Budget Analyst I

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 64,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental

Retirement plan

Leave plans

Tuition assistance

Employee assistance programs

Paid holidays

Paid parental leave

PSLF eligible employer

Job summary

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Boulder, CO is seeking a Budget Analyst I to provide budgetary support to the Research Applications Laboratory (RAL). This full-time role includes pre- and post-award management, proposal support, and financial analysis for project leaders and staff.

The position collaborates with the RAL Administrative team and senior analysts to ensure accurate expenses, forecasts, and reporting, with on-site/hybrid work expectations in a research

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus two years related experience.
• Experience in budgetary management and financial reporting.
• Knowledge of grant and contract proposal processes.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.

Responsibilities

• Prepare budgets and justification documents for proposals.
• Manage post-award activities and budgets for programs.
• Produce bi-weekly and monthly financial reports and graphs.
• Reconcile sponsor invoicing and assist with closeout.

Skills

Budgeting

Proposal prep

Analytical skills

Communication

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline

Tools

Excel

Word

Databases

Job description

Position Type: Regular Visa Sponsored Job: No Relocation Assistance Eligible: No Hiring Range: 63,620.00 USD - 79,530.00 USD *Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role. Application Closes at 12:00am MST on: 2026-10-29

About the Role

We are looking for a Budget Analyst I to provide budgetary support to the Research Applications Laboratory (RAL). This role will work closely with the RAL Administrative team, providing pre- and post-award management services, including preparing proposal and support documentation, managing post-award activities, and conducting financial analysis and reporting. As a member of the RAL Administrative team, this role will also provide back‑up support to other administrative staff members. This full‑time position provides a variety of budget, finance, and proposal support services for project leaders, staff, and other members of RAL’s administrative team.

Job Description Key Responsibilities

• Creates supplemental documents for proposal submission, including Budgets, Budget Justifications, CVs, Current and Pending forms, Tables of Work Effort, Conflict of Interest forms, Subrecipient Commitment forms, etc., for Principal Investigators, Co‑PI’s, Co‑Is, and Collaborators as needed.
• Works with internal and external PIs and collaborators on lead and non‑lead proposals to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Provides guidance to PIs across a variety of proposal types and sponsors, domestic and international, for proposal development that incorporates requirements, policy, terms and conditions, and feasibility/work plan.
• Provides budget and finance support for one of RAL’s four programs.
• Works with a senior Budget Analyst and the program’s project leaders to ensure accurate expense allocation.
• Provides budget analysis and, along with PI’s, reconciles issues.
• Sets up new awards and projects; creates new budgets and monitors existing budgets for project managers; develops forecasts for spending and carryover; requests no‑cost extensions from program sponsors as needed; produces and interprets bi‑weekly and monthly financial reports and graphs; answers questions, troubleshoots problems; prepares journal entries, bi‑weekly reports, and salary transfers; reconciles and assists with closing out accounts.
• Supports the Lab’s subawards and subcontracts.
• Creates sole‑source documentation or provides information needed to solicit competitive bids for awards.
• Collaborates with Program Managers and the Contract Department to establish, manage, and close out all awards.
• Monitors agreements to ensure compliance with relevant terms and conditions.
• Modifies agreements as needed to extend periods of performance, add funding, etc.
• Serves as a lab Export Compliance Coordinator assisting with completing Restricted Party Screenings for RAL proposals and visitors.
• Assists senior administrators in reconciling and monitoring sponsor and vendor invoicing, ensuring timely and accurate monthly posting of AWS invoices.

Education and Experience Required

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant academic discipline, plus two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience that qualifies the individual to perform the duties as described.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• General knowledge of grant and contract proposal preparation and submission processes and procedures.
• Demonstrated organizational skills with ability to prioritize a wide variety of tasks and to multitask effectively in a fast‑paced, interruption‑prone environment.
• Ability to consistently pay close attention to detail, complete tasks accurately under tight schedules, and meet multiple simultaneous deadlines.
• General knowledge of government and institutional grant and contracting requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to appropriately identify, interpret, implement, and effectively communicate relevant policies and procedures within a multicultural setting.
• Basic skill and understanding of budget development, cost accounting principles, and financial analysis related to proposals and awards.
• Proficiency in word processing, database, and spreadsheet software in a networked computing environment.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a diverse team of scientific, engineering, and management staff.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling sensitive information.

Benefits Overview

• Health insurance
• Dental
• Retirement plan
• Leave plans
• Tuition assistance
• 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.

At NCAR – the National Center for Atmospheric Research – we study weather, water, climate, air quality, and space weather to help protect lives and livelihoods, grow the economy, and enhance our nation’s security and well-being.

We collaborate with research partners to advance the science that makes predictions better and with end users to develop applications for forecasters, farmers, resource managers, retailers, the military, and many other stakeholders.

UCAR – the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research – manages NCAR on behalf of the National Science Foundation.

We are a nonprofit consortium of more than 115 colleges and universities with research and training programs in Earth system science.

We bring together the academic community and provide the operational management that are both essential to NCAR’s success.

UCAR’s community programs, from educational resources to data delivery and other services, extend the reach and impact of NCAR’s world‑class research to the community and society.

We seek talented people with diverse backgrounds, training, and skills to join us in our mission of science in service to society.

Want to learn more? Visit ucar.edu.