Financial Manager

Arizona State University • Tempe, AZ

2d • $66,200 - $77,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Performs complex financial analysis and reporting. Assesses current status and facilitates financial planning, and recommends controls and process improvements. 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 for Sustainable Engineering in the Built Environment (SSEBE) within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (FSE). Members of the Research Advancement Team provide financial oversight of complex grants, contracts, sponsored projects, and faculty accounts while partnering with faculty and university stakeholders. The Financial Manager applies sound financial judgment, develops effective solutions and processes, and promotes excellent customer service and continuous improvement. In addition to advising faculty, the position leads and supervises the post-award team, supporting staff development, coordinating work, and advancing effective research administration practices. This is a mid-career track position (Level 4 of 7) reporting to the SSEBE Assistant Director Research Advancement 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 seven (7) 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 DOE, DOD, DOT, State Government, and Industry.
• Experience managing a complex portfolio of sponsored projects, discretionary, and startup accounts in a university or similarly complex environment.
• Experience supervising, assigning work to, mentoring, coaching, or developing research administration or financial staff.
• 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 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.
• Lead, assign, and coordinate the work of post-award team and provide guidance on complex matters.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, coaching, performance feedback, and professional development for team members.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, reconciliation, cost-share tracking, transaction review, compliance monitoring, and faculty and sponsor reporting.
• Interpret policies, procedures, sponsor requirements, and financial data to determine the best available course of action.
• Develop/improve 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 productive relationships across job families, departments, central offices, and other stakeholder groups.
• Adapt communication to viewpoints and audiences, using data and sound judgment to support recommendations.
• Manage competing priorities and changing conditions while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness, and service quality.

Benefits

• ASU’s comprehensive benefits package is a key part of your total compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level