Financial Assurance Manager - Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development - UTK

Sponsored Projects Accounting ranks as a high risk area of exposure for compliance for this university with managing an average of 2200 WBS elements whose expenditures totaled $297M in FY2020. The Compliance Manager position ensures financial compliance with university fiscal policies and requirements established by Federal, state, and local governments, as well as private entities in relation to sponsored projects; works with the Director and university officials to keep policies and procedures current with changing requirements; monitors/tests the effectiveness of departmental compliance to mitigate risk; identifies potential areas of compliance vulnerability and works to develop corrective action plans for resolution of problematic concerns; develops/instructs compliance training programs for UTK; manages two compliance officers. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service. UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone. The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine. Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community! Required QualificationsEducation: Bachelor’s DegreeExperience:Six years of Sponsored Projects Accounting (Grants & Contract) experience OR eight years of related work experience with background in accounting, auditing, risk assessment or regulatory compliance. Must have experience with computer systems, including spreadsheet software (such as MS Office). Must have three years prior supervisory oversight of personnel.Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Knowledge of research administration issues including financial management and the ability to interpret and communicate federal, state, and local laws and regulations relevant to research administration operations, policies, and procedures.Knowledge of Uniform Guidance, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and granting agency requirementsAbility to communicate effectively, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work with a diverse group of faculty, staff, administrators, and other stakeholders.Ability to be detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.Ability to be flexible, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style of leadership that encourages teamwork and cooperation. Ability to provide excellent customer service with a commitment to exceptional quality.Ability to be an independent analytically, quantitatively, creatively, and strategically thinker with skepticism.Ability to be a team player who works well collectively and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve common goals.Knowledge of Microsoft OfficeAbility to use judgment skills in the determining compliance and the knowledge to implement process to mitigate the riskAbility to develop and conduct trainingSupervisory skills to be a role model, lead, coach and professionally develop staffApplicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.Preferred QualificationsEducation: Master’s Degree, Certified Research Administrator or Certified Professional AccountantExperience:SAP experienceExperience in higher education administration with knowledge of federal cost accounting principlesKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Experience in higher education administration with knowledge of federal cost accounting principlesKnowledge of UT fiscal, human resource, and research policiesKnowledge of IRIS and CayuseWork Location Location: KnoxvilleHybrid with occasional in-person requirementsApplicant must live in Knoxville or within a commutable distance Compensation and Benefits UT market range: MR15Anticipated hiring range: Find more information on the UT Market Range structure hereFind more information on UT Benefits hereApplication Instructions To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. ResumeCover LetterAbout The College/Department/Division Here at the University of Tennessee, thousands of world-class faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral fellows are engaged in research, scholarship and creative work on a daily basis. With a shared commitment to creating a more just, prosperous, and sustainable world for the citizens of Tennessee and communities far beyond, the UT community is creating new knowledge and generating solutions to some of the most challenging issues of our time.The Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development is here to support you, our community of researchers, scholars and creatives, from ideation to impact. Our dedicated team is here to help you develop competitive proposals and sources of support for your work, seed investments in promising new areas, nurture new and established multidisciplinary communities of scholars and support and sustain a strong culture of research integrity.The university’s strategic relationships with corporate, venture, community, non-profit and government partners help extend the impact of our community’s work across the state and around the world. In collaboration with these partners, we are working to establish Tennessee as a go-to destination for cutting-edge research, innovation and a skilled workforce.We understand that a creative, productive, and empowered community of researchers, scholars, and creatives is critical to the university’s future as a world-renowned research institution.Research, develop and implement financial compliance monitoring program for the Knoxville campus sponsored projects:Research compliance programs at other institutions and Federal agencies to gather ideas for developing monitoring platforms.Keep current of federal regulations financial compliance.Collaborates with IRIS team in developing reports and programming changes to improve compliance.Develops, initiates, maintains, and recommends revisions to policies and procedures for general operation to mitigate risk associated with non-compliance. Manages outside sponsor audit requests for UTK. This includes delegating routine type requests to the compliance officers or working directly with departments in gathering documentation and generating reports for complex audit requests.Develops and facilitates departmental financial compliance reviews.Reviews departmental internal control processes to identify risk of non-compliance regarding sponsored projects and recommends changes to mitigate risks.Develops monthly and quarterly compliance monitoring processes.People Management/SupervisionOn-boards and trains new team members.Leads a team of two compliance officers. Listens, supervises, and fosters teamwork to develop talented, service-oriented professionals.Conducts performance appraisals compliance officers to evaluate staff and guide professional development. Develops performance improvement plans, when necessary, and manages other varied HR-related issues. Develops cross-training opportunities to ensure critical tasks are covered Communicates priorities and procedures to team members. Provides feedback and monitoring relative to team goals.Provides oversight and complex decision-making to staff as they evaluate allowability of costs.Assists in the development of departmental and individual goals.Training:Develops and facilitate training modules for Department Heads, Principal Investigators and financial staff working with sponsored projects for on-line and in classroom settings.Develops, conducts, and tracks financial compliance training for the Division of Research Administration.Communications:Outreach faculty and staffNotify campus of changes to fiscal policy and federal regulations that impact sponsored projects via newsletters, meetings, and email communicationsSends official notifications when financial compliance violations occurRepresent the Division of Research Administration in various meetings or committeesServe as initial contact for audit requests from external auditors for UTKFull timePosting Date: 2026-10-07