Senior Grant and Finance Professional

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder (CO)

Hybrid

USD 68,000 - 72,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and retirement plans

Paid time off

Tuition assistance for you and your de

ECO Pass for local transit

Job summary

The Senior Grant and Accounting Professional at the University of Colorado Boulder provides advanced financial management, research administration, and professional accounting support to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO). This role independently manages a complex portfolio of sponsored projects, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and CU policies.

It includes post-award management, cost tracking, reporting, and internal control improvements, with collaboration

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
3+ years of financial management experience.
Experience with sponsored projects and grants is a plus.

Responsibilities

Pre-Award Financial and Administrative Duties: advise faculty on proposals and budgets, draft budgets, coordinate with OCG and finance teams.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Written communication

Team collaboration

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

Master's degree in accounting/finance

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Database administration

Job description

Job Summary

The Senior Grant and Accounting Professional provides advancedfinancial management, research administration, and professionalaccounting support to the Department of Ecology and EvolutionaryBiology (EBIO). This position independently manages a complexportfolio of sponsored projects, grants, contracts, gifts, anddepartmental funds, ensuring compliance with federal regulations,sponsor requirements, GASB accounting principles, State of Coloradofiscal rules, and University of Colorado policies. The incumbentserves as a key resource to faculty, principal investigators, anddepartment leadership by providing financial analysis, interpretingpolicies and regulations, monitoring expenditures, and advising onfiscal and grant management strategies.

The position is responsible for grant and fund accounting,personnel and payroll transactions for undergraduate researchersand graduate students, and purchasing activities in partnershipwith the department's Accounting and Finance Professional.Responsibilities also include developing financial reports andforecasts, identifying and resolving complex fiscal issues, andimplementing process improvements and internal controls to supportcompliance, operational efficiency, and informed decision-making.The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology includes 44tenure- and teaching-track faculty members, more than 20 researchfaculty members, 8 staff members, and more than 85 graduatestudents.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with allapplicable federal, state, and local laws governingnondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals withdisabilities.

Who We Are

EBIO's disciplinary strengths include ecology, evolution,genetics, behavior, biology education research and systematics. Ourresearch programs have relevance for global change, conservationbiology, the spread of diseases, and revealing fundamentalmechanisms underlying the structural and functional adaptations oforganisms.

Research Areas:

Our faculty specialize in many fields ofEcology and Evolutionary Biology. Interested in learning more?Visit the various research interests of our faculty.

In the Field:

Our faculty, students and researchers travelthe world to conduct research in ecology and evolution. Learn moreabout their experiences and stories in our In the Fieldarticles.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Pre-Award Financial and Administrative Duties

In partnership with OCG, advise faculty on proposals andawards, including budgets, forms, and regulatory requirements;proactively identify potential issues and recommend solutions.
If requested by the PI, draft the budget justifications forproposals.
Communicate proactively with the Finance and BusinessOperations Manager for large and complex proposals to ensureawareness for unit planning purposes.
With support from the Finance and Business Operations Manager,provide financial information and review for proposal cost sharerequests.

Post-Award Financial and Administrative Duties

Lead the oversight and analysis of all assigned research funds;ensure full compliance with GASB principles, state fiscal rules,sponsor regulations, and University policies.
Maintain an awareness and understanding of award terms andconditions within the assigned research portfolio.
Prepare and convene project kick-off meetings with the PI andkey research personnel when new awards are being processed.
Communicate with the PI regularly to ensure the financialaspects of the award are proactively managed.
Maintain knowledge of OCG and CCO/RFS workflow for projectset-up.
In collaboration with the Finance and Business OperationsManager, support processing and tracking of cost sharedisbursements.
Design, refine, and implement internal accounting procedures tomeet evolving contract and grant requirements.
Perform sophisticated post-award management, includingsubcontracts, indirect cost verification, and corrective transfersusing advanced discretion.
Analyze departmental and campus tools available for financialtracking. Design, refine, and implement tracking tools andprocedures to reconcile and forecast project expenditures and toavoid overspending.
Track all sponsored project expenditures. Communicate criticalfinancial data to PIs, other research personnel, and the Financeand Business Operations Manager.

