Research Accountant II

Engineering a world of possibilities As our next Research Accountant II, you will be responsible for the expense management of research grants and contracts in the Office of Research Administration (ORA). This position is key to the research team and serves as a resource to faculty and administrators regarding the financial administration of sponsored research awards. Essential duties include the set‑up of new awards in the financial system, expense and account monitoring, financial reporting, financial closeout and other post‑award financial analysis and support for sponsored awards. Primary Responsibilities Award Set‑Up and Modifications Transactional responsibilities include creating new research accounts and amending existing accounts in the School’s financial system and ORA’s enterprise project tracking system, utilizing information obtained from the legal agreement, proposal documents and other project related documents. Decide appropriate financial codes to input into the School’s financial system to accurately administer and monitor awards in accordance with federal regulations, sponsor terms and conditions, and School policy. Serve as subject expert for sponsor agreement format, financial terms and conditions to perform set‑up appropriately and provide consultation. Award Financial Monitoring Monitor, review and reconcile award budgets, balances and expenses, including deficit monitoring and expense review both pre‑expenditure and post‑expenditure, ensuring expenses are allowable, allocable and reasonable in accordance with grant terms and conditions, budget limits and period of performance. Work with other ORA staff to review deficit spending requests and determine acceptable financial risk under current policy and practices. Review, approve, and perform transactional salary redistributions and journal entries as needed to ensure proper expenditure accounting. Identify, investigate and resolve discrepancies or errors found within research accounts, coordinating with faculty, ORA staff, other departments and/or project sponsor as applicable. When allowed, approve faculty requests for no‑cost time extensions, budget deviations and pre‑award spending. Assist the Property Manager to ensure all equipment is titled, accounted and tagged properly within School systems and per regulations. Develop and/or update ad‑hoc reports using data from Workday, Cognos or other database applications for tracking, diagnostic and financial analysis of sponsored activity. Create templates to improve and expedite financial administration of awards such as tuition proportionate to salary calculation, re‑budgeting, closeout workbook etc. Develop and improve effective business practices and standing operating procedures related to award financial monitoring. Serve as subject expert on the financial monitoring of awards. Award Reporting Prepare and accurately submit required financial reports within sponsoring agency timeframes, analyzing financial statements and supporting documentation for each research account. Prepare and accurately submit required non‑financial reports including Property Reports, Patent Reports, Cost Share reports, etc. Utilize School systems such as Workday, Cognos and ORA’s project software to extract data needed for required reporting and navigate sponsor reporting systems accordingly. Serve as subject expert on financial and non‑financial reporting. Award Closeout Determine and perform all closeout actions required by sponsoring agency and School policy and procedures. Maintain detailed tracking of closeout activities and all outstanding accounts receivable actions to coordinate the financial closeout between the grant sub‑ledger and the School’s General Ledger. Perform final expense review and account reconciliation. Serve as subject expert of award closeout. Develop and improve standing operating procedures related to award closeouts. Training and Process Improvement Provide guidance, advice and training in policy, procedures and regulations related to research administration to faculty, department administrators, college fiscal officers and other administrative departments. Actively participate in office wide process evaluation and reengineering efforts, critically evaluating processes for efficiency and optimal resource utilization, and leading improvement efforts when approved. Provide campus training on procedures and compliance topics. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or equivalent experience. Four or more years of Sponsored Research accounting experience. Demonstrated ability to serve as a subject expert in various topics related to research accounting and other post‑award administration responsibilities. Experience with a high‑volume portfolio with a variety of sponsors. Working knowledge of federal and other pertinent external research regulations. Demonstrated customer‑service skills and ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies and meet multiple deadlines. Analytical and problem‑solving skills, including independent judgment. Preferred Qualifications Higher Education and/or government accounting experience. GASB knowledge and experience. Uniform Guidance knowledge. Salary & Benefits $70,100 - $76,000 Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees. Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, benefits include: Flexible health and dental care options Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year, including a week‑long winter break for the entire campus Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents) Free RTD Ecopass Reasonable Accommodation Requests It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io for assistance. Equal Opportunity Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses. Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a talented student body and workforce. Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequality or concerns for safety. #J-18808-Ljbffr Colorado School of Mines