Assistant Financial Compliance Manager
About The Position
Reporting to the Director of Financial Management and Compliance – Post Award, the Assistant Financial Compliance Manager leads the Financial Compliance Team within Virginia Tech’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). This position oversees daily operations, staff development, financial compliance reviews, audit support, data validation, and regulatory reporting for a large and complex sponsored research portfolio in conjunction with the Director for Financial Management and Compliance. Virginia Tech administers more than 3,000 active sponsored research projects with over $460 million of expenditures reported in fiscal year 2026, funded by federal, state, industry, foundation, and international sponsors. The Financial Compliance Team safeguards the university’s research funds by monitoring post-award financial activity and ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, Uniform Guidance sponsor requirements, university policies and procedures, and the specific terms and conditions of awarded sponsored agreements. Through proactive oversight, the team promotes fiscal stewardship, strengthens internal controls, and mitigates institutional risk. The Assistant Financial Compliance Manager leads, supervises, coaches, mentors, and provides training to the Financial Compliance Team while overseeing key compliance functions by: - Fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture while ensuring accountability, continuous improvement, and exceptional customer service. - Reviewing expenditures and cost transfers for compliance and allowability. - Coordinating responses to internal and external audits by providing requested information, explanations, and support documentation to the auditors. - Managing the university’s Effort Reporting process. - Providing expert financial compliance guidance to faculty, staff, and OSP colleagues. - Reviewing and updating financial compliance policies and procedures. internal OSP policies and procedures. - Developing and delivering research administration and financial compliance training to university-wide stakeholders.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or related field.
- Demonstrated experience in post-award research administration, financial management, grant administration, or financial compliance in a similarly regulated environment.
- Financial management experience with sponsored programs (state, federal, university).
- Demonstrated knowledge of the OMB Uniform Guidance, Federal Acquisition Regulations, federal cost principles, and sponsor requirements.
- Experience reviewing and analyzing financial transactions and identifying compliance risks.
- Experience responding to audits, monitoring activities, or compliance reviews.
- Strong communication skills for interaction with faculty, staff, sponsors, and auditors. Able to interpret and communicate sponsor’s requirements.
- Strong personal integrity, exhibits good judgment, attention to detail; critical thinking and strong analytical skills; proactive problem-solving abilities; able to manage task priorities and deadlines, and delegate tasks.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in sponsored projects in higher education.
- Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or CFRA.
- Sponsored projects-related audit experience
- Demonstrated supervisory experience, including leading, training, and evaluating direct reports.
Responsibilities
- Fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture while ensuring accountability, continuous improvement, and exceptional customer service.
- Reviewing expenditures and cost transfers for compliance and allowability.
- Coordinating responses to internal and external audits by providing requested information, explanations, and support documentation to the auditors.
- Managing the university’s Effort Reporting process.
- Providing expert financial compliance guidance to faculty, staff, and OSP colleagues.
- Reviewing and updating financial compliance policies and procedures. internal OSP policies and procedures.
- Developing and delivering research administration and financial compliance training to university-wide stakeholders.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
