Financial Analyst, Post-Award, Office of Sponsored Projects

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

6d•Remote

About The Position

The Financial Analyst provides financial management and analytical support to sponsored programs within the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) Post-Award Grants Financial Management team. The role conducts data-driven reporting and variance analysis and supports financial processes such as Letter of Credit (LOC) draws, receivables, refunds, and payment reconciliation. It also serves as an analytical and operational resource, using reporting and automation tools to improve financial accuracy and efficiency across the sponsored programs portfolio. The Office of Sponsored Projects coordinates externally funded research and sponsored projects at The University of Texas at Austin. It supports faculty and professional research staff with proposal review, authorization and submission; award negotiations and acceptance; account management; close-out, reports, audits and collections; professional development and education; export control; and research compliance. The position is based in Austin, Texas, and is described as fully remote. The schedule is 40 hours per week. Occasional weekend, overtime, and evening work may be required to meet deadlines, and in-person participation is required bi-annually for the OSP Summit. The position is expected to continue.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree; relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
At least 5 years of progressively responsible finance or accounting experience, including planning, forecasting, and financial analysis.
Experience in research administration and governmental or commercial accounting.
Experience with costing allocations, reporting, and analyzing substantial amounts of data.
Ability to review and interpret the terms and conditions of research grants and contracts.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including building and maintaining complex spreadsheets, formulas, and data models.
Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple ongoing responsibilities with accuracy, diplomacy, and discretion.
Strong communication skills for high-level interactions with a varied research administration community.
Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
Teamwork skills and a positive, enthusiastic attitude.
Eligible to work in the United States for any employer on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or business administration.
Advanced degree in a related field with 5+ years of experience in one or more areas of preparing, processing, negotiating, or managing grant and contract proposals and awards.
Experience with Power BI or similar data visualization platforms, such as Tableau or Looker, for dashboard development and stakeholder reporting.
Familiarity with Power Automate, Power Query, macros (VBA), or other Microsoft 365 automation tools.
Ability to work independently with limited supervision and collaboratively within a team.
Knowledge of federal guidelines pertaining to institutions of higher education.
Certified Research Administrator (CRA).
Experience working in a Sponsored Projects Office.

Responsibilities

Assist with Funds Management in OSP, reviewing processes for efficiency and contributing to tools that improve workflow.
Conduct financial and operational analysis, including trend analysis, variance reviews, and reporting, using manual and automated reporting tools.
Communicate and escalate financial issues and provide timely updates on analytics deliverables and receivables activity.
Process weekly Letter of Credit draws, including preparing draw reports, creating supporting vouchers, reviewing LOC account balances, and making income adjustments.
Ensure appropriate fund placement for sponsored projects and conduct post-draw reconciliation to verify fund application and project balances.
Assist with sponsored-fund refunds by preparing documentation and coordinating submission through appropriate systems; maintain status logs.
Support day-to-day sponsored receivables activities by monitoring outstanding balances, preparing aging and status reports, and tracking incoming wire transfers, ACH claims, and cash transfers.
Research routine discrepancies, such as delayed or misapplied funds; compile supporting documentation; initiate routine collection communications with university departments and external agencies; and maintain related records.
Support program reviews and operational audits, identify efficiency opportunities, and recommend workflow improvements.
Perform other related functions as assigned.