Accounting, Grants & Finance Manager

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Chicago Development Innovation Lab is seeking a staff-level position to administer pre-award and post-award activities for grant and contract proposals within the department. The role also manages a portfolio of funding, handles post-award administration, and contributes to budget development and financial forecasting for major programs.

This role requires coordination with PIs, Research Managers, and university offices to ensure compliance, reporting, and timely financial

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; resolves errors and collaborates with leadership to prevent repeats.
• Leads the monthly and annual close process.
• Analyzes financial data, ensures account balances are accurate, and provides spending analysis and recommendations.
• Approve all transactions charged to restricted and unrestricted accounts including travel.
• Coordinate payroll and expenditures, monitor invoicing, and reconcile charges using monthly ledgers and Oracle.
• Oversees gift and endowment accounts, departmental operating accounts and faculty unrestricted research accounts.
• Assist in preparation of financial statements per university accounting policies.

Job description

Department

SSD Development Economics Center: Staff and Temporary Employees

About the Department

The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

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. At the instruction of others, performs work that contributes to development of long- and short-term financial goals, business strategies/plans, and financial forecasts/models for major service programs and initiatives. Utilizes knowledge of finance to help coordinate monthly, quarterly and year-end reporting for all funds in the operating budget. The job manages the post award activities within the assigned portfolio including reading proposal guidelines, preparing administrative components of award closeout submissions, preparing reporting, performing funding searches, developing and preparing budgets, and monitoring regulatory compliance requirements.

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. At the direction of the Director of Finance, research staff and PIs, resolve errors and work collaboratively to prevent repeat occurrences.
• 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.
• Interacts with University Research Administration, Faculty, Department Pre-Award Staff, Department Human Resources, Pre/Post Award staff in other departments and Financial Services Office personnel.
• 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.
• Act as an expert partner to budget leads in navigating the university and project finances; use excellent communication skills to build trust and thoughtful analysis to solve problems.
• 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 a