Associate Director of Research Administration – Accounting and Post Award Compliance

Colorado School of Mines•Colorado, CO

1d•$110,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Colorado School of Mines is seeking a strategic leader for its Office of Research Administration (ORA), which oversees approximately $100 million in annual sponsored research funding. Reporting to the Senior Director of Business Services, the Associate Director is responsible for the overall financial management of sponsored projects, including expense and deficit monitoring, financial reporting, cash management, revenue reconciliation, balance sheet activity, and project closeout. The Associate Director leads the Post Award team, including Research Accountants, Grant Administrators, Billing Specialists, and the Financial Compliance Analyst. The role includes hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, workload prioritization, and fostering an accountable, service-oriented culture. The Associate Director supports faculty and campus partners with expert advice on sponsored-project fiscal management, regulations, policies, and processes, and ensures efficient, effective business practices and strong internal controls. The position oversees sponsored-account reconciliations, financial reporting and compliance, audit responses, indirect-cost analysis and rate proposal preparation, and the development of reporting and analysis tools. It also supports ORA research management software and the University financial system, maintains financial data quality, develops training materials, and collaborates with technical experts to improve systems and processes, including appropriate use of AI. The role interacts with campus administration and academic departments, higher education institutions, governmental agencies, and the public. The position may be eligible for hybrid work in Colorado and requires at least three days per week on campus in Golden, Colorado. Onboarding includes introductions and integration with Research, Faculty, and campus partners, as well as training on policies, procedures, systems, and technology.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, or a related field.
10 years of progressive professional experience in accounting or financial management, with an in-depth understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and public-sector financial policies and procedures.
Five or more years of experience supervising professional staff, including hiring, onboarding, training, and evaluation.
Five or more years of progressive experience in sponsored-project financial administration.
Working knowledge of OMB Circulars and other pertinent external regulations.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Problem-solving and analytical skills, including the ability to critically analyze information and make independent decisions.
Demonstrated customer-service skills and ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies and meet multiple deadlines.
Experience with enterprise financial systems.

Nice To Haves

Certified Public Accountant or other professional licensure.
Working knowledge of public higher education systems.
Experience with Workday, Banner (Ellucian), or a similar enterprise financial system.

Responsibilities

Lead the Post Award staff, including Research Accountants, Grant Administrators, Billing Specialists, and the Financial Compliance Analyst; manage hiring, onboarding, training, performance reviews, and personnel concerns.
Prioritize work based on deadlines, workload complexity, and available resources, and create standard and ad hoc performance reports.
Resolve complex administrative and accounting issues, coordinating with and escalating matters to the ORA Director as appropriate.
Manage the Post Award team’s structure, roles, and responsibilities while fostering a skilled, engaged, service-oriented, accountable team.
Provide high-quality customer advising to the campus community and implement service metrics and feedback reporting.
Develop performance metrics and maintain regular, documented feedback between supervisors and employees.
Foster professional development and continuous improvement, and streamline support and user-facing resources.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for Post Award functions.
Advise ORA staff, departmental administrators, and faculty on regulatory and policy matters and research-project fiscal management.
Monitor federal regulations and changes, OMB Circulars, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and Cost Accounting Standards.
Develop policies and processes that comply with accounting standards, Mines policies, and sponsor regulations, with strong internal controls and efficient resource use.
Support ORA research management software and the University financial system for Post Award processes; maintain financial data quality and coordinate training and communications about process changes.
Develop and deliver audience-appropriate Post Award training for ORA staff and campus, including individual sessions, group sessions, and online materials.
Oversee reconciliation of sponsored research revenue, expenses, and balance sheet activity; track invoices and collections; monitor subrecipient finances and time-and-effort certifications; and provide accounting support.
Manage cash flow and financial reporting for research expenditures and revenue; refer receivables for write-off or collection and authorize sponsor refunds as needed.
Ensure compliance with sponsor financial and reporting requirements and serve as authorized organization official for required financial report submissions.
Analyze indirect-cost revenue trends and ratios to support forecasting.
Work with the Director and Controller to align expenses for maximum F&A reimbursement and oversee data gathering for the University indirect-cost rate proposal.
Coordinate audit responses and follow up on and implement audit recommendations as needed.
Develop and improve fiscal reporting and analysis tools for ad hoc sponsored-research analyses, rate-setting, and complex modeling.
Build standard and ad hoc reports using Mines business-intelligence tools for ORA staff and senior leadership, and analyze data for compliance issues and accounting irregularities.

Benefits

Flexible health and dental care options.
Generous sick and vacation time.
13 paid holidays per year, including a week-long campus winter break.
Retirement plan fully vested on the first day of employment, with an employer contribution.
Tuition benefits: six credits per year for employees and a 50 percent discount for dependents.
Free RTD Ecopass.
Discount programs through the State of Colorado.
Free tickets to Mines Athletics home games.
Access to the Recreation Center, including fitness classes, training, and a swimming pool.
Equipment rentals through the Outdoor Recreation Center.
On-campus daycare center.