Finance/Budget Analyst - Research Administrator

UNC-Chapel Hill; North Carolina; Remote; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

UNC-Chapel Hill is seeking a Finance/Budget Analyst - Research Administrator to provide budget oversight and financial management for a portfolio of investigators and centers. The role covers pre-award and post-award activities, including budget development, reconciliations, and reporting.

The position emphasizes regulatory compliance, forecasting, and collaboration with central offices, sponsors, and research teams.

Qualifications

• Experience in pre-award and post-award financial management across diverse funding sources.
• Ability to forecast personnel and non-personnel expenses and develop budgets.
• Strong understanding of regulations from multiple funding agencies and how to apply funding mechanisms.

Responsibilities

• Oversee budget execution for portfolio of Principal Investigators and Center/Institute Directors.
• Develop proposal budgets and coordinate with subcontractors; process forms and institutional routing.
• Provide analysis, reconciliation, and reporting on multiple fund types; liaise with central offices and sponsors.

Skills

Budget management

Pre/post-award

Payroll forecasting

Regulatory compliance

Excel

Communication

Project management

Education

Master’s degree or Bachelor’s with relevant experience

Tools

CAYUSE

RAMSeS

ConnectCarolina

Infoporte

Microsoft Office

Job description

Finance/Budget Analyst - Research Administrator

Working Title Finance/Budget Analyst - Research Administrator

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC -Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research ( OVCR ) oversees, develops, supports, and grows UNC -Chapel Hill’s $1 billion research enterprise. The offices reporting to the OVCR set strategic priorities for research, manage proposals and awards, provide research infrastructure, identify funding opportunities, develop research teams and partnerships, oversee regulatory compliance, and communicate the impact and value of the University’s research enterprise. The OVCR enables research endeavors for faculty, students, and scholars; encourages interdisciplinary research collaboration across campus; and fosters expansion and diversification of the University’s sponsored research portfolio by collaborating with foundations, federal agencies, corporations, and the state and federal governments. The Vice Chancellor for Research also oversees multiple pan-University, multidisciplinary research centers and institutes.

Position Summary

The Budget Analyst will provide oversight and support in the execution of the budget and expense to a specific portfolio consisting of Principal Investigators and/or Center/Institute Directors. This support will include pre-award, post-award, and financial management of other fund types. On the pre-award side, this position will work with research teams to develop proposal budgets, work with subcontractors to develop their budgets and other materials, complete applications such as CAYUSE and PHS forms, process RAMSeS Internal Processing Form for institutional routing, and liaison with the Office of Sponsored Programs ( OSP ). This position will provide support for finance and post-award activities by independently reviewing and approving transactions, reconciling and reporting on various fund types, providing personnel and non-personnel projections, and acting as a liaison with central offices and sponsors. The total annual budget managed by this position will be in the range of $15-20 million with annual expenditures in the range of $5-$7.5 million.

This position will examine budgets and expenditures for compliance with applicable state, federal, and agency laws. This position will provide consultation, technical assistance, and coordination in the preparation and execution of the initial, continuation, operating, and expansion budgets through pre-award and post-award processes that will utilize multiple funding sources. This position completes or evaluates methodologies used in the preparation of proposal budgets and/or program spending forecasts and provides technical assistance to improve the accuracy of projections. The position will evaluate program, policy, and rule changes to determine their fiscal and program impact and to assure compliance with state, federal, and agency requirements. The position is responsible for the coordination and evaluation of state, federal, and agency required reports to ensure that they meet their respective requirements. The position may review and approve contract recommendations to assure that contracts are consistent with state, federal, and agency guidelines. This position will identify risk and adverse issues generated in budget and program activities, present appropriate issues and recommend solutions to management. Professional technical knowledge and analytical skills will assure that goals and outcomes are provided with effective support.

This position is a 100% remote work arrangement, consistent with System Office policy. UNC Chapel Hill employees are generally required to reside in North Carolina, within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Mid-career with Masters and 1-2 yrs experience; or Bachelors and 2-4 yrs experience

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Knowledge of and experience working with pre- and post-award financial management from a variety of sponsors.
• Extensive experience with calculating payroll and forecasting.
• Thorough understanding of how to interpret regulations and guidelines from a wide variety of funding agencies and use the funding mechanism required by those agencies.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access).
• Extensive experience creating spreadsheets and developing formulas in Excel.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Strong organizational, time management, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to perform work with a high degree of autonomy, accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Three or more years of experience with financial management of sponsored research (pre- and post-award).
• Previous experience with UNC -CH systems (e.g., CAYUSE , RAMSeS, ConnectCarolina, Infoporte).
• Experience with State, F&A, trust, and other fund types.
• Experience with financial and pre-/post-award management workflow tools.
• Experience managing funds and awards for multiple principal investigators across multiple units.
• Experience with shadow accounting.
• Experience with electronic personnel salary source management.
• Certified Research Administrator ( CRA ), Certified Financial Research Administrator ( CFRA ), and/or Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator ( CPRA ) credentials.
• Experience managing or providing work direction to peers and clients/customers.

Special Physical/Mental Requirements

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at [phone] or send an email to [e-mail]

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please select the response below that describes your level of education that best or most closely satisfies the education requirements for this position.
  • Bachelor’s degree in required discipline(s) listed or related field
  • Bachelor's degree in any field/discipline
  • Master's degree or Doctorate degree in required discipline(s) listed or related field
  • Master's degree or Doctorate degree in any field/discipline
  • None of the above
• * Do you have experience with pre-award activities including proposal budget development and submission?

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Do you have experience working with sponsored research administration, specifically post-award financial management (budgeting, forecasting and analysis)?
  • Yes
  • NO
• * Do you have experience with financial and pre-/post-award management workflow tools?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have experience managing funds and awards for multiple principal investigators across multiple units?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have experience with shadow accounting?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have experience with electronic personnel salary source management?
  • Yes
  • No
• * What is your level of expertise with Microsoft Excel?
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
• * Do you have prior experience with any UNC systems such as RAMSes, Cayuse, Infoporte, PeopleSoft/ConnectCarolina and/or other UNC Financial Systems such as Web Travel, Customer Billing Management, Bill Presentation? If so, please briefly describe your experience.

  (Open Ended Question)