Grants and Contracts Admin II

University of Rochester•City of Rochester, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Pharmacology and Physiology is a research-intensive basic science department with over $11M in total extramural funding. The department also manages the basic science pre- and post-award sponsored research activities for the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine in a Business Center format. The Grants and Contracts Admin II is responsible for the management of post-award sponsored research activities for numerous research accounts, start-up accounts, and other institutional accounts (e.g., operational, endowment, gift, plant, core facility, etc.) and the assisting of pre-award duties along with the Manager, Grants Management. Knowledge, review, and adherence to institutional and sponsor policies is a critical component in the pre- and post-management of sponsored research projects and essential to the functional responsibilities of the Grants and Contracts Admin II position. The Grants and Contracts Admin II will work closely with the departmental Manager, Grants Management and will be responsible for administrative activities such as data entry, account reconciliation, and report preparation. There will be significant autonomy and direct contact with faculty/investigators and other laboratory personnel, funding sponsors, subcontractors, ORPA, ORACS, Purchasing, HR, Audit, and other University departments/units. Typical sponsors include National Institutes of Health, New York State, American Heart Association, and numerous other foundations and corporate sponsors.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and or equivalent required or combination of education and experience
3 years’ experience in an accounting and/or post-award administrative position required
Strong computing skills (WORD, ACCESS, EXCEL)
Communication skills (including written communication)
Willingness to learn and adapt to new systems and changes in institutional priorities and policies
Advanced level of understanding of general accounting theory
Excellent interpersonal skills
Ability to multitask
Willingness to work in a team environment
Excellent verbal and written skills
Successful candidate will need to attend CLASP training and maintain certification

Nice To Haves

Experience and knowledge of the University’s accounting system
Knowledge of institutional and sponsored policies and practices, particularly related to allowable and unallowable costs
Experience with URGEMS, IORA, WORKDAY/URFINANCIALS, MYURHR

