Financial Manager

Arizona State University•Tempe, AZ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Candidates interested in a career with a focus on financial and project management are invited to apply to join the team at ASU’s School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering (ECEE) within the Ira. A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (FSE). Members of the Research Advancement Team provide financial oversight and post-award support for sponsored projects, grants, contracts, and faculty accounts while working closely with faculty who are making impactful advances in solving today’s global issues. The Financial Manager partners with faculty, staff, and university offices to monitor expenditures, prepare budgets and forecasts, ensure compliance, and resolve financial issues. The position also advises faculty and post-award staff, supports process improvement, and contributes to team leadership while delivering excellent customer service and clear communication. This is a mid-career track position (Level 3 of 7) reporting to the ECEE Research Advancement Manager (RAM) with opportunities to increase complexity based on job performance, as well as growth into multiple branches of specialization or supervisory tracks.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
Demonstrated knowledge of policies, procedures, and regulations governing complex grants, contracts, sponsored projects, cost share, and post-award financial management for sponsors such as NIH, NSF, ARO, and other non-profit organizations.
Experience managing a complex portfolio of sponsored projects, discretionary, and startup accounts in a university or similarly complex environment.
Experience preparing budgets, financial reports, spending projections, sponsor reports, and budget-to-actual analyses for a high volume of awards or accounts.
Experience reviewing payroll, personnel, deficit, transactions, and financial reports to identify risks, discrepancies, missing information, and needed actions.
Demonstrated ability to independently analyze complex problems, research options, interpret requirements, and recommend practical solutions.
Experience improving financial, administrative, reporting, or post-award business processes.
Experience advising faculty, staff, or leadership on difficult financial or research administration matters.
Experience using systems such as Workday Financial, ERA systems, Concur, Adaptive Planning, forecasting tools, sponsor portals, or similar platforms.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaborate with partners outside the immediate work unit.
Effective communication, sound judgment, initiative, organization, and a strong commitment to customer service.

Responsibilities

Independently manage a complex portfolio of sponsored projects, faculty discretionary and startup; reconcile accounts, monitor expenditures, and prepare financial analyses and reports.
Review payroll, budget-to-actual, deficit, personnel, sponsor-specific, and projection reports to identify trends, risks, missing information, and needed actions.
Prepare budgets, projections, and financial scenarios using university financial systems and forecasting tools to support faculty and leadership decision-making.
Review and approve financial and payroll transactions, ensuring expenses are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and consistent with sponsor and university requirements.
Prepare, review, and advise on post-award administrative documents, sponsor reporting materials, cost share tracking, and account management requirements.
Independently identify post-award issues, research options, resolve missing or conflicting information, and recommend appropriate solutions.
Interpret policies, procedures, sponsor requirements, and financial data to determine the best available course of action.
Improve existing post-award processes, reports, tools, or workflows to increase consistency, accuracy, compliance, and service quality.
Lead or contribute to administrative initiatives affecting research administration, financial management, compliance, budgeting, or reporting.
Escalate complex or high-risk issues with clear analysis, recommended next steps, and implications for faculty, sponsors, and the school.
Advise faculty, staff, and team members on difficult post-award financial matters, including spending plans, projections, compliance issues, and sponsor requirements.
Build effective working relationships with faculty, department staff, central offices, and other university partners to resolve issues and support sponsored project administration.
Communicate financial information clearly, adapting communication style to faculty, leadership, and sponsors.
Manage competing deadlines and responsibilities while maintaining accuracy, sound judgment, and high-quality service.