Assistant Research Administrator

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$37 - $41•Hybrid

About The Position

The Rossier Contracts & Grants Office is seeking an Assistant Research Administrator to join its team within the Rossier School of Education’s Business Office. This role requires an experienced, customer service-driven, self-motivated, full-time employee with great communication skills, organizational skills, and strong budget skills! As a member of the team, the Assistant Research Administrator plays a key role in the continued success of our faculty and the school. The selected candidate will be responsible for managing anywhere from 25-40 combined grants, service agreements, and non-sponsored accounts from inception to close. This includes budgeting, analyzing, forecasting, reconciling and reporting on budget activity to Rossier faculty and research centers. This position has a hybrid work schedule consisting of 3 onsite days and 2 days of remote flexibility, and is not eligible for full remote work. The selected candidate will report to the department’s Senior Research Administrator.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree; combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education
1 year minimum experience
Business administration, accounting, or related degree and budget experience, including knowledge of contract and grant accounting.
Strong computer skills with use of Excel spreadsheets.
Broad knowledge of relevant research computer software, e.g.: Microsoft Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Outlook, SPSS, Visio, and SunGard.
Experience in creating and analyzing statistical reports.
Must be able to utilize computer technology to access data, maintain records and generate reports.
Proven oral and written communication skills to interact with other employees.

Nice To Haves

3 or more years of relevant work experience
Experience working with contracts and grant awards, specifically in dealing with terms and conditions of awards.
Strong communication skills
Experience with financial/budget forecasting and reporting
Experience working with Workday financials
Advanced Proficiency in Excel and pivot tables.

Responsibilities

Collaborates with Contracts and Grants to ensure new awards are set up properly and with Sponsored Projects Accounts to confirm the new PPGG corresponds to the sponsor’s approved budget.
Processes budget adjustments, sets up satellite accounts and issue subawards, after obtaining the necessary approvals and ensuring the changes are within the terms and conditions of the award.
Creates reconciliation report, monitors income and expenses and develops projections in order to authorize or extend financial commitments for assigned accounts.
Extracts financial data from Workday in order to evaluate and analyze variances and spending trends.
Prepares Workday financial reports and gathers labor distribution reports for monthly meetings with the Principal Investigator to review accountant summaries, projection reports and to offer budget options in compliance with university and/or sponsor regulations.
Reconciles departmental account balances and activity to university financial records and initiates correcting entries.
Determines when budget adjustments, cost transfers and journal entries are required and then prepares in accordance with university financial guidelines or agency requirements and restrictions.
Assists in the preparation of proposal budgets, re-budgets and current and pending documents.
Initiates payroll paperwork for the hiring of staff and students, in addition to obtaining approvals needed for personnel paid from various funded accounts.
Prepares payroll accounting adjustments and effort certification reports for faculty and staff funded by sponsored awards.
Processes and/or approves paperwork for reimbursements related to Workday procurement card allocations, bank deposits, requisitions for consultants, professional services or subaward agreements and any other required budget/business forms.
Initiates and monitors expenditures for intercampus and external vendors, such as travel, purchasing equipment, supplies and human subject payments.
Interfaces with Purchasing, Human Resources, Accounts Payable, Sponsored Projects Accounting and external vendors as needed.
Prepares and coordinates, in partnership with SPA, required financial reports for submission to sponsors.
Reviews reports for accuracy prior to distribution, troubleshoots issues, including researching pertinent facts, and interacts with appropriate university staff to achieve resolution before submission.
Reviews accounts and processes year-end closing activity in compliance with University policy.
Prepares three-year financial forecasts for the Rossier Business Office.
Serves as internal resource for contracts and grants-related issues and acts as liaison for PI between USC researchers, other partner institutions, Office of Contracts and Grants, Sponsored Projects Accounting, Purchasing and other university offices, as needed.
Assists in the maintenance of the departmental contracts and grants database.
Performs other duties as assigned or requested.