Department

SSD: Local Business Center

About the Department

The Local Business Center supports all faculty and staff with the financial, procurement, budgeting, and systems support and management over grants.

Job Summary

The job uses specialized knowledge and breadth of expertise within the University leading to administer pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals/funding within a department or unit.

Reporting to the Director of Financial Operations, the Assistant Director of Grants and Finance is a senior administrator within The Social Sciences Division responsible for restricted funds policy. The job manages projects in monitoring the operating and capital budgets within The Social Sciences Division and/or University-wide administrative units. This position has responsibility for Faculty portfolios, which include sponsored research administration, budget and forecasting, procurement, capital expenditures, and payroll. The position supervises the faculty summer salary process. The position supervises the sponsored project payroll verification PVR process. The position works in partnership with the Director for Financial Operations to develop and execute short and long-term operational and strategic goals for external grants. The person in this role serves as a liaison to academic departments and administrative units of the University as well as external agencies and academic collaborators.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with leadership to focus on strengthening management and monitoring of sponsored research projects and restricted fund activities to ensure financial accuracy and fiscal accountability.
• Serves as liaison between internal units such as Financial Services, University Research Administration (URA), Procurement Services, the Provost’s Office, and collaborating departments to ensure that all necessary financial data is captured for sponsor-funded research projects.
• Leads comprehensive administrative support for sponsored programs and research (post-award, closeout) to ensure all current funding awarded is used to the specification of the funding agency.
• Review sponsor guidelines, terms, conditions, and processes for all proposals and current awards. Analyzes and prepares budgets in UCPLAN and projections, creates accounts, and works with the financial accounting system to allocate, authorize, monitor, and control expenses.
• Supervise the summer salary allocation process. This includes communicating with faculty on summer salary budgets, reviewing contracts to ensure allowable. Working with payroll to ensure summer salary allocations are correct in accounting system.
• Supervisor for the DDRIG pre-award proposals. Post award administration, and renewals process to University Research Administration.
• Supervise and coordinate the Payroll Verification Process – confirming payroll expenses that hit grants in the prior year and retrieving signatures form Project Investigator.
• Supervise the LBC Invoice Email address to ensure all subcontract invoices are processed in a timely manner.
• Supervise the LBC Grants Email address and delivers answered in a timely manner.
• Coordinates and ensures completion of annual, final, and ad hoc financial requirements and keeps the Principal Investigator informed of progress.
• Remains current with agency and regulatory changes. Plans for department/unit compliance with University, Divisional and Department policies and procedures and implements corrective actions for issues identified.
• Solves complex problems in support for the research enterprise within a department or unit, including pre- and/ or post-award administration for all sponsored activity. Serves as liaison between PIs, University administrative offices, and external agencies.
• Recommends service and communication to PIs, standardized information, best practices development, and that all faculty and research staff are aware of any new grant policies and changes.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• 7 years of work experience in accounting or related field.
• 7 years of progressively responsible experience in administrating sponsored research, pre and post-award.
• Working within an academic or complex administrative environment.
• 2 years of direct supervisory and management experience.
• Working with enterprise-wide financial and sponsored research systems.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Create verbal and written reports.
• Computer proficiency, including solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite, email, etc.
• Intermediate proficiency with Excel; skilled with spreadsheets and utilizing linked documents, vlookup, pivot tables, and macros.
• Proficiency in University of Chicago systems such as AURA, Oracle, Workday, PECCS, GEMS/Concur, etc.
• Proficient with various funding agency systems.
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures related to sponsored research administration.
• Knowledge of federal rules and regulations related to sponsored research funding.

Preferred Competencies

• Lead by example in managing a detail-oriented workload, organizing and prioritizing workload during high-pressure, high-volume periods, and remaining poised and professional.
• High-level interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to work with a variety of staff, students, faculty, and senior leadership.
• Make decisions independently that will have downstream positive impacts on the management of sponsored projects.
• Analyze data and formulate conclusions.
• Assign and prioritize duties across available resources.
• Work with minimal supervision and interact with faculty and administrators from different institutions and outside entities to make independent decisions.
• Learn new skills, take on new challenges, and effectively interact and collaborate with all levels of University administrators and faculty members.
• Influence and motivate direct reports.
• Embraced continuous improvement of skills, including communication (oral and written), planning, problem-solving, organizational, project management, and customer service.
• Manage and prioritize multiple projects and tasks.
• Communicate both verbally and in writing with all levels of people, internally and externally.
• Self-motivated and exercise sound judgment in prioritizing tasks.
• Exercise sound judgment and absolute discretion regarding confidential matters with professionalism and tact.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• References (required)

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$105,000.00 - $115,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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