Research Accountant III

Colorado School of Mines•Colorado, CO

8d•$75,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Colorado School of Mines is hiring an Accountant III – Research in the Office of Research Administration (ORA) to lead expense management for research grants and contracts. The role is a key member of the research team and serves as a resource to faculty and administrators on the financial administration of sponsored research awards. Core work includes setting up new awards in financial systems, monitoring expenses and accounts, preparing financial reports, completing financial closeouts, and providing other post-award financial analysis and support. The Accountant III interprets federal, state, and Mines terms and advises the research community on their application. The position requires applying regulatory interpretation to sponsored activity, independently compiling, analyzing, and presenting financial data, and working with faculty and staff to manage and reconcile sponsored activity. Regular campus presence in Golden, Colorado, is required. The position is currently hybrid, with at least two days per week in the office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or equivalent experience.
Five or more years of sponsored research accounting experience.
Ability to serve as a subject-matter expert in research accounting and other post-award administration responsibilities.
Experience managing a high-volume portfolio with a variety of sponsors.
Ability to lead strategic initiatives, identify development opportunities, and improve standard practices.
Working knowledge of federal and other pertinent external research regulations.
Ability to use spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, and enterprise financial systems.
Demonstrated customer service skills and ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community and meet multiple deadlines.
Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use independent judgment.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.
Successful completion of a background investigation is required.

Nice To Haves

Higher education and/or government accounting experience.
Knowledge of Uniform Guidance.
GASB knowledge and experience.

Responsibilities

Create new research accounts and amend existing accounts in Mines’ financial system and ORA’s enterprise project tracking system using legal agreements, proposal documents, and other project materials.
Recognize gaps and develop or improve best practices and standard operating procedures as new policies, terms, and clauses arise for award setup.
Monitor, review, and reconcile award budgets, balances, and expenses, including deficit monitoring and pre- and post-expenditure review.
Work with the broader ORA team to review deficit spending requests, currently called At-Risk Spending Requests, and assess whether the financial risk to Mines is acceptable under current policy and practices.
Review, approve, and perform salary redistributions and journal entries to ensure proper expenditure accounting.
Identify, investigate, and resolve research-account discrepancies or errors in coordination with faculty, ORA staff, other departments, and project sponsors as applicable.
Approve faculty requests for no-cost time extensions, budget deviations, and pre-award spending when allowed by agreement terms and conditions.
Assist the Controller’s Office Property Manager in ensuring equipment is properly titled, accounted for, and tagged in school systems and in accordance with regulations.
Develop or update ad-hoc reports using Banner, Cognos, or other database applications for sponsored-activity tracking, diagnostics, and financial analysis.
Develop templates to improve and expedite award financial administration, such as tuition proportionate to salary calculations, rebudgeting, and closeout workbooks.
Serve as a subject-matter expert on financial award monitoring and train staff on financial and non-financial reporting applications.
Prepare and submit required financial reports accurately and within sponsor timeframes; analyze financial statements, supporting documentation, and other account information to ensure accuracy.
Prepare and submit required non-financial reports accurately and within sponsor timeframes, including property, patent, and cost-share reports.
Use school systems, including Banner, Cognos, and ORA project software, to extract reporting data and navigate sponsor reporting systems to submit required reports.
Determine and perform sponsor- and school-required closeout actions, maintain detailed closeout tracking, track outstanding accounts receivable actions, coordinate financial closeout between the grant sub-ledger and the school General Ledger, and perform final expense review and account reconciliation.
Serve as a subject-matter expert on award closeout and train staff.
Review award setups and pull quality-control reports to ensure accuracy.
Approve journal vouchers and salary redistributions performed by the ORA Post Award team.
Lead and provide staff training on policy and procedural changes affecting sponsored awards.

Benefits

Flexible health and dental care options.
13 paid holidays per year, including a week-long campus winter break.
Generous sick and vacation time.
Retirement plan fully vested on the first day of employment, with an employer contribution.
Tuition benefits: six credits per year for employees and a 50 percent discount for dependents.
Free RTD Ecopass.
Access to discount programs through the State of Colorado.
Free tickets to Mines Athletics home games.
Access to the Recreation Center, including fitness classes, training, and a swimming pool.
Equipment rentals through the Outdoor Recreation Center.
On-campus daycare center.