Financial Assurance Manager - Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development - UTK

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Assurance Manager in the Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) unit provides leadership and expertise to strengthen financial stewardship, compliance, and audit readiness across the sponsored projects life cycle. The manager supports institutional and sponsor requirements by monitoring risk areas, interpreting regulations and award terms, and partnering with departments to promote consistent, well-controlled financial practices. The role leads policy development and implementation, oversees departmental control testing, and directs training and outreach to help campus partners understand compliance expectations. As the audit liaison, the manager coordinates timely, consistent, and well-documented responses to audits and monitoring reviews, uses trends and results to guide continuous improvement, and develops and oversees corrective action plans when issues are identified. The manager supervises two Financial Assurance Officers and supports the university’s research mission through high-quality work, clear priorities, and a service-oriented approach. The position leads the financial assurance program for UTK and UTSI sponsored projects. It develops risk-based financial compliance monitoring across the award life cycle; benchmarks peer and federal programs; tracks evolving regulations and sponsor guidance; and translates requirements into institutional expectations. The manager partners with IT and data/reporting teams on compliance dashboards and exception reports, leads policy and procedure development, coordinates audit and monitoring requests, and conducts departmental reviews of financial controls and practices. The manager also recruits, onboards, trains, coaches, and evaluates two professionals; establishes priorities, deliverables, and service goals; and provides oversight and decision support for escalated or high-risk issues. The role develops stakeholder engagement, change-management, training, and communications resources, evaluates their effectiveness, and represents the division in meetings, working groups, and committees. The position is based in Knoxville and is hybrid, with occasional in-person requirements. Applicants must live in Knoxville or within a commutable distance. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States full-time without current or future need for employment-based visa sponsorship. The anticipated hiring range is not specified; compensation is listed as UT market range MR15.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Six years of Sponsored Projects Accounting (Grants & Contract) experience, or eight years of related work experience with a background in accounting, auditing, risk assessment, or regulatory compliance.
Three years of prior supervisory oversight of personnel.
Experience with computer systems, including spreadsheet software such as MS Office.
Knowledge of research administration issues, including financial management, and ability to interpret and communicate federal, state, and local laws and regulations relevant to research administration operations, policies, and procedures.
Knowledge of Uniform Guidance, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and granting agency requirements.
Effective communication and active listening skills, and ability to work with diverse faculty, staff, administrators, and other stakeholders.
Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and problem-solving skills.
Flexibility, sound judgment, and an open, collaborative leadership style that encourages teamwork and cooperation.
Commitment to excellent customer service and exceptional quality.
Ability to think independently, analytically, quantitatively, creatively, and strategically, with skepticism.
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve common goals.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Ability to use judgment to determine compliance and implement processes to mitigate risk.
Ability to develop and conduct training.
Supervisory skills to serve as a role model, lead, coach, and professionally develop staff.
Legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without current or future need for employment-based visa sponsorship.
Must live in Knoxville or within a commutable distance.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Certified Research Administrator credential.
Certified Professional Accountant credential.
SAP experience.
Experience in higher education administration with knowledge of federal cost accounting principles.
Knowledge of UT fiscal, human resource, and research policies.
Knowledge of IRIS and Cayuse.

Responsibilities

Lead the financial assurance program for UTK and UTSI sponsored projects.
Design, develop, and implement a risk-based financial compliance monitoring program, including its scope, methodology, work plans, documentation standards, and reporting cadence across the award life cycle.
Benchmark peer institutions’ and federal agencies’ compliance programs to identify best practices and inform scalable monitoring frameworks, tools, and platforms.
Monitor evolving federal regulations and sponsor guidance, interpret requirements, and translate them into clear institutional expectations.
Partner with IT and data/reporting teams to develop, validate, test, and continually enhance compliance dashboards and exception reports.
Lead development and implementation of sponsored-project financial compliance policies and procedures, coordinating stakeholder review and communicating updates.
Coordinate sponsored-project audit and monitoring requests, gathering information and ensuring timely, consistent, well-supported responses; track trends and use results to inform corrective actions and risk mitigation.
Conduct departmental financial compliance reviews of internal controls, documentation, approvals, allowability and allocability practices, and timeliness; communicate results and develop and track corrective action plans with departments.
Lead and manage two professionals, fostering a collaborative, service-oriented culture and consistent execution of responsibilities.
Recruit, interview, and hire staff, including developing position requirements and coordinating selection processes.
Plan and deliver structured onboarding covering unit expectations, policies, procedures, customer service standards, and role-specific workflows.
Develop and oversee training and cross-training plans to strengthen coverage, reduce single points of failure, and support continuity.
Set priorities and work expectations, establish deliverables, timelines, and service-level goals, monitor progress, and rebalance workloads as needed.
Set performance goals, coach staff, provide feedback, conduct formal evaluations, and address performance issues constructively and promptly.
Resolve escalated issues and guide staff through high-risk or high-impact situations, ensuring decisions align with compliance requirements, policy, and institutional risk tolerance.
Plan and execute stakeholder engagement and change management for program rollout, including gathering input, addressing concerns, and supporting adoption across departments.
Create and maintain training communications and resources, including job aids, guides, FAQs, quick-reference tools, templates, and recorded demonstrations.
Evaluate training effectiveness and improve materials using feedback, monitoring results, audit trends, and recurring issues.
Develop and execute outreach strategies to engage faculty, principal investigators, and departmental staff on financial compliance expectations, resources, and service updates.
Draft and distribute timely communications about institutional policy, sponsor terms and conditions, and applicable regulations, translating requirements into actionable guidance.
Issue formal notifications when compliance concerns or violations are identified, coordinating with appropriate offices to ensure accurate, consistent, documented communications aligned with escalation and resolution processes.
Represent the division in meetings, working groups, and committees, providing subject-matter input, communicating unit priorities, and maintaining two-way communication with stakeholders.