Responsibilities

Manage post-award sponsored research activities for numerous research accounts, start-up accounts, and other institutional accounts (e.g., operational, endowment, gift, plant, core facility, etc.)
Assist with pre-award duties along with the Manager, Grants Management
Ensure knowledge, review, and adherence to institutional and sponsor policies in the pre- and post-management of sponsored research projects
Perform administrative activities such as data entry, account reconciliation, and report preparation
Utilize the URGEMS encumbrance accounting system for data entry, report preparation, ledger review, reconciliation, and projections, as well as WORKDAY/URFINANCIALS/P2P
Have an excellent understanding of other University systems, such as MYURHR, IORA, etc.
Perform professional accounting work with responsibility for a portfolio of all University account types, with experience with University accounting systems for financial reporting, cost analysis, distribution, classification of accounts and funds, with special emphasis for sponsored research accounts
Review for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness of expenditures on sponsored research and institutional accounts prior to purchase approval, and in accordance with sponsor and institutional policies
Perform cost finding analyses and redistribution of costs or recovery from third party sponsored programs
Prepare projection reports as part of continuation proposal process and assist with the completion of grant progress and final reports
Maintain grant effort spreadsheets as part of the progress report process
Set up accounts in URGEMS using IORA notices
Evaluate IORA report for accuracy based on sponsored award letter and contact ORPA and ORACS with any corrections
Review and input data into URGEMS from various payment mechanisms for numerous accounts, double-checking appropriateness of expenditures and account and subcode designations, or direct work of other staff responsible for encumbrance activities
Independently develop draft budgets during pre-award stage for proposals, subcontracts, sponsored research agreements, collaborative research agreements, etc. under the direction of the Manager, Grants Management
Work towards gaining autonomy to work directly with PI’s on the submission of sponsored research proposals, progress reports, training grants, center grants, and fellowships for the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology and the Anesthesiology and Perioperative Sponsored Research Business Center
Format documents to meet sponsor guidelines, proofread, prepare, assemble and organize information and documentation for use in the submission of proposals
Prepare documents for the Just-In-Time (JIT) submission of pre-award information for the PI’s in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology and the Anesthesiology and Perioperative Sponsored Research Business Center
Have extensive use of IORA, NIH COMMONS, NIH ASSIST, UR Financials, and URGEMS systems for reporting and analysis of faculty research grants
Maintain liaison with sponsored research funding agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF, NYS, AHA, FAER, industry sponsors, foundations, corporations, etc.), consortium institutions, and institutional departments that support research activities (e.g.,ORPA, ORACS, Finance, Audit, UCAR, etc.)
Provide oversight of various ledger accounts, projection of spending patterns, and meeting/advising investigators concerning fiscal matters on their grants, as well as participation in audits
Have an advanced level of understanding of general accounting theory, experience and knowledge of the University’s accounting system, and knowledge of institutional and sponsor practices and policies to appropriately manage accounts
Support the departmental and institutional organizational missions and visions, have excellent interpersonal skills, be able to multitask, and a willingness to work in a team environment
Maintain CLASP certification
Be responsible for training and development activities for staff members as directed
Independently develop and analyze specialized financial reports and spreadsheets as needed to assist the Chair, Leadership Team, Principal Investigators/Faculty, and other researchers in the appropriate review of ledgers and other financial reports required by sponsors, Auditing, or the Dean’s office
Prepare projections of encumbrances and expenditures and analyze as necessary, such as for accuracy, allocability, and reasonableness of costs, for close-out of accounts, and adherence to agency guidelines
Ensure compliance with internal and external (federal or agency specific) regulations to ensure all transactions are compliant
Routinely meet with Chair, Leadership Team (primarily Manager, Grants Management), and researchers to review status of accounts and to make recommendations for the appropriate allocation of funds and/or cost savings
Review financial data to identify and isolate problems, analyze problems, and make recommendations to modify or develop processes or reports to correct problems
Review monthly, semi-monthly, and bi-weekly payroll forms to ensure accurate account information and changed distributions are to-date and/or changed in MYURHR by departmental payroll staff
Complete the planned confirmation report
Prepare projections of encumbrances and expenditures and analyze as necessary, such as for accuracy, allocability, and reasonableness of costs, for close-out of accounts, and adherence to agency guidelines
Close-out accounts and prepare and analyze URGEMS reports and preliminary or final financial reports for ORACS
Prepare preliminary agency financial reports as required by sponsor or ORACS
Review reports with supervisors, or principal investigator as needed
Develop and design spreadsheets and reports as for closeout activities and present information
Ensure final close-out materials and all supporting documentation will stand audit
Analyze and monitor monthly ledgers, reconcile charges with URGEMS
Identify discrepancies, problems or errors and make corrections with appropriate central administrative or service department
Prepare monthly URGEMS encumbrance reports of expenditures and balances and prepare detailed spreadsheets as necessary
Ensure back-up documentation for expenditures is appropriate and will suffice for audit purposes
Keep the Manager, Grants Management advised on the status of projects, accounts, and audit issues
Manage encumbrance accounting for departmental salaries on URGEMS and ensure accuracy with MYURHR
Monitor ledgers for accurate salary and benefit distributions, compare with information in URGEMS and MYURHR, and prepare forms such as Payroll Costing Allocations (PCA’s) and Payroll Accounting Adjustments (PAA’s) as necessary and work with researchers on the appropriate allocation of effort on projects
Liaison with ORPA, ORACS, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, HR, Auditing, and other service departments, as well as funding agencies
Consult with ORPA, ORACS, and Auditing on matters such as purchasing restrictions, allocability and reasonable of costs and effort
Meet with research faculty and laboratory personnel to review departmental policies and procedures for the management of sponsored research funds and other institutional accounts
Participate in pre- and post-award related user groups and administrative meetings, such as IORA, WORKDAY/URFINANCIALS, Purchasing groups, etc.
Participate in special purpose meetings, such as audits, pilot programs, meetings with central administrative departments, etc.
Represent department on committees, teams, and participate fully in professional development activities of departmental staff
Attend CLASP certification training program and maintain certification
Perform a variety of administrative and routine duties in support of departmental operations, including copying/scanning, and filing ledgers and support documentation, payroll review and approval, and assistance with department functions
Perform other projects and job duties as assigned