Sponsored Research Accountant II - Grants & Compliance

University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition remission

Retirement plans

Work-life balance

Health coverage

Flexible spending accounts

Professional development

Job summary

University of Cincinnati is seeking a Sponsored Research Accountant II to manage day‑to‑day grants, salary reallocations, and effort certification. You will liaison between PIs and research staff to ensure GAAP compliance and timely financial reporting.

Responsibilities include approving cost transfers, overseeing labor verification, and maintaining grant records across multiple fund sources while supporting post‑award activities and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance required.
• Six years of relevant work experience may substitute for the education requirement.

Responsibilities

• Review and approve salary cost transfer requests and related personnel changes.
• Oversee labor verification by managing training and overdue statements.
• Administer grant awards and maintain accurate grant records.
• Close out grant accounts, reconcile, and prepare final reports and invoices.
• Review award notices and manage grant accounts, budgets, and award set‑ups in systems.
• Maintain a portfolio of moderately complex awards and serve as a knowledge resource on policies.
• Suggest process improvements and participate in departmental discussions.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Skills

Salary cost transfers

Labor verification

Grant administration

GAAP knowledge

Budget management

Communication skills

Process improvements

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting/Finance

Job description

Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors

Next Lives at the University of Cincinnati

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati ranks among the nation?s best urban public research universities. Home to more than 53,600 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, and over 360,000 living alumni, UC, a Carnegie 1 institution, combines research prowess with a physical setting The New York Times has called ?the most ambitious campus design program in the country." UC's momentum has never been stronger as the anchor of the Cincinnati Innovation District, the oldest cooperative education (co-op) program in the country with students earning $94 million annually through paid experiences, an academic health system, and as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The university contributes $10.6 billion in economic impact to the city and $22.7 billion to the state of Ohio. At UC, next is all of us. Learn more at uc.edu .

UC is a mission-driven organization where we are committed to student success and positively transforming the community through scholarship and service. We thrive on innovation, making an impact, and fostering an environment where staff and faculty are key contributors to UC?s success.

About Government Cost Compliance

The Government Cost Compliance department (GCC) in the Office of Research ensures university-wide compliance with applicable federal cost principles and established university policies.

Job Overview

The GCC department is seeking to fill a Sponsored Research Accountant 2 position. This position will be responsible for managing financial aspects of research grants and sponsored projects, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, sponsor regulations, and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). It will serve as the key liaison between Principal Investigators (PIs) and research administrators, providing guidance and oversight on post-award financial matters related to salary reallocations and effort certification. The position involves day-to-day administration of grants, including managing salary transfer requests and ensuring effort certification compliance.

Essential Functions

• Review and approve salary cost transfer requests, verifying their accuracy and approve the associated personnel change requests.
• Oversee labor verification processes by managing required employee training, issuing notifications for overdue labor verification statements, and researching and resolving issues related to verification schedules and system or process errors that prevent statements from being generated or distributed.
• Administer grant awards (federal, state, local, private and internal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements) from a myriad of funding agencies. Establish and maintain grant records and files ensuring their accuracy and completeness.
• Close out grant accounts by reconciling account, sample unusual transactions for compliance, prepare final invoice and/or reports and ensure non-financial reports are submitted. Complete agency invoices and reports in accordance with awards terms and conditions by utilizing various systems. Pursue and report on collection of past due invoices.
• Review award notices. Create and maintain grant accounts according to the agreements, adding and modifying budgets. Request set-up of awards in Student Financial Aid System. Review and approve salary and non-salary Cost Transfers (CTR) and Cost Reallocation requests. Resolve grant coding errors.
• Manage a portfolio of moderately complex awards. Serve as the principal source of information on grant policies and procedures and financial policies. Assist Sponsored Research Services Accounting leadership as required, to include execution of special projects of moderate complexity.
• Recommend areas or approaches for process improvements and providing input to department discussions.
• Perform other assigned duties based on departmental need. This job description can be changed at any time.

Required Education

• Bachelor?s Degree in Accounting, Finance or related field.
• Six (6) years of relevant work experience and/or other specialized training can be used in lieu of education requirement.

Required Experience

Two (2) years of experience in accounting, finance, grants with customer service.

Additional Qualifications Considered

• Strong knowledge of salary cost reallocations and effort reporting requirements, preferably in a regulated or higher education environment.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage complex documentation and meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills with the ability to track multiple requests and processes simultaneously.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to interact with employees at various organizational levels.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Office environment/no specific unusual physical or environmental demands.

Application Process Information

A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application process. Attach these documents before submitting your application. Failure to provide these documents may result in your application not being considered.

Compensation and Benefits

UC offers an exceptional benefits package designed to support your well-being, financial security, and work-life balance. (UC Benefits) Eligibility may vary by position and FTE status. Highlights include:

Comprehensive Tuition Remission

UC provides tuition remission for you and your eligible dependents, covering tuition costs for nearly all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the university.

Robust Retirement Plans

As a UC employee, you won?t contribute to Social Security (except Medicare). Instead, you?ll choose between state pension plans (OPERS, STRS) or an Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP), with UC contributing 14?18% of your salary based on position.

Real Work-Life Balance

UC prioritizes work-life balance with a generous time-off policy, including:

Vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays and additional end-of-year paid time off (Winter Season Days)

6 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents

Additional Benefits Include:

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription)
• Flexible spending accounts & wellness programs
• Professional development & mentorship opportunities

To learn more about why UC is a great place to work, please visit our Careers Page .

UC is an E-Verify employer. If hired into this position, you will be required to provide satisfactory proof of employment eligibility by providing acceptable, original forms of identification for employment verification via the Federal I-9 employment verification process. Click here for a list of acceptable documents.

Important : To apply you must create a profile and submit a complete job application through the UC applicant portal .We are unable to consider ?easy apply? applications submitted via other websites.For questions about the UC recruiting process or to request accommodations with the application, please contact UC HR at [e-mail] .

Equal Opportunity Employer. Building a workplace where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, including Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans.

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