Senior Financial Analyst, Office of Sponsored Projects

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) serves as the coordinating office for externally funded research and sponsored projects at The University of Texas at Austin. The mission of OSP is to assist faculty and professional research staff in their efforts to secure and ensure proper stewardship of external funding. We do that by assisting research faculty and staff with the following: proposal review, authorization, and submission; award negotiations and acceptance; account management; close-out, reports, audits, collection; professional development and education; export control, and research compliance. This position is responsible for the financial management and analytical oversight of sponsored programs within OSP Grants Financial Management. The Senior Financial Analyst leads data-driven reporting, builds automated tools and dashboards, and manages key financial processes including LOC draws, costing allocations, and refund processing. This role serves as a technical and analytical resource for the team, leveraging advanced Excel, automation, and data visualization tools to improve financial decision-making and operational efficiency across the sponsored programs portfolio.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related field with at least six years of experience in a related field.
Experience in research administration and governmental or commercial accounting.
Experience with costing allocations, reporting and analyzing substantial amounts of data.
Ability to review and interpret the terms and conditions of research grants and contracts.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including building and maintaining complex spreadsheets, formulas, and data models.
Hands-on experience developing Excel macros (VBA) and automated workflows to streamline financial reporting and reduce manual processing.
Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize multiple ongoing responsibilities with accuracy, diplomacy, and discretion.
Exceptional attention to detail and ability to hold masterful communication skills that allow high-level interactions with a varied research administration community.
Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
Excellent teamwork skills; Positive and enthusiastic attitude.
Eligible to work in the United States for any employer on a full-time basis.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a related field with 5+ years of years of experience in one or more areas of preparation, processing, negotiation, and management of grant and contract proposals and awards.
More than the required years of experience in research administration and governmental accounting.
Experience with Power BI or similar data visualization platforms (Tableau, Looker) for dashboard development and stakeholder reporting.
Familiarity with Power Automate, Power Query, or other automation tools within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Ability to work independently with limited supervision and collaboratively within a team environment.
Knowledge of federal guidelines pertaining to institutions of higher education.
Certified Research Administrator (CRA).
Experience in a Sponsored Projects Office.

Responsibilities

Performs analytical review of data to identify inherent risks on sponsored projects.
Builds custom reports and other tools to provide data to OSP staff and stakeholders for improved financial management.
Oversees LOC Draw – Part II: Submission and System Reconciliation.
Facilitates the submission of weekly LOC draws through sponsor portals, ensures accurate entry of draw information, and reconciles submitted amounts to the financial system.
Identifies discrepancies and coordinates resolution to ensure timely and accurate draw completion.
Prepares reports for both institutional and external parties.
Responds to ad-hoc reporting requests from research administrators.
Serves as a point of contact for custom financial data requests.
Provides quality assurance for Post-Award staff to ensure data is entered correctly into the financial system at award setup.
Creates exception reports and other tools that will identify data inconsistencies that need to be corrected.
Communicates issues that need correcting to Post-Award staff to ensure follow through with the changes.
Conducts financial and operational analysis, including trend analysis, variance reviews, and forecasting, leveraging manual and automated reporting tools to enhance financial decision-making.
Assists with special projects assigned by OSP management to improve processes and enhance service to campus.
Designs and maintains macro-enabled workbooks, automated workflows, and financial dashboards that turn complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders and leadership.
Builds scalable tools that reduce manual work and improve team access to key financial metrics, while continuously refining them to reflect evolving needs and best practices in financial analytics.
Assists in processing refunds on sponsored funds, prepares necessary documentation, and coordinates the refund process as needed.
Other related functions as assigned.