General/Ad Hoc Financial and Administrative Support

Lead the oversight and analysis of all assigned general,auxiliary, gift, royalty, and plant funds; ensure full compliancewith GASB principles, state fiscal rules, sponsor regulations, andUniversity policies.
Maintain close administrative and fiscal relationships with thedepartment and outside units, in particular the Office of Contractsand Grants, Campus Controller's Office, Procurement Service Center,Human Resources, and the Technology Transfer Office.
Provide financial, administrative, and other support fordepartment events, including winter and spring recognitionceremonies.
Solve complex and sensitive financial challenges using advancedprofessional theories, innovative solutions, and risk mitigationstrategies.
Support project initiatives that enhance departmental resourcesand shared documentation, ensuring accessibility, clarity, andalignment with standard methodologies.

Reconciling, Analyzing, Reporting and Projecting

Develop and present financial reports to senior leadership(Department Chair, Research Operations Manager, PrincipalInvestigators) with actionable insights; proactively reach out forsupport in resolving complex situations.
Review funding level, remaining balance and end date. Forsponsored projects, work with Pl, OCG and sponsors to processadditional funding. For non-sponsored funds, work with other unitsas needed to process budget or cash transfers.
Reconcile past expenses by running reports in CU Data. Revieweach expense and analyze for appropriateness and allowability basedon the approved budget, scope of the project, terms of the award,and all other applicable federal regulations and universitypolicies. Ensure expenses hit the correct account code.
Process expense transfers (Journal Entries (JEs) as needed.Obtain copies of documentation for expenses that aren't availablein Concur, CU Marketplace or Cognos (such as JEs in the Financesystem) and save in the appropriate project folder onFileShare.
Collaborate with CCO grant accountants to close sponsoredprojects.

Purchasing Support

Oversee procurement requests for budget availability andsponsor allowability for all assigned accounts; this includescapital equipment and high-value purchases.
Support process improvement initiatives in partnership withEBIO Staff to drive efficiency and standard methodologies acrossprocurement and reimbursement functions.
Ensure accurate documentation and authorization forexpenditures and procurement card reports, conductingprofessional-level reviews for compliance with Federal, State,University, and Department policies.
Authorize and recommend cost transfers with comprehensivejustification to correct errors, resolve deficits, and ensureexpenditures align with proper accounts; proactively reach out forsupport for complex situations.
Process scope of work contracts, wire transfers, personalreimbursements, honoraria, and other procurement and financialtasks, as needed.

Personnel & Payroll Support

Advise faculty on budget forecasting for personnel to ensuresponsor allowability and budget alignment, including summer facultysalary.
Collaborate with EBIO HR staff to prepare summer faculty salarycontracts.
Provide accurate speed types to support new hires. Thisincludes checking the allowability of the hire, fundingavailability (including benefits, tuition, and overhead whenapplicable), and period of performance details, and reviewing andsigning off on the hiring checklist.
Proactively connect with PIs and research staff to acquirefunding assignments for the new month and salary projections forthe coming 3 or more months.
Oversee all hiring paperwork for undergraduate researchers andGraduate Research Assistants, ensuring compliance with Universityprocesses. Ensure tuition remission waivers are properly encumberedand posted.
Closely collaborate with the Graduate Program Coordinator/EBIOStaff in reviewing research, fellowship, and other types ofgraduate student awards from all sources, including EBIO, GradSchool, other units on campus and non-university sponsors. Analyzeand incorporate financial impact on sponsored grants.
Support with best practice initiatives to improve hiring andpayroll efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.

Collaboration and Professional Development

Back up other team members
Participate in campus initiatives or working groups; attendtraining pertaining to award administration provided by NCURA,funding agencies, OCG, CCO, or senior finance managers, etc.

What You Should Know

This is a hybrid work opportunity requiring a minimum of 3 daysper week on campus after the initial training period.
Onboarding assistance may be available for this position.

What We Can Offer

The salary range for this position is $68,000 - $72,000.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we arecommitted to supporting the holistic health and well-being of ouremployees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical,dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuitionassistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for localtransit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulderoffers an inspiring academic community and access to world-classoutdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's BestLarge Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Coloradoand #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks andprograms through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be dynamic. Be inventive. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
3+ years of experience in financial management.

What You Will Need

Willingness to work interactively in a team
Ability to establish and maintain effective and trustingworking relationships with faculty, administrators, and staff.
Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills
Excellent writing skills
Strong organizational, planning, and time managementskills
Ability to handle multiple, complex assignments andproblem-solve
Ability to work independently to identify and address problemsand issues
Excellent computer skills: Microsoft Suite, Google Suite,database administration and willingness to learn new software.

What We Would Like You to Have