Program Manager independently manages complex financial portfolios, provides strategic guidance and decision support to faculty and leadership, monitors financial risk and internal controls, coordinates audit and reporting activities, and supports effective stewardship of Institute resources. The position also collaborates extensively with the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG), Campus Controller's Office (CCO), Human Resources, Procurement, and sponsor agencies to ensure accurate, compliant, and timely financial administration of sponsored and discretionary funds.
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 Crown Institute's research focuses on practices, programs, and policies that foster wellness among children and youth, families and caregivers, educators, and mental health and health providers. Scholars in multiple fields work together and in partnership with families, teachers, young people, and community members.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Budgeting and pre-award support
Advise Institute proposal teams on the use of CU's budget forms, templates, and processes. Provide PIs with appropriate budget justification templates specific and compliant for their submission. Review their entries for budgetary accuracy and consistency across documents.
Review, interpret, and inform PIs of solicitation terms with financial and Human Resource implications that require special approvals and/or planning: reduced indirect cost rates, cost share, PI eligibility, salary caps, etc.
Prepare proposal budgets using the university format, maintaining multiple budgets as needed for internal CU processes, and integrating input into appropriate full proposal budgets for submission.
Track and interpret the needs articulated by the PI and other research personnel in order to create appropriate proposal budgets, using analyses of historical and current Institute budget data, standard fringe and indirect cost rates, and University policies governing budgeting practices like ICR split agreements, cost share, salary limitation, cost categorization and allowability.
Guide the PI to complete the University's Proposal Submission Request (PSR), and provide information for the budgetary and Institutional fields (CU budgets, ICR splits, etc.); complete funding agency budget forms.
Review final proposal packages prior to submission to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency of all budget-related information, including staffing allocations and effort commitments.
Maintain updated, organized, and complete files on proposals in the Finance Team shared drive.
Monitor OCG databases to identify new awards where the Institute is entitled to an indirect cost recovery split; calculate the split owed based on existing agreements, secure interdepartmental approvals, and submit timely splits requests to CCO.
Engage with OCG and CCO to process Pre-Award At-Risk requests if necessary, and coordinate approved pre-award spending activities in compliance with University policies and sponsor requirements.
Post-award financial management
Lead SpeedType lifecycle management for the assigned portfolio by engaging with OCG and CCO to establish, modify, monitor, and close SpeedTypes in accordance with each award's terms and conditions. Inform OCG and CCO of changes to PIs on awards due to new hires or staffing turnover.
Interpret and maintain a consistent understanding of all finance-related award terms and conditions in the assigned portfolio (cost allowability, cost share, reporting, etc.), and engage regularly with the PI and project team to ensure proactive, compliant management of the financial aspects of the award.
Maintain advanced knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), federal cost principles, and sponsor-specific regulations, and remain up to date on policy changes of federal and state sponsor agencies.
Consistently implement award-specific budgetary and financial terms and conditions, adhere to funding agency requirements, follow CU policies and procedures, and observe state regulations for the appropriate utilization of restricted and non-restricted funds.
Refine and maintain a grant tracking system to ensure awareness of key dates (award start and end dates, report due dates, etc.) and update the Institute's Knowledge Integration Platform (KIP). Provide the PI and project team advance notice of report due dates so that they can draft the report and receive required approvals prior to submission. Provide the PI and Institute leadership with advance notice of project end dates for timely identification on key actions (close out, extension requests, etc.).
Work with PIs and HR to facilitate new hires by verifying funding adequacy for requested salary allocations, analyzing appropriateness based on the approved budget, scope, award, terms, and relevant sponsor and university policies, and providing accurate SpeedTypes to HR. Work with HR to submit monthly and biweekly funding distributions for employees in the assigned portfolio.
Generate ad hoc analyses, such as salary histories, what-if scenarios, and activity-level budgets for PIs and Project Leads.
Track grant and discretionary budget portfolios for assigned faculty; develop cost projections, salary allocations, and confirm the timeliness, accuracy, and allocability of expenditures to conform to CU and sponsor policies.
Monitor financial activity and invoices of subawardees for compliance with sponsor terms, approved budgets, and federal regulations; coordinate with PIs and OCG regarding subrecipient risk management and invoice approvals.
Collaborate with PIs, OCG, and sponsors to identify the need and submit award modifications, including but not limited to no-cost extensions, carryforward requests, budget revisions, restricted funds transfers, PI or co-PI changes, requests for additional funding, addition of new subawardee(s), etc.
Provide PIs and Project Leads with routine expenditure updates and budget tracking for ongoing decision support; identify and communicate variances and unanticipated transactions in a timely manner.
Support effort reporting and salary certification processes to ensure compliance with federal regulations and accurate personnel expense allocation.
Maintain organized files for each award in the assigned portfol
