The Director of Research Finance & Operations (Fiscal Services) provides leadership and supervision of Grants financial management of Research Administration and ensures compliance with federal/state federal laws and other regulations/requirements.
The Director will maintain the Center's financial/information systems to support the Center's research activities and provides financial analysis/support for the Center's Research Division.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for analyzing, monitoring and evaluating the Center's post-award sponsored research activities including all federal and non-federal sponsored projects and contracts.
• Maintain the Center's financial systems - general ledger, cross applications/purchasing, fixed assets - to provide the accounting structure needed to support the Research Division.
• Create and amend all research projects in the GL and Research Administration Systems and maintain detailed logs of all updates to sponsored funding including manual creation of financial deliverables.
• Provide financial analysis, monthly reports and accounting support for the Center's Research Division. Presents findings and recommendations to management.
• Manages two Research Finance Analysts serve as a general accounting resource to other Fiscal Services staff members.
• Review and approve all non-personnel Cost Transfers. Ensures the efficient, cost effective, administration and financial management of grants and contracts throughout the Center in compliance with internal and external policies and procedures.
• Create tracking tools (expiring grants, deficit reports) to manage and forecast financial operations to prevent award overspending.
• Meets monthly with Research Administrators (RA) to review research portfolio, upcoming deliverables, identify problem accounts and/or deficits, and work with RA to eliminate deficits.
• Facilitate resolving grant account discrepancies and closing accounts for completed projects/grant years. Monitor monthly financial statements for research division to ensure sponsored project expenditures are within the pre-established budget.
• Prepare, initiate, certify, and reconcile the draws on the Center's various letters of credit through DHHS payment management system.
• Manage the research monthly close of the Center's general ledger, ensuring journal entries are reviewed and complete by the Research Finance Analysts.
• Prepare and certify reports to external entities and individuals, including Federal Financial Reports and non-Federal Financial Status Reports.
• Monitor and work to ensure the Center's compliance with relevant government regulations and the stipulations of the various grant awards and also responsible for sub-recipient monitoring of federal awards.
• Primary contact with the auditors on the Center's annual A-133 audit. Responsible for preparing Schedule of Federal Expenditures and also provide schedules and backup required, for the audit selections. Ensures compliance with grant sponsors and University policies and regulations.
• Responsible for preparation budget templates and incentive calculations for Individual PI's and closely monitor the budget preparation of the Research Division.
• Responsible for ensuring expenditures are allowable and allocated to funds. Provides leadership and guidance to the OSR Administrators on issues related to Research Finance.
• Works closely with the Office of Sponsored Research to create a compliant, efficient, sponsored accounting operation.
• Works on special projects in the center under the direction of the Controller as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• BA or BS degree in Accounting, Business, Finance or other relevant degree; MBA preferred
• 5-7 years of high level responsibility in a financial office
• Accounting experience in a research/academic environment
• Experience with sponsored programs administration and/or broad knowledge of higher education research administration is preferred and highly desirable
• Experience managing people preferred
• Extensive accounting skills and a thorough understanding of financial principles, practices, systems and procedures
• Knowledge of regulatory environment for sponsored programs, OMB circulars, and federal funding agency grant policies
• Interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral)
• Ability to manage multiple tasks
• Advanced skill level in Excel, Word, Access; Excellent computer skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Advanced math skills and superior analytical skills