Financial Analyst, Post-Award, Office of Sponsored Projects

University of Texas at Austin Staff; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Financial Analyst, Post-Award to support the Grants Financial Management team within the Office of Sponsored Projects. The role focuses on data-driven reporting, variance analysis, and key financial processes such as LOC draws, receivables, refunds, and payment reconciliation.

This position requires a Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience in finance or accounting, with proficiency in Excel and familiarity with sponsored

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance or accounting with experience in planning, forecasting and financial analysis.
• Experience in research administration and governmental or commercial accounting.
• Experience with costing allocations, reporting and analyzing substantial amounts of data.
• Ability to review and interpret the terms and conditions of research grants and contracts.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including building and maintaining complex spreadsheets, formulas, and data models.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize multiple ongoing responsibilities with accuracy, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to hold masterful communication skills that allow high-level interactions with a varied research administration community.
• Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent teamwork skills; Positive and enthusiastic attitude.
• Eligible to work in the United States for any employer on a full-time basis.

Responsibilities

• Assists with Funds Management within the Office of Sponsored Projects, reviewing processes for efficiencies and contributing to tools that improve workflow.
• Conducts financial and operational analysis, including trend analysis, variance reviews, and reporting, leveraging manual and automated reporting tools to enhance financial decision-making.
• Escalates and communicates financial issues, providing timely updates on analytics deliverables and receivables activity.
• Processes weekly LOC draws, including preparation of draw reports, creation of supporting vouchers, review of LOC account balances, and income adjustments.
• Assists with processing refunds on sponsored funds by preparing required documentation and coordinating submission through appropriate systems.
• Assists with day-to-day sponsored receivables activities, including monitoring outstanding balances, preparing aging and status reports, and tracking incoming payments.
• Supports program reviews and operational audits, identifying efficiency opportunities and recommending workflow improvements.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Skills

Excel advanced

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Detail-oriented

Time management

Teamwork

US work eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Power Automate

Power Query

VBA

Job description

Job Posting Title: Financial Analyst, Post-Award, Office of Sponsored Projects

Hiring Department: Office of Sponsored Projects

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Position Duration: Expected to Continue

Location: AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Office of Sponsored Projects(OSP) serves as the coordinating office for externally funded research and sponsored projects at The University of Texas at Austin. The mission of OSP is to assist faculty and professional research staff in their efforts to secure and ensure proper stewardship of external funding. We do that by assisting research faculty and staff with the following: proposal review, authorization, and submission; award negotiations and acceptance; account management; close-out, reports, audits, collection; professional development and education; export control, and research compliance.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage
• Retirement contributions
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays
• Fully remote

Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Purpose

This position is responsible for the financial management and analytical support of sponsored programs within OSP Post-Award's Grants Financial Management team. The Financial Analyst conducts data-driven reporting and variance analysis and assists with key financial processes including LOC draws, receivables, refunds, and payment reconciliation. This role serves as an analytical and operational resource for the team, leveraging reporting and automation tools to improve financial accuracy and efficiency across the sponsored programs portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Assists with Funds Management within the Office of Sponsored Projects, reviewing processes for efficiencies and contributing to tools that improve workflow.
• Conducts financial and operational analysis, including trend analysis, variance reviews, and reporting, leveraging manual and automated reporting tools to enhance financial decision-making.
• Escalates and communicates financial issues, providing timely updates on analytics deliverables and receivables activity.
• Processes weekly Letter of Credit (LOC) draws, including preparation of draw reports, creation of supporting vouchers, review of LOC account balances, and income adjustments. Ensures appropriate fund placement for sponsored projects and conducts post-draw reconciliation to verify accurate fund application and maintain correct project balances.
• Assists with processing refunds on sponsored funds by preparing required documentation and coordinating submission through appropriate systems. Maintains status logs to support timely completion.
• Assists with day-to-day sponsored receivables activities, including monitoring outstanding balances, preparing aging and status reports, and tracking incoming payments such as wire transfers, ACH claims, and cash transfers. Research routine discrepancies, including delayed or misapplied funds, compiles supporting documentation for review, and initiates routine collection communications with university departments and external agencies. Maintains related records.
• Supports program reviews and operational audits, identifying efficiency opportunities and recommending workflow improvements.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in finance or accounting with experience in planning, forecasting and financial analysis.
• Experience in research administration and governmental or commercial accounting.
• Experience with costing allocations, reporting and analyzing substantial amounts of data.
• Ability to review and interpret the terms and conditions of research grants and contracts.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including building and maintaining complex spreadsheets, formulas, and data models.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize multiple ongoing responsibilities with accuracy, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to hold masterful communication skills that allow high-level interactions with a varied research administration community.
• Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent teamwork skills; Positive and enthusiastic attitude.
• Eligible to work in the United States for any employer on a full-time basis.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, or Business Administration.
• Advanced degree in a related field with 5+ years of experience in one or more areas of preparation, processing, negotiation, and management of grant and contract proposals and awards.
• Experience with Power BI or similar data visualization platforms (Tableau, Looker) for dashboard development and stakeholder reporting.
• Familiarity with Power Automate, Power Query, macros (VBA) or other automation tools within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Knowledge of federal guidelines pertaining to institutions of higher education.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA).
• Experience working in a Sponsored Projects Office.

Salary Range

$60,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Occasional weekend, overtime and evening work to meet deadlines
• In person participation bi-annually for OSP Summit

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation proceeding, hearing, or action, (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.