BSS Budget Analyst II

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR); Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Job summary

UCAR invites applications for a Budget Analyst II within the Business Shared Services (BSS) team supporting the CPAESS Program. The role provides award lifecycle management and advanced financial analysis for contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants, including post-award activities such as forecasting, reconciliation, and reporting.

You will collaborate with program staff, federal sponsors, and CPAESS leadership to ensure compliance with sponsor terms and UCAR policy, develop budgets and

Qualifications

• Experience managing full award lifecycle for contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements.
• Ability to prepare budgets, narratives, and timelines for proposals.
• Strong analytical skills with financial reporting capabilities.
• Knowledge of federal award requirements (OMB Uniform Guidance).

Responsibilities

• Award Lifecycle Management: monitor, reconcile, and forecast expenses for a portfolio.
• Proposal Development: lead budgets, narratives, and timelines and coordinate contributors.
• Sponsor Relations: respond to inquiries and present financial projections.
• Data & Reporting: maintain financial statistics and contribute to team reporting.
• Process & Team Contribution: help develop BSS processes and SOPs.

Skills

Financial Analysis

Budget Management

Proposal Development

Forecasting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Masters degree

Tools

UCAR systems

Federal systems

Job description

Position Type:

Regular

Visa Sponsored Job:

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

No

Hiring Range:

77,486.00 USD - 96,860.00 USD

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.

Application Closes at 12:00am MST on:

2026-09-19

About the Role

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for a Business Shared Services (BSS) Budget Analyst II role. This position provides award lifecycle management and advanced financial analysis of assigned federal award portfolios, including contracts, cooperative agreements, and/or grants. This position will also manage post-award financial activities (e.g. expense monitoring, forecasting, reconciliation, and reporting), and lead proposal budget development, ensuring compliance with federal sponsor requirements and UCAR policy throughout.

As a member of the Business Shared Services (BSS) team, this position will serve the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) Program, and will partner closely with program staff, federal sponsors, and CPAESS leadership on financial and administrative matters.

CPAESS serves the Earth System Science community in three distinct areas of service. We partner with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff enabling a more robust workforce. Through our scientific programs we seek to edify new research with our postdoctoral programs, our visiting scientist and internship programs, along with our interagency support programs. We also help build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees.

Job Description

Responsibilities

Award Lifecycle Management

• Manage post-award financial administration (e.g. monitoring, reconciling, and forecasting expenses) for a portfolio of contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants.
• Conduct recurring and ad hoc analysis to ensure compliance with UCAR policy, federal requirements, and sponsor terms.
• Identify risks and issues proactively and elevate to leadership with data-informed recommendations.

Proposal Development

• Serve as lead proposal administrator for your assigned portfolio.
• Develop budgets, budget narratives, and proposal timelines, and coordinate contributors.
• Ensure proposal compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements.

Sponsor Relations

• Serve as a financial subject matter expert on award compliance and allowability for federal stakeholders.
• Respond to sponsor inquiries and prepare budget projections as requested.
• Prepare and present financial reporting and analysis to sponsors and CPAESS leadership.

Data & Reporting

• Maintain accurate, consistent financial statistics and metrics across your portfolio.
• Contribute to broader data tracking and reporting efforts for the team.

Process & Team Contribution

• Contribute to the development of BSS processes and best practices.
• Document standard operating procedures for your work.
• Participate in BSS meetings, trainings, and working groups as needed.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant academic discipline;

• 5 years of related experience (or a Masters degree and three years of related experience;

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Financial & Proposal Management

• Expertise in managing the full award lifecycle, including contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants.
• Proficiency in proposal development, budget preparation, and financial forecasting using UCAR and federal systems.
• Advanced analytical skills, including the ability to generate meaningful financial reports and status metrics.

Compliance & Regulatory Knowledge

• Solid understanding of federal award requirements, specifically OMB Uniform Guidance and generally accepted cost principles.
• Proven ability to interpret and apply institutional policies and sponsor requirements to ensure ongoing compliance.

Professional Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information for diverse stakeholders.
• Proactive problem-solving abilities, including the capacity to anticipate organizational challenges and recommend data-informed solutions.
• High level of discretion in handling confidential information, with the ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience working with NOAA Contractual vehicles.

Work Location Expectations : This position is open to candidates seeking in-person or hybrid (combination of 3 days in-person and 2 days of remote) opportunities. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

Application Requirements

Cover Letter, Resume/CV

Background checks and/or federal screenings are conducted for candidates selected for hire.

Benefits Overview

UCAR offers a comprehensive benefits package: health insurance, dental, retirement plan, leave plans, tuition assistance, and employee assistance programs:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous retirement plan - UCAR contributes of 10% of base salary
• Time Off Plans
  • Minimum 20 days of annual PTO
  • 10 paid holidays
  • 12 weeks of paid parental leave
  • FAMLI Leave
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer

UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants are not required to provide age-related information (like date of birth or graduation dates) in initial submissions.

For sponsored positions: UCAR can sponsor individuals for H-1B status only if they are already in the U.S. in H-1B status or another visa status that allows them to change to H-1B status within the U.S. UCAR is unable to sponsor new H-1B visas for individuals who are outside the U.S. and need to obtain H-1B status through Consular Processing.

While UCAR does not prohibit the use of AI tools in job applications, we strongly recommend that applicants submit primarily original work.

All roles require compliance with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements. All hybrid staff are expected to work on-site approximately 3 days per